FDSC40520

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this course the student should be able to:

• Propose methods to enumerate and differentiate different classes of Bacteria.
• Identify and describe the main pathogens and spoilage microorganisms associated with specific food types.
• Describe the basic principles of food spoilage and preservation.
• Devise preservation/fermentation protocols using intrinsic and extrinsic food-related factors.
• Successfully resource and critically review reliable published literature, and integrate key concepts appropriately in written assignments.
• Work in a team in an online environment.

Indicative Module Content:

The course will address four key questions intrinsic to applied aspects of food microbiology:

• What microbes are important in food spoilage and foodborne disease?
• How are these microbes identified, differentiated, and enumerated?
• What are the important factors determining microbial growth in food?
• How can these factors be manipulated to ensure food quality and safety?

Student Effort Hours:

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

While there are no learning Pre-requisites in this module, because it is a MSc. module it will be expected that graduate students can write effectively. It might be useful to read through some basic microbiology text as the course does, by its nature contain a considerable level of technical information, which may prove challenging for a beginner, particularly in where English is not a first language.

Module Requisites and Incompatibles

Assessment Strategy

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Peer review activities
• Self-assessment activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

The assessment of this module will take place in two assignments. Assignment 1: Students will be required to prepare a project mindmap, review other mindmaps ( for peer-to-peer learning) and write a short paper. Guidelines for the preparation of the mindmap and an assessment rubric will be given prior to the commencement of the assessment. By following the guidelines and consulting the rubric students should be able to self assess their performance. Post-assessment feedback will be qualitative (poor-excellent) with suggestions of areas in the rubric that require attention for the next assignment. Assignment 2: This is a group project which will require individuals to apply assignment 1 feedback in a group context. The class will be divided into online groups so that will work collaboratively to produce a group mindmap & essay. As before guidelines and Assessment Rubric will be provided in advance, and feedback will be qualitative with comments indicating areas for improvement. Students will be required to submit a self and peer assessment form to ascribe the contribution of the team to the assessment outputs. Students may make an appointment to discuss assessment grades at a time convenient to both Module Co-ordinator and the student.