Course Outline
NUT315 Complementary Approaches to Food and Nutrition
Course Coordinator:Elizabeth Swanepoel (lswanepo@usc.edu.au) School:School of Health and Behavioural Sciences
2026Semester 1
UniSC Sunshine Coast |
Blended learning | Most of your course is on campus but you may be able to do some components of this course online. |
Please go to unisc.edu.au for up to date information on the
teaching sessions and campuses where this course is usually offered.
What is this course about?
Description
In this course you will explore and assess the evidence base and ethical considerations for complementary approaches to food and nutrition. This course focuses on understanding and assessing the available evidence base for a range of nutrition topics including: Chinese medicine, herbs and spices, fermentation, nutrient supplementation, and a range of approaches to food production. You will apply adult learning theories to develop your group facilitation and science communication skills for different target audiences.
How will this course be delivered?
| Activity | Hours | Beginning Week | Frequency |
| Blended learning | |||
| Tutorial/Workshop 1 | 3hrs | Not applicable | Not Yet Determined |
| Online – A combination of scheduled and self-directed online activities over the duration of semester. | 3hrs | Not applicable | Not Yet Determined |
Course Topics
- Applying evidence to nutrition practice
- Complementary approaches to nutrition practice
- Communicating evidence based nutrition messages to a range of audiences
- Reflexivity for nutrition practice
What level is this course?
300 Level (Graduate)
Demonstrating coherence and breadth or depth of knowledge and skills. Independent application of knowledge and skills in unfamiliar contexts. Meeting professional requirements and AQF descriptors for the degree. May require pre-requisites where discipline specific introductory or developing knowledge or skills is necessary. Normally undertaken in the third or fourth full-time study year of an undergraduate program.
What is the unit value of this course?
12 units
How does this course contribute to my learning?
| Course Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course, you should be able to... | Graduate Qualities Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming... | |
| 1 | Critically evaluate literature and data to apply an evidence-based approach to nutrition science and practice. |
Creative and critical thinker Empowered |
| 2 | Develop critical thinking skills for promoting creativity and generating new ideas that can be applied to nutrition science. |
Creative and critical thinker Empowered |
| 3 | Apply ethical processes to professional nutrition practice. | Ethical |
| 4 | Communicate effectively to a range of audiences, in a manner that encompasses the needs and perspectives of others and builds capacity with others to improve nutrition and health outcomes. |
Empowered Engaged |
| 5 | Demonstrate critical reflective practice. |
Creative and critical thinker Empowered |
Am I eligible to enrol in this course?
Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.
Pre-requisites
NUT201 and NUT205 and enrolled in Program AB101 or SC354.
Co-requisites
Not applicable
Anti-requisites
Not applicable
Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills (where applicable)
Students should have a sound knowledge of food science principles, food composition (macro & micro nutrients) and nutrient requirements across the lifecycle. Students are also expected to be familiar with sourcing and assessing literature.
Microcredential Information
Not applicable
How am I going to be assessed?
Grading Scale
Standard Grading (GRD)
| High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL). |
Details of early feedback on progress
Feedback will be provided in workshops for task 1. In week 7, students can submit a plan for their group task 2 and will receive written feedback on this plan. Students will be guided through the requirements and expectations for Task 2 during workshops throughout semester.
Assessment tasks
| Delivery mode | Task No. | Assessment Product | Individual or Group | Weighting % | What is the duration / length? | When should I submit? | Where should I submit it? |
| All | 1a | Artefact - Creative | Individual | 25% | e-Poster |
Week 4 | Online Submission |
| All | 1b | Oral | Individual | 15% | 5 minutes |
Week 4 | In Class |
| All | 2a | Plan | Group | 0% | Task 2a: One page |
Week 7 | Online Blog, Wiki or Journal |
| All | 2b | Written Piece | Individual | 10% | Task 2b: One page |
Week 8 | Online Submission |
| All | 2c | Written Piece | Group | 25% | Workshop content |
Week 11 | Online Submission |
| All | 2d | Oral | Individual | 10% | 25 minutes |
Week 11 | In Class |
| All | 3 | Journal | Individual | 15% | 750 words |
Week 13 | Online Submission |
| All - Assessment Task 1a:Herb or Spice e-Poster | |||||||||||||||||||
| Goal: | The goal of this task is to develop your critical thinking skills and understanding of the evidence base for complementary approaches to food and nutrition and effectively communicate your findings. |
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| Product: | Artefact - Creative | ||||||||||||||||||
| Authorship Statement: | |||||||||||||||||||
| Format: | You will individually source and assess the available evidence for a chosen herb or spice. You will undertake a critical review of the literature and present your findings in an e-poster. Your e-poster will be completed as an individual task and developed as for display at a professional conference. The e-poster will follow formatting conventions as required for a conference poster presentation. Your work will be referenced using Vancouver Style. |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | Communication, Information literacy |
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| All - Assessment Task 1b:Herb or Spice e-Poster | ||||||||||||||||
| Goal: | The goal of this task is to develop your critical thinking skills and understanding of the evidence base for complementary approaches to food and nutrition and effectively communicate your findings |
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| Product: | Oral | |||||||||||||||
| Authorship Statement: | ||||||||||||||||
| Format: | Poster Presentation: You will be expected to present your poster (in person) to your class in the week 5 workshop. You will have 5 minutes to present your poster. |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | Communication, Applying technologies |
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| All - Assessment Task 2a:Workshop | |||||||||||||
| Goal: | The best way to learn is to teach! This task has been designed to pull together your research and knowledge of complementary nutrition with the education skills needed to disseminate this information.Communicating science is a key skill you will need as a graduate of nutrition and this workshop practice will enable you to develop and demonstrate this. |
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| Product: | Plan | ||||||||||||
| Authorship Statement: | |||||||||||||
| Format: | In a group you will develop a workshop on a topic that relates to NUT315 and deliver this to a group of adults. This workshop will be 25 minutes in duration. Part A - Formative assessment: In week 7, your group will submit a one-page document that outlines your learning objectives and plan for the workshop. You will be provided with formative (ungraded feedback) on your learning objectives and workshop plan. |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | Organisation |
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| All - Assessment Task 2b:Workshop | |||||||||||||
| Goal: | |||||||||||||
| Product: | Written Piece | ||||||||||||
| Authorship Statement: | |||||||||||||
| Format: | In a group you will develop a workshop on a topic that relates to NUT315 and deliver this to a group of adults. This workshop will be 25 minutes in duration. Part B – as an individual, you will work with one of the workshop objectives to design an adult learning activity to achieve this objective. You will submit a short (less than 1-page) description of the learning objective and planned adult learning activity. |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | Organisation |
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| All - Assessment Task 2c:Workshop | |||||||||||||
| Goal: | The best way to learn is to teach! This task has been designed to pull together your research and knowledge of complementary nutrition with the education skills needed to disseminate this information. Communicating science is a key skill you will need as a graduate of nutrition and this workshop practice will enable you to develop and demonstrate this. |
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| Product: | Written Piece | ||||||||||||
| Authorship Statement: | |||||||||||||
| Format: | Submit Week 11. 12 or Week 13. In a group you will develop a workshop on a topic that relates to NUT315 and deliver this to a group of adults. This workshop will be 25 minutes in duration. Part C & D - Workshop: You will present your workshop in week 11, 12 or week 13. Your workshop will be allocated a group mark, while you will be marked individually on your presentation skills. |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | Communication, Applying technologies, Information literacy |
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| All - Assessment Task 2d:Workshop | |||||||||||||
| Goal: | The best way to learn is to teach! This task has been designed to pull together your research and knowledge of complementary nutrition with the education skills needed to disseminate this information. Communicating science is a key skill you will need as a graduate of nutrition and this workshop practice will enable you to develop and demonstrate this. |
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| Product: | Oral | ||||||||||||
| Authorship Statement: | |||||||||||||
| Format: | Submit Week 11, 12 or Week 13. In a group you will develop a workshop on a topic that relates to NUT315 and deliver this to a group of adults. This workshop will be 25 minutes in duration. Part C & D - Workshop: You will present your workshop in week 11, 12 or week 13. Your workshop will be allocated a group mark, while you will be marked individually on your presentation skills. |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | Communication, Information literacy |
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| All - Assessment Task 3:Reflection | |||||||
| Goal: | You will use critical reflection on the process you have followed in NUT315 to support your lifelong learning in the nutrition field. |
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| Product: | Journal | ||||||
| Authorship Statement: | |||||||
| Format: | You will individually reflect on your experience in NUT315 and submit a 750 word reflection that details what you have learnt from this experience, and how you will apply your learning to future practice. |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | Communication |
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Directed study hours
A 12-unit course will have total of 150 learning hours which will include directed study hours (including online if required), self-directed learning and completion of assessable tasks. Student workload is calculated at 12.5 learning hours per one unit.
What resources do I need to undertake this course?
Please note: Course information, including specific information of recommended readings, learning activities, resources, weekly readings, etc. are available on the course Canvas site– Please log in as soon as possible.
Prescribed text(s) or course reader
Specific requirements
Not applicable
How are risks managed in this course?
Health and safety risks for this course have been assessed as low. It is your responsibility to review course material, search online, discuss with lecturers and peers and understand the health and safety risks associated with your specific course of study and to familiarise yourself with the University’s general health and safety principles by reviewing the online induction training for students, and following the instructions of the University staff.
What administrative information is relevant to this course?
Assessment: Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is the ethical standard of university participation. It ensures that students graduate as a result of proving they are competent in their discipline. This is integral in maintaining the value of academic qualifications. Each industry has expectations and standards of the skills and knowledge within that discipline and these are reflected in assessment.
Academic integrity means that you do not engage in any activity that is considered to be academic fraud; including plagiarism, collusion or outsourcing any part of any assessment item to any other person. You are expected to be honest and ethical by completing all work yourself and indicating in your work which ideas and information were developed by you and which were taken from others. You cannot provide your assessment work to others. You are also expected to provide evidence of wide and critical reading, usually by using appropriate academic references.
In order to minimise incidents of academic fraud, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks, when submitted to Canvas, are electronically checked through Turnitin. This software allows for text comparisons to be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work to which Turnitin has access.
Assessment: Additional Requirements
Eligibility for Supplementary Assessment Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying: a. The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4% b. The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale c. You have not failed an assessment task in the course due to academic misconduct.Assessment: Submission penalties
Late submission of assessment tasks may be penalised at the following maximum rate: - 5% (of the assessment task's identified value) per day for the first two days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task. - 10% (of the assessment task's identified value) for the third day - 20% (of the assessment task's identified value) for the fourth day and subsequent days up to and including seven days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task. - A result of zero is awarded for an assessment task submitted after seven days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task. Weekdays and weekends are included in the calculation of days late. To request an extension you must contact your course coordinator to negotiate an outcome.Links to relevant University policy and procedures
For more information on Academic Learning & Teaching categories including:
- Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs
- Review of Assessment and Final Grades
- Supplementary Assessment
- Central Examinations
- Deferred Examinations
- Student Conduct
- Students with a Disability
For more information, visit https://www.usc.edu.au/explore/policies-and-procedures#academic-learning-and-teaching
Student Charter
UniSC is committed to excellence in teaching, research and engagement in an environment that is inclusive, inspiring, safe and respectful. The Student Charter sets out what students can expect from the University, and what in turn is expected of students, to achieve these outcomes.
General Enquiries
- In person:
- UniSC Sunshine Coast - Student Central, Ground Floor, Building C, 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs
- UniSC Moreton Bay - Service Centre, Ground Floor, Foundation Building, Gympie Road, Petrie
- UniSC SouthBank - Student Central, Building A4 (SW1), 52 Merivale Street, South Brisbane
- UniSC Gympie - Student Central, 71 Cartwright Road, Gympie
- UniSC Fraser Coast - Student Central, Student Central, Building A, 161 Old Maryborough Rd, Hervey Bay
- UniSC Caboolture - Student Central, Level 1 Building J, Cnr Manley and Tallon Street, Caboolture
- Tel:+61 7 5430 2890
- Email:studentcentral@usc.edu.au