Recently I read an article on case-based learning in the nutrition field. At first glimpse of the title I thought to myself, “why WOULDN’T we use this method?”

The study, a little method heavy for me, examined successes and student perceptions of case-based learning in upper level undergraduate nutrition classes.  It’s an interesting read if you have the time. If not.. here’s a short summary.

Case-based learning:

• Real-world problem-based learning
• Working in groups
• Critical thinking: analyzing, evaluating, and creating

I’m definitely going to think more on how to incorporate this in future classes!

Allow me to take liberties here. Okay, lots of liberties. I’m going to talk pony.

Today I made a connection. A friend of mine at the barn agreed to work with my horse and I on groundwork. This involves getting the horse more “in tune” with your body language so they respond with the slightest of cues.

In the middle of her explanation she noted “it’s not about showing them what the answer is, it’s about asking the question in the correct and patient way that allows them to give the proper answer.”

Oh the proverbial light bulb flicked on, and this sucker was a megawatt bulb.

Is that not what teaching is in problem based learning? We ask questions, and we must structure the questions so the student doesn’t get too frustrated. We need to pose the questions such that a student may arrive at the desired answer.

It’s an interesting connection. How often do we use pedagogical techniques outside of the classroom when working with others? Animals, even? It’s interesting to ponder.

As a student in the Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise Department here at Virginia Tech, I naturally searched for a code of ethics from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. This code focuses on the honest conduct of members and promotion of the code of ethics through the American Dietetic Association which is found here. There are responsibilities to the public, clients, and the profession which generally pertain to respectful behavior towards others and the use of the knowledge learned. It’s awfully long, a massive document, and much is rather intuitive, or one would think.

It’s overwhelming. I think it outlines important topics (be respectful, help others) which may be intuitive to some, but I suppose the code is there for a reason… it was likely an issue at some point.

I snooped around the ORI website, naturally clicking on ethics in human research studies. It seems to me like it’s another form of the Institutional Review Board certification that many of us using humans in research at Virginia Tech must have. It’s a good tool to have on your graduate student researcher belt, both as a researcher and as a study participant. It has definitely helped me to understand just how difficult some studies are to conduct, especially when they involve taking samples from participants. Don’t even try to use a sensitive population (children)- that’s a whole new ball game. It’s rather comforting that these ethics codes exist but I can’t help but wonder, do people actually read them?