Leveraging Online Learning to Promote Systems Thinking for Sustainable Food Systems Training in Dietetics Education

Area of Science:

• Food Systems Science
• Educational Technology
• Public Health Nutrition

Background:

• Developing a skilled workforce is essential for sustainable and resilient food systems.
• Traditional education methods may not fully equip students with the complex thinking skills required for food systems challenges.
• Online learning platforms offer opportunities to deliver specialized training to a wider audience.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop, pilot, and evaluate an interactive webinar series for training dietetics students in food systems thinking.
• To assess the impact of the webinar series on students' systems thinking skills and confidence in food systems learning outcomes.
• To gather feedback on the effectiveness and challenges of online learning for food systems education.

Main Methods:

• A working group of educators, learners, and experts developed a three-part interactive webinar series (training, practice, synthesis).
• The series was pilot tested with a multi-site cohort of dietetics interns and graduate students.
• Student learning was assessed through direct expert evaluation and pre- and post-online surveys.

Main Results:

• Participating learners demonstrated improved systems thinking skills and increased confidence in food systems learning.
• Subject matter experts provided direct positive assessments of student learning.
• Learners provided feedback on the benefits and drawbacks of the online learning format.

Conclusions:

• Interactive webinar series are effective for enhancing systems thinking and confidence in food systems education.
• Online platforms can be leveraged to deliver engaging and impactful food systems training.
• The developed format and lessons learned are transferable to various food systems educational settings.