Errors often made in Coursework for Food and Nutrition Guide

General Guidelines
Always put headings on charts and texts Stick to the same readable font. E.g. Arial or Times New Roman (size 12)

Coursework Schedule Type Conditions

All details of dates must be filled

Reasons
It appears as work is done carelessly if not filled / could not be bothered attitude It should be under the Decision making area.

Do not make the decision too early , e.g. deciding on your subject or dishes that you are going to make

1. Task Analysis
An organized approach to analyzing a job or a task in which all the elements of the activity are defined, including knowledge requirements, skills, equipment, tools, materials, sequencing, number of steps, resources, safety issues, related procedures, and training. Chemiplus.net You have to: 1. describe the problem you have been set and how you understand / see it from your perception or view . 2. show the examiner that you understand the question 3. describe how you plan to tackle the problem. You can use the following ideas to help you explore the meaning of the key words: size texture use by age range shape appearance design cost consumer environment function manufacture ethical storage moral packaging storage

Conditions
Single keywords

What do you think of these examples

Examiners remarks
A keyword may have many various meanings.
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Combined phrases

Combined words to make a phrase may give a different meaning.

What is the next step you should take?

I should try to find more recipes so that I have more varieties of choices.

Try suggests not confident.

What is the solid evidence to support your theory?

I guess it is the healthy diet pyramid as it is very easy to refer to the colorful, attractive pictures in different layers. Minerals are required in very large amounts.A mineral is an organic chemical element that the body must have in very small amounts for normal growth.

Guess suggests no solid evidence.

Contradiction of words.

Be very careful of distinctions between fact and opinions

As Sally mingle around with her friends, there might be some myths on food and so, she might change her eating style. For example, there might be myths saying that the long beans may cause pains in the legs. Therefore, Sally may abstain from long beans and hr meals may be free of long beans. Hence, it is best to abandon such thoughts in order to eat smart and be healthy. I have no oven at home, so I need to find more recipes that do not require an oven unless I can find a place for me to practice. Which is the better group that I should choose my target from?

Do not make sweeping statements or generalize things based on your own assumptions.

Identify appropriate priorities

This is not a valid reason. It comes across as an excuse to do less research.

This is not a lucky draw. You need to justify why you chose that target.

Justify why, where and how you are taking this step (priority). Be very specific about it. State where you will be finding the information from and alternative.

Find out the nutritional information for each dish so that I am able to choose the beast variety of dishes in my decision making.

There is no link between the nutritional content of dishes and variety of dishes used.

From my experiences in the past year work,

Experiences in which aspect?

I can go to the ministry of health website and look for the information.

Which part of the MOH? What information?

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I can go to my aunt to find out the special needs of people of different age groups.

Why did you choose your aunt? On what basis?

I went to the internet to find information on nutritional tools...

You only used the internet? How about other sources of research?

Research on useful resources by surfing the internet and going to the library to find out more about the high calcium dishes and information that is related to my mind map.

Be more specific on the type of websites or books you are going to research on.

2.1

Research and Development

Research is the process of critical thinking and problem solving. It is this ability that sets humans apart from all other living things. Research is simply the use of the human mind to search for and seek answers or, as some would say, to search for the truth. Humans have always been seeking and searching. And that is what research is all about, searching. To search and search again and again. That is why it is called re-search. Harry K. Wong
We do not treat all of the information which we constantly receive in everyday life as being of equal value, but reject most of it as being of little or no value, and critically question much of the rest. What we choose to retain in our memories for future application will typically be in summary form.

Blaxter, Hughes and Tights

The Research Process Problem : What do I want to know? Prediction : What do I think is the right answer? Procedure : How will I solve the problem? Data : What will I look for? Conclusion : What do the results tell me? You should: 1. never copy work from the internet wholesale but paraphrase (change sentence structures, replace words and give references to where you obtain the line from). We know when it is a CUT AND PASTE as it will show no linkage and expansion of you own ideas. Try us. 2. Use different types of research methods to look for indirect (books, internet, CD roms, DVDS, Videos) and direct (conduct surveys, questionnaires, interviews, and analysizng results) evidence. 3. It is important that you are able to explain your research project in simple, everyday terms. You need to be able to make the strange familiar, as well as, at other times, the familiar strange. There will not be many people who will understand, or want to understand, what exactly you are doing. 4. Test out your survey questions on some people first so that they can tell you if they understood them. If they are unable to understand them, chances are that you will get the wrong data from your target audience.

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Conditions
Use many different methods like graphs, tables, charts. If more than one graph us used - don't use a bar or pie graph experiment with more complex graphs.

What do you think of these examples

Different fonts

Examiners remarks
It gives the impression that you do not really know you are doing.

Different fonts
Different fonts Different fonts

Providing a graph or table without highlighting the relevant information or summary on what the graph is for. No source is provided.

Do you really know what you are doing or are you just taking up space?

Are those real results or did you make up on your own? Do you know what you are doing or do you know what are charts exactly used for? It is essential to include the sample size and details of your target audience if you are getting feedback from more than one person so that you will have a clearer view of the opinion of the majority.

Using the wrong type of chart to display the results or research. Using inappropriate survey questions or target audience.

Be clear in your sentence structure

These may result in them having health problems like diabetes, hypertension and obesity- which is one of the most common among the teenagers in Singapore.

Three diseases are named there. Which disease is the most common?

Do not use acronyms. State the full name first before using acronyms

Data from the V.S.A ten state nutritional survey (in 1970s-1980) covering a total of 24,000.

What is the meaning of V.S.A?

Make general assumptions. Be extremely clear of your facts first. Always justify instead of just listing facts.

Teenagers should eat three well- balanced meals a day (this will make them less likely to go for snacks)

Teenagers are experiencing rapid growth in this age period. They tend to eat a lot more instead.

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Teenagers are most likely to get obesity (gives general description of obesity and how it comes about) and anorexia nervosa (gives general description of anorexia nervosa).

Why do teenagers get these diseases? If I need facts on what these diseases are,I can just go and find out. I dont see the link!

Use local or metric measurements

An ounce chedder cheese has 200mg while an ounce of mozzarella has 147 mg and ..

Ounce is not the metric system which singapore has adopted. In fact, ounce is only used in America.Its obvious where this research is taken from.

After milking, the milk is cooled to 45 Fahenheit

As above. Furthermore, this will complicate matters when you convert it to metric system.

Do not add in irrelevant research.

Cows have been called natures own milk factory. After milking, the milk The basic principle involved in making all natural cheese is to coagulate or curdle themilk so that it forms into curds and whey. Todays methods help..

I dont need a history lesson on milk.

Are you going to make the cheese? If yes, you can add this in. If no, I dont see how it contributes to the nutrients.

2.2

Development
We talk about development all the time but what exactly is development?

Development is bringing about a significant consequence or event when an event or result manages to change and grow into a more complex state. In short; based on the actions taken, the results can either have a positive or negative development. It is how one makes use of the research that one has managed to find out and how to develop it to answer the task. You will need, therefore, to be able to summarize what you are doing both briefly and in non-technical language. Only then, you may clarify your thoughts and avoid some of the jargon which researchers can find themselves immersed and confused in. The Development Process: i. What are the points you need to find out and consider from your research? Summarize them. ii. How do these points will lead you to make a decision about your subject and the meals you will be making?

Conditions
Make general assumptions. Be extremely clear of your facts first.

What do you think of these examples

I know that she is overweight according to the height and weight chart. Therefore I know that her meals are not healthy.

Examiners remarks
How do you know that her meals are not healthy? Obesity is a multi-factorial (event that has many different causes) case.
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Steps must be shown clearly.

The girl is 16 years old and 120% overweight.

How did you get the 120%? Show your working carefully.

State where you get your information clearly.

Statistics or graphs of results are shown without explaining the source

Where does the information come from?

Do not just give simple sentences. Provide more details on HOW.

She had been trying to cut down her weight since primary 4. However, her efforts are in vain she cannot cut down her weight at all.

How did she try to cut down her weight? Name the ways and what made her stop. Best if you can elaborate more on the pros and cons of these diets.

Be careful of your subject. Do not switch halfway.

The girl is 16 years old..After I analyze my two days diet

You not only showed carelessness you did not proofread your work. Not only that, you gave yourself away that you did not look for an external subject as required. This should be in the decision making or planning stage. Furthermore, you have already modified the diet and found out the results. At this stage, you are only supposed to consider HOW you are going to modify the diet. As above.

Do not mix up your RESULTS (what you found out during the food analysis) with FACTORS from the research that you need to consider.

After the modification of my two days diet, found that I had cut down the servings by 0.5 which is my priority. I had also found out that my servings of fats and dairy had also decreased by 0.5 serving After comparing my diet to the RDA, I have found that I had exceeded certain limits .. hence I will regard reducing sodium and cholesterol level as my first two priorities.

Be very specific in your sentence structure.

Advantages of Healthy Diet Pyramid: It is easy to refer to as it has all the pictures showing all the number of servings we should take in a day in order to plan for a healthy diet. It is easy to remember, most available, hence resulting to be the most common nutritional tool used.

Pictures? Pictures and weight of food are not the same! How can one obtain number of servings from pictures?

You cannot assume the since that it is the most common nutritional tool used unless you have evidence.

Be very sure of your facts

There is no place for low fat milk because there is no category for dairy products in the healthy food pyramid. In conclusion, most elderly prefer soft, digestible food to hard, sticky food.

It is under Meat and Alternatives. Your basic foundation is terrible.

This sentence is too sweeping. More evidence or study is needed to back this up.
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Be very sure of your survey questions

1 elderly uses the nutritional tools as a guideline. 8 do not use it at all

Do they even know what nutritional guidelines are? Was anyone there to explain it to them?

10 elderly prefers carbohydrates to protein food

This question did not appear in the survey.

Consider all factors

Hence, substituting vegetable juice to milk will increase the intake of calcium and increase the serving of meat and alternatives by1 serving.

If she does not even like milk as mentioned earlier, will she even drink it?

3.

Decision Making
We are making decisions every minute every day. Yet how do we make decisions? Are we able to justify WHY we chose this and not the other?

In making choices, we are aware that there are a variety of options open to us - each with different implications.

Conditions
Be very sure of your facts

What do you think of these examples

I am going to make mini muffin size knowingly; children prefer bite-sized snacks

Examiners remarks
The survey did not show this.

Secondly, instead of plain cheesecake, I have decided to make 2 different types of flavour strawberries and chocolate as they are childrens favourite.

Dont assume. Your earlier survey did not show their likes and dislikes either.

Do not just give simple sentences. Provide more

Therefore, I have decided to add some flavouring so that the child would like it.

What is the flavouring? Is it soya sauce? Monosodium Glutamate (msg)?

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details on HOW. Cheese is the main reason I chose this dish. Cheese is a good source of calcium Is it a sprinkling of cheese? Is it a whole lot of cheese? Is it for decoration? Is it the dominant part of the dish?

The cooking method is a healthy one as it does not require much oil. Be careful of what you are adding as garnishing. Garnish with Smarties chocolates.

How much is much? 1 teaspoon? 1 tablespoon? You are trying to attract children by adding chocolates but have you ever considered the fat? Whats the point when you are trying to make a healthy dish only to just top it off all with fat again?

Make sure that whatever you mentioned here was mentioned before in your Research and Development (Do not add in new points)

Saute the onions until golden brown

You did not mention them in Research and Development before so where did this thing pop up?

The dishes I chose are for my 10 year old sister.

Why she was not mentioned earlier in your Research and Development? If you leave out important details, your reader will not understand how you reach that conclusion in the first place.

Check that you know EXACTLY what you are saying

The main reason of cooking the following dishes is that rice is in my part of life or rather I must eat rice every meal.

Lets skip the horrible grammar part. This subject, as stated earlier, is 16 years old. At this age and time, she is already exposed to much variety and food and will know that although rice is an Asian staple; you cannot say that it MUST be at every meal.

Stir frying is a quick method, I should not take too long to cook it even though I am cooking chicken this time that requires more practice. Hence I should be able to finish it in a short time and prepare the next dishes.

Huh? I have no idea what you are talking about as your description is too vague.

Be clear on your focus (task)

which will in turn further to increase my weight.

I have decided to prepare and cook the following dishes for her

Why are there no reasons given? Where is your justification and based on what factors did you choose these dishes?

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You task asked you to prepare a meal for a group of people with special nutritional needs. NOT WEIGHT REDUCTION. You think you are on a diet?

Do not give the same reasons throughout for your decision

The factors such as simple method, no oil required and little time used are repeated.

It shows that you have not been thinking very much into detail except to pick the healthiest and simplest dishes that are or related to the task pr person identified.

4.

Planning

To plan appropriately is to consider all factors and to make sure that they run in sequences within a stipulated time frame. Make sure that no steps are missed and all ingredients , as stated in the recipes, are used. To tell if you planning is going to be a success; pass your time plan to another so that if one can read without getting confused you have succeeded.

Conditions
Do not write vague sentences. Be very clear and specific.

What do you think of these examples

Steam fish. While waiting for fish to boil, wash dishes.

Examiners remarks
What do you steam the fish with? Then why is it you are waiting for it to boil later? Wash dishes? Which dishes?

Boil potatoes

For how long?

Leave to bake for 40 minutes.

At what temperature?

Serve dishes

How are you going to serve? How about your table setting? What are the utensils and crockery that you are going to use?

Make sweet and sour sauce.

How? Be detailed on how you are going to do it.

Sequence and arrange your time appropriately

1430 -

So what time are you going to end?

To do 6 tasks within ten minutes (which include crushing, boiling, blending and such)

Try as you like you are not superman. It is too unrealistic.

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5.

Execution

Remember that your selected recipes need to include: Any wastage of food will result in deduction of marks At least 3 cooking methods 4-5 skills o Cutting, dicing, chopping, mincing, etc. are all considered as 1 cooking method o Whisking o Creaming o Blending o Folding

6.

Evaluation

Criticism is evaluation. It should be careful, considered and justified. It should also be even-handed, recognizing that you yourself are capable of error, and may change your mind in time. Anything may be criticized: underlying assumptions, arguments, methodologies, the accuracy of data collected, the interpretation of that data. You may also use your own research to critically assess others, where you feel these are in disagreement.

Conditions
Remember to evaluate in terms of your task, process, nutritional tools and products. Do not only concentrate on the final product.

Blaxter, Hughes and Tights

What do you think of these examples

Evaluation is mainly on process of preparing dishes high in calcium.

Examiners remarks
Evaluation on how calcium, as stated in the given task, is affected by the cooking processes can be more detailed.

Use adjectives that which is not measurable

The texture was also smooth and the cheesecake was fabulous.

What exactly is fabulous? How can you make this measureable?

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Do not just say that you faced a problem. State how you solved the problem.

I had trouble convincing Janet to agree to the interview but she finally relented.

How did you manage to convince her? What did you say?

I had some difficulties in finding information on nutritional tools as the library did not place their books accordingly.

So how did you solve the problem?