A gamified eLearning approach to teaching food regulation

Abstract

Knowledge of food regulation in Australia and New Zealand is fundamental for higher education nutrition students. Despite its importance, students are often disengaged with the learning content as it involves legislation, regulatory bodies, complex application procedures, food safety testing and political debates that often dismiss scientific fact. At a university in Victoria, students were taught this content in a passive, 2-hour, face-to-face lecture. This lecture did not provide any active learning opportunities for the students to apply their newfound knowledge. This paper describes a proposed pilot project to address learner disengagement through a gamified eLearning tool, The Story of Hemp. This digitally immersive teaching approach aims to reengage students with a real world context for their learning, leaving them with a greater sense of identity and significance as budding nutritionists.