title: Use of an Experiential Learning Assignment to Prepare Future Health Professionals to Utilize Social Media for Nutrition Communications.
abstract: Social media has become a popular platform for reputable health organizations to disseminate health information to the public. However, future health professionals may receive little training in social media communication. To train future dietetic professionals, we incorporated a social media assignment into a Communications course curriculum to facilitate effective use of social media for the profession. For the assignment, students were instructed to make 2 posts on Facebook. The posts were due 3 weeks apart so that students received feedback on their first post before making their second post. To demonstrate the type of social media communication commonly used by reputable health organizations, the first post raised awareness or provided nutrition education. The second post used Facebook's "comment" feature, to respond to another student's first post, demonstrating the use of social media for community engagement. Both posts included a hyperlink that the user could click to get more information. Students were evaluated on the hook, main points, professionalism, credibility, and effectiveness of inviting the reader to the hyperlinked website and its ease of navigation. Dietetics educators should be encouraged to incorporate social media education into their curriculums for the benefit of future dietitians and their clients.
authors.affiliation: a Division of Food and Nutritional Sciences, Brescia University College, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON.|b Department of Medical Biophysics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON.
authors.forename: Jasna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Twynstra
authors.affiliation: a Division of Food and Nutritional Sciences, Brescia University College, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON.|c Schulich Interfaculty Program in Public Health, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON.
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dworatzek
mesh_terms: D003376:Counseling; D004046:Dietetics / Q000193:education*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D009752:Nutritional Status; D064686:Nutritionists; D018794:Problem-Based Learning; D061108:Social Media