Course coordinator
Dr Nathan Cook
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Human Movement & Nutrition Sci
This is an elective course offering for students to learn about the foundations of nutrition and to explore key contemporary topics relating to the science of nutrition. Students will work in groups to gain the ability to scrutinise the validity of nutrition claims and dietary advertising, and gain the confidence to analyse/evaluate these claims. Students will also learn about the science of behaviour change and have an assessment focussed on how to implement this in their own lives with a focus on sustainable food.
This is an elective course offering for students to learn about the foundations of nutrition and to explore key contemporary topics relating to the science of nutrition. Students will work in groups to gain the ability to scrutinise the validity of nutrition claims and dietary advertising, and gain the confidence to analyse/evaluate these claims. Students will also learn about the science of behaviour change and have an assessment focussed on how to implement this in their own lives with a focus on sustainable food.
The 2-unit course is run over 13 weeks with weekly in-person lectures (also recorded and available on Echo360).
Course requirements
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
NUTR1023
Recommended companion or co-requisite courses
We recommend completing the following courses at the same time:
NUTR2003, NUTR2101
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Dr Nathan Cook
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
The in-person lectures are recorded, with recordings made available of Echo360 within 24 hours.
Aims and outcomes
This course aims to provide students with:
- Base level knowledge on the science of human nutrition, with emphasis on contemporary scientific principles that determine dietary requirements and human nutrition metabolism.
- A scientific base to critically appraise nutritional intake, nutrition claims and advertising found on food packaging, in the popular press and on social media
- The ability to debunk nutrition-related myths and explain accurate human nutrition principles to the general public
- The ability to translate evidence-based nutrition knowledge into practical recommendations that are easily applicable
- A sound understanding of how dietary behaviours influence food intake and impact planetary sustainability
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Demonstrate good understanding of human nutrition principles including macronutrients, micronutrients and dietary patterns
LO2.
Explain the mechanisms behind healthy eating guidelines for the prevention of chronic disease.
LO3.
Demonstrate reliable information retrieval skills to evaluate nutrition claims, statements found on social and other media, in the written press, advertising material and in food packaging claims.
LO4.
Develop skills and attributes of collaborative team work
LO5.
Examine interconnections between food, nutrition and climate change in the context of planetary health and evaluate opportunities to innovate and disrupt current food systems practices
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quiz |
Quizzes
|
30% |
17/03/2025 7/04/2025 12/05/2025
Quizzes are to be completed in-person during the timetabled lecture classes. |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Presentation, Poster |
Debunking nutrition claims made on social media
|
40% |
14/04/2025
Presentation Presentations will be held in-person during the timetabled lecture class. Students will need to be in attendance to: a) present their work b) observe and support other students Written Article and Infographic Due 5:00pm |
| Reflection |
PlanEatary Quest
|
30% |
26/05/2025 5:00 pm
Please submit your quiz score and desired goal in Week 10 by 5:00pm on 06/05/2025 as evidence for you to be on track to successfully complete your challenge and reflection. |
Assessment details
Quizzes
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Quiz
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
17/03/2025
7/04/2025
12/05/2025
Quizzes are to be completed in-person during the timetabled lecture classes.
- Other conditions
- Time limited.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03
Submission guidelines
Quizzes will be completed on personal devices online via Blackboard.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Your new quiz date and time will be determined by the course coordinator and communicated to you via your UQ student email account.
Late submission
You will receive a mark of 0 if this assessment is submitted late.
Debunking nutrition claims made on social media
- Team or group-based
- In-person
- Mode
- Oral, Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia, Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Presentation, Poster
- Weight
- 40%
- Due date
14/04/2025
Presentation
Presentations will be held in-person during the timetabled lecture class. Students will need to be in attendance to:
a) present their work
b) observe and support other students
Written Article and Infographic
Due 5:00pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04
Task description
Students will work in groups. As per the task sheet, students will choose from an available selection of nutrition related claims/statements that have circulated in the media previously, causing controversy. Students will explain and debunk the claim scientifically, referring to the evidence-base and grey literature; they will re-frame/correct the claim/statement to provide accurate information to the general public.
Students will:
1. Write a 600-800 word article following the template provided, referencing the sources of information.
2. Create an infographic to share on a select social media platform
3. Present their assessment in class on Monday 14th of April.
Group work support training will be provided through https://my.uq.edu.au/information-and-services/student-support/study-skills/group-work/working-group in lecture time or online via a zoom recording.
Submission guidelines
Presentations will be held in-person during the timetabled lecture class.
Written article and infographic should be submitted online via Blackboard.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Your new presentation date and time will be determined by the course coordinator and communicated to you via your UQ student email account.
Extensions for group work assessment may be available and will require a single request submitted with agreement from at least 50% of the members of the group, and recognition of potential impacts on the other group members. Download and complete the form below, and attach this form to your extension request: Extension of Group Assessment - Group Member Acknowledgement (PDF, 144.9 KB)
Student Access Plans for an individual student do not guarantee an extension for the assessment item. Extension Verification Letters cannot be used for group-based assessments and activities.
Dysfunctional group dynamics, poor performance by individual group members, or illness or other issues of a group member are generally not considered sufficient grounds for an extension on submission of a group assessment item. These issues should be actively managed by the group and the Course Coordinator as appropriate, during semester.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
PlanEatary Quest
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Reflection
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
26/05/2025 5:00 pm
Please submit your quiz score and desired goal in Week 10 by 5:00pm on 06/05/2025 as evidence for you to be on track to successfully complete your challenge and reflection.
- Learning outcomes
- L05
Submission guidelines
Submit the confirmation of your quiz and completed SMART goal via email to the Course Coordinator.
Submit your reflection online via blackboard.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 24 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Serious deficiencies in quality of performance in relation to learning objectives.ﾠFails to satisfy most basic requirements of the course. This grade is awarded when the summation of all marks from all assessment items completed gives a percentage of the maximum score that is between 0 and 24%. |
| 2 (Fail) | 25 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Fails to satisfy some of the basic requirements of the course.ﾠClear deficiencies in performance. Some evidence that some of the basic requirements have been met. This grade is awarded when the summation of all marks from all assessment items completed gives a percentage of the maximum score that is between 25ﾠand 44%. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: Falls short of satisfying all basic requirements for Pass but is close to acceptableﾠoverall. A grade of 3 will be awarded to a student who either achieves a cumulative percentage for all graded assessment of 50% or higher but who does not achieve a minimum of 40% at the end of semester exam, or who achieves a cumulative percentage for all graded assessment of 45% -49%. |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Satisfies all of the basic learning requirements for the course, such as knowledge of fundamental concepts and performance of basic skills; demonstrates basic quality of performance considered satisfactory or adequateﾠor capable in the course. This grade is awarded when the summation of all marks from all assessment items completed gives a percentage of the maximum score that is between 50 and 64%. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrates understanding of the fundamental concepts of the field of study and ability to apply these concepts. Demonstratesﾠawareness of deeper and subtler aspects of the course, such as ability to identify and debate critical issues or problems. Demonstrates ability to solve problems based on acquired knowledge, ability to adapt and apply ideas to new situations, and ability toﾠevaluate new ideas and develop relevant insight. This grade is awarded when the summation of all marks from all assessment items completed gives a percentage of the maximum score that is betweenﾠ65 and 74%. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrates thoroughﾠunderstanding of the fundamental and extended concepts of the field of study and ability to apply these concepts in a variety of routine and non-routine contexts, including where synthesis ofﾠknowledge is required. Develops or adapts convincing arguments and provides coherent justification. Communicates information and ideas clearly and fluently in terms of the conventions of the discipline.ﾠDemonstrates ability to use and apply fundamental contents and skills of the course, goingﾠbeyond mere replication of content knowledge or skillsﾠto show understanding of key ideas, awareness of their relevance, use of analytical skills and some originality in insight. This grade is awarded when the summation of all marks from all assessment items completed gives a percentage of the maximum score that is betweenﾠ75 and 84%. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrates all the previously described knowledge requirementﾠ(as detailed in grade 6)ﾠwithﾠmastery , astuteﾠmetacognition, insight, and adequate application in assessments, based on proficiency in all the learning objectives for the course. Workﾠis consistent, constentlyﾠaccurate, insightful,ﾠ and outstanding. This grade is awarded when the summation of all marks from all assessment items completed gives a percentage of the maximum score that is between 85 and 100%. |
Additional course grading information
A final percentage mark will be rounded to the nearest whole number (e.g. 64.50 and above will be rounded to 65 and 64.49 and below will be rounded down to 64).
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
Use of Artificial intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT)
All assessment tasks evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Assignment submission
When submitting an assignment, remember to include a cover sheet, for example -ﾠ
- Assessment Task:ﾠReport
- Course Title: Contemporary topics in nutrition
- Course Code: NUTR2050
- Student Name: Nathan Cook
- Student Number: 4xxxxxxxx
- Group number: e.g. 1
What is TurnitIn?
Turnitin is an electronic assignment submission tool. The tool provides your Course Coordinator with:
- a record of the exact submission time of an assignment
- an originality report indicating the percentage of your work that is an exact match of existing materials within the Turnitin database.
Instructions on how to submit an assignment using Turnitin are located on the UQ Library websiteﾠSubmit your Turnitin assignment - Library Guide
Note: When submitting, to check that you have chosen the correct file on theﾠPreview Submissionﾠpage and click on theﾠSubmit to Turnitinﾠbutton. ﾠ
Remember to download yourﾠdigital receiptﾠin yourﾠAssignment inboxﾠto confirm successful submission.
If a submission cannot be successfully completed, email a copy of the assessment task to the Course Coordinator.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
- Australian Healthy Eating Guidelines website and tools:ﾠhttps://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/
- Nutrient Reference Values:ﾠhttps://www.nrv.gov.au/
- NHMRC:ﾠhttp://www.nhmrc.gov.au/publications
- Dietitians Australia:ﾠhttps://dietitiansaustralia.org.au
- Food Standards Australia New Zealand:ﾠhttps://www.foodstandards.gov.au/
- Choice:ﾠhttp://www.choice.com.au
- NIHﾠOffice of dietary supplements:ﾠhttps://ods.od.nih.gov/
- Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Centreﾠﾠhttps://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic
- Food Watch:ﾠhttp://www.foodwatch.com.au
- Healthy Food Guide:ﾠhttp://www.healthyfoodguide.com.au
- Nutrition Australia:ﾠhttp://www.nutritionaustralia.org
- The World of Food Science:ﾠhttp://www.worldfoodscience.org
- WHO Food Safety:ﾠhttp://www.who.int/foodsafety
- American Society of Nutrition:ﾠhttps://nutrition.org/
- The International Union of Nutrition Science:ﾠhttps://iuns.org/
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 (24 Feb - 02 Mar) |
Lecture |
Introduction to course/The Social-Ecological Model/Social determinants of Health Health frameworks for society Learning outcomes: L02, L05 |
Week 2 (03 Mar - 09 Mar) |
Lecture |
Food system and food supply chain The food supply chain, food systems and food loss and waste Learning outcomes: L02, L05 |
Week 3 (10 Mar - 16 Mar) |
Lecture |
Basics of nutrition (energy + macronutrients) Macronutrients in the diet Learning outcomes: L01, L02 |
Week 4 (17 Mar - 23 Mar) |
Lecture |
Basics of nutrition (micronutrients)/Healthy eating & dietary patterns Micronutrients in the diet Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04 |
Week 5 (24 Mar - 30 Mar) |
Lecture |
Unhealthy eating & disease/Misinformation in nutrition Making sense of the nutrition literature: the scientific and social media literature and sources of information: developing a framework to evaluate the value of nutrition related information based on evidence Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Week 6 (31 Mar - 06 Apr) |
Lecture |
Current nutrition problems in Australia How unhealthy diets have impacted current disease Learning outcomes: L01, L02 |
Week 7 (07 Apr - 13 Apr) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
Course assignment work Assignment work Learning outcomes: L01, L04 |
Week 8 (14 Apr - 20 Apr) |
Lecture |
Oral presentations Presentation in class Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04 |
Week 9 (28 Apr - 04 May) |
Lecture |
Nutrition and Planetary Healthy/Sustainable diets Planetary health and how diets impacts this Learning outcomes: L02, L05 |
Week 10 (05 May - 11 May) |
Lecture |
Behaviour Change Theory Behaviour change theory for the individual Learning outcomes: L05 |
Week 11 (12 May - 18 May) |
Lecture |
Future of nutrition in Australia The direction of nutrition science in Australia Learning outcomes: L02 |
Week 12 (19 May - 25 May) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
Course assignment work Assignment work Learning outcomes: L05 |
Week 13 (26 May - 01 Jun) |
Lecture |
PlanEATary Quest Learnings Class discussion Learning outcomes: L02, L05 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
School guidelines
Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course: