Good teaching practices in experiential learning for effective education in embedded food systems

eLearning materials

on ‘Embedded food systems in territories’

These are materials developed for the two GOODFOOD e-learning courses covering different dimensions of the embedded food system subject. The e-learning phase of the project was an introductory phase for the following Intensive Study Programmes (in Germany in July 2022 and in Italy in July 2023), therefore the covered topics aimed to give the students background knowledge and prepare them to the topics that were then wider studied and discussed during the Intensive Study Programmes.

This project output is composed of a number of materials, including short (usually 10-15 minutes) e-lectures, reading materials (selected publications/reports), quizzes (to check participants knowledge on the studied topic), questions to be posted on the discussion forums (and discussed by students), templates of the “case study group reports” and “learning group reports”, instruction for the Case Study Task, and template for the Case Study Presentation/Report. There is also a section called “Meet our lecturers” containing short presentations of all teachers providing content to the course. The course has been divided into 5 thematic blocks, spread over 9 weeks, and covering the following topics (titles & links to respective videos are provided below):

Block 1: General introduction (1 week)

Online lectures:

– Food system – components/structure/definitions: Video 1 (+pdf version)

– Concept(s) and definitions/dimensions of embedded food systems: Video 2 (+pdf version)

– How Food became a commodity (Nature Metropolis Book): Video 3 (+pdf version)

Block 2: Products (2 weeks)

Online lectures:

– Different types of production systems: conventional, organic, biodynamic: Video 4 (+pdf version)

– Agroecological practices: Video 5 (+pdf version)

– Processing (various aspects): Video 6 (+pdf version)

– Product: quality and safety of organic food: Video 7 (+pdf version)

Block 3: Food chain and stakeholders (2 weeks)

Online lectures:

– Stakeholders – relational aspects within the food systems: Video 8 (+pdf version)

– Food Distribution from Wholesale to Retail and Horeca: Video 9 (+pdf version)

– Tool video on Rich Picture: Video 10 (+pdf version)

Block 4: Consumption and policies (2 weeks)

Online lectures:

– Taste, consumers perceptions, food culture (incl. gender, religion, ethnicity, age, geography, globalisation, taboos): Video 11 pdf version

– Nutrition, sustainable diet, health: Video 12 (+pdf version)

– EU food policy & policy on local, regional, traditional, quality products: Video 13 (+pdf version)

– Social justice & food sovereignty: Video 14 (+pdf version)

– Food governance: how food has re-emerged on local authorities agendas: Video 15 (+pdf version)

Block 5: Relation to territories for a diverse and resilient food system (1 week)

Online lectures:

– Relation to territories for a diverse and resilient food system Video 16 (+pdf version)

– Sustainability in the food system: Video 17 (+pdf version)

Selected lectures have been translated into Polish language. Their translated transcripts can be found here: Transcripts of video lectures-Polish

Here we also present a summary report introducing all the components comprising the GOODFOOD O2 Intellectual Output – the E-learning course on ‘Food systems embedded in territories’: GOODFOOD O2 report

All the documents comprising O2 Intellectual Output of GOODFOOD and characterizing the e-learning courses developed within the project are also provided here, in the form of separate, independent files, to facilitate their potential use by any educators planning organization of the e-learning Programmes in the future. These files include in particular: