Introduction to Human Nutrition

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:

Concessionary fees for short courses

To explore the basics of human nutrition and healthy lifestyles. It considers the different nutrients and offers a broader understanding of both the essential and non-essential ones. It also provides a clear context and comprehension of a healthy diet and evaluates the necessary nutritional values.

Course objectives:

• To formulate a broad understanding of the key fundamental points of human nutrition to help sustain daily life activities and promote good health and lifestyle.
• To confidently assess nutritional reading material and read scientific literature with critical thinking focused on understanding and communication.
• To encourage to put into practice the knowledge acquired by making better food choices.

Classes will take place once a week for ten weeks and will consist of lectures followed by, analysis of published research, case studies, group activities, and practical workshops, with ample scope for discussion and questions.

These classes allow students to meet and maximise interaction and enhance fluency in a friendly, supportive environment, by employing visual teaching techniques and various practical exercises, such as describing and analysing specific nutritional behaviours and evaluating current nutritional models proposed by mass media.

Students are advised to obtain access to the recommended books that will help to bring a clearer understanding to each session. Reading material will be provided during the lessons.

By the end of the course, students will be expected to:

• acquire an understanding of the nutrients essential to the human body and their main role;  
• understand how to analyse the composition and content of a healthy diet, and learn to utilise the components of proven nutrition best practices;
• understand relevant research articles and display critical thinking skills.

Formative and summative assessments will measure the student’s ability to identify important and relevant literature and make an informed evaluation of its significance and key arguments.

• Formative assessments: Students will be assessed throughout the course utilising multiple-choice quizzes (Week 4, 9) and by submitting a written work (c. 500 words, due in Week 5), answering a research question selected from a list of topics based on the content of the first two lessons. These assessments will not count towards the final examination but will prepare for it. Feedback will be provided to help students to prepare for the final summative assessed piece(s) of work at the end of the course.

• Summative assessments

Either:

Option A: Two short pieces of written work (c. 500 words for each essay) and one poster/leaflet (c. 500 words). The poster/leaflet will be based on chosen macro-nutrients for a specific age group (guidelines will be provided). For the two short essays, students will select topics from a list of titles or agree with the tutor on a nutrition subject of specific interest.

Or

Option B: One written assignment (c. 1,500 words essay) on a chosen micro-nutrient with a particular focus on recent relevant research (selected from a list of approved titles), or other suitable topics in agreement with the tutor (students will be asked to provide an outline and abstract of the proposed essay for the tutor’s approval by Week 6).

Through the essay, the student has to demonstrate not only knowledge and understanding of the material, but also offer a critical evaluation of a topic.

Students must submit a completed Declaration of Authorship form at the end of the term when submitting their final piece of work. CATS points cannot be awarded without the aforementioned form - Declaration of Authorship form

No prior knowledge is required.

Reading material will be provided during the lessons. 

Students may wish to have an overview of the preparatory and recommended readings.

Students who register for CATS points will receive a Record of CATS points on successful completion of their course assessment.

To earn credit (CATS points) you will need to register and pay an additional £10 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.

Coursework is an integral part of all weekly classes and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework in order to benefit fully from the course. Only those who have registered for credit will be awarded CATS points for completing work at the required standard.

Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process can either register for CATS points prior to the start of their course or retrospectively from the January 1st after the current full academic year has been completed. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.

Most of the Department's weekly classes have 10 or 20 CATS points assigned to them. 10 CATS points at FHEQ Level 4 usually consist of ten 2-hour sessions. 20 CATS points at FHEQ Level 4 usually consist of twenty 2-hour sessions. It is expected that, for every 2 hours of tuition you are given, you will engage in eight hours of private study.

Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS)