title: The use of contextual learning to teach biochemistry to dietetic students.
abstract: This article describes the use of contextualized and "blended" learning to teach biochemistry to dietetic students during the second year of their professional training in a 4-year undergraduate degree (Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics). Contextualized content was used to engage students and motivate them to learn biochemistry, which many perceived as a "hard" subject. Contextualized learning presented via problem solving exercises, case-studies, and by the use of virtual subjects in laboratory class introduced content material through real life situations highly relevant to their later clinical practice. A "blended" curriculum where content was presented in a number of different modalities (on-line, on CD, or face-to-face in small/large groups and in tutorials/lectures/laboratory class) further enhanced contextualized learning by providing a range of learning modalities catering to different student learning styles. The on-line and CD material also allowed student self-assessment of learning progress through interactive quizzes in varied assessment formats, where feedback was often immediate. Student responses to this biochemistry course have been positive with 89% finding it intellectually stimulating.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. janet.macaulay@med.monash.edu.au.
authors.forename: J O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Macaulay
authors.forename: M-P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Van Damme
authors.forename: K Z
authors.initials: KZ
authors.lastname: Walker