Nutrition Education Methods explores the current status of nutrition and nutrition education in the U.S., and identifies the factors that influence that nutrition status. You will learn to perform needs assessments for specific audiences to identify issues in that population, as well as potential barriers to nutrition-related behavior change. You will also develop and teach a theory-based nutrition education curriculum, including supporting materials that are accurate and appropriate for the target audience.

In this course, students will:

• Gain an understanding of the numerous influences on food choice and the dietary practices to consider in nutrition education.
• Describe the differences between action- and behavior-based nutrition education programming.
• Identify the key theories involved in behavior change and discuss how these theories can be translated into effective nutrition education.
• Present strategies for designing an effective, engaging nutrition education class with effective teaching methods.
• Outline and detail a step-by-step procedure for designing nutrition education that applies theory to practice and considers personal psychosocial determinants and environmental factors that can mediate change.

Course objectives:

• Conduct a needs assessment of a target audience, including the identification of potential barriers to nutrition-related behavior change.
• Identify effective teaching practices and explain characteristics that make for effective instruction.
• Develop a theory-based nutrition education curriculum, including supporting materials, with accurate and appropriate nutrition information.
• Teach a nutrition education program to a target group and present the material appropriately and as designed.
• Evaluate your overall teaching experience in terms of learning that occurred, presentation, quality of materials, effectiveness of evaluation, ability to connect with students and appropriateness of information.

Sample topics covered include an introduction to nutrition education and designing and implementing a nutrition education plan.

Improve the understanding of nutrition in your community. Click here to learn more about the online Master of Science in Nutrition Education or call 855-725-7614 to speak with an admissions adviser today.