Erik T' Anderson, Ph'D'

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Feeding Young Children in Group Settings A
Multiple Mode Course

• Erik T. Anderson, Ph.D.
• Laurel J. Branen, Ph.D., R.D.
• Janice W. Fletcher, Ed.D.

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Rationale

• In the U.S. over 5 million young children eat at
  least one meal per day in a group setting.

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Rationale

• Primary audience child care providers
• predominantly female
• culturally and educationally diverse
• place-bound, time-bound
• high turnover rates in the field
• limited resources for training

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Project Objectives

• Reach a nationwide audience of professionals who
  impact mealtimes in child programs
• Enable learners to provide safe nutritious food
  in supportive feeding environments

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Project Objectives

• Make available current research-based information
  that integrates concepts of child nutrition, food
  safety, and child development
• Use multiple formats to reach a diverse, distant
  audience
• Offer on-going, accessible coursework and
  training at a distance

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Targeted Audiences

• Head Start teachers
• Center and family child care providers
• Extension educators
• Nutrition educators
• Food service workers

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Multi-mode Course

• Multiple ways to participate in the course
• Video and web-based instruction

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Multiple Ways to Participate

• Credit options available
• Academic credit
• Continuing education units
• Non-credit professional development

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Video and Web-based Instruction

• Satellite video series
• Four two-hour programs
• Live broadcasts
• Real life video vignettes
• Master tapes edited for future stand-alone use

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Video Examples
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Web-based Instruction

• WebCT coursework for students seeking academic
  credit
• Web resources for non-credit participants

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Web-based Instruction Examples
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Web-based Instruction Examples
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Challenges Opportunities

• Marketing and promotion
• Handling registration
• Distributing site coordinator support materials
• Illustrating diversity

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Outcomes

• 600 downlink sites in 43 states, D.C., and Puerto
  Rico
• Agencies in 29 states have ordered series
  videotapes
• 10,000 copies of instructional documents
  downloaded
• 3,000 support documents downloaded

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Outcomes

• Sustainable distance education course
• Videotape web-based instruction

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Lessons Learned

• Digital divide?
• Release time for project faculty was a key to
  success
• More release time would have been helpful!
• Team approach is essential

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Future Challenges

• Sustaining non-credit instructional component
• Revising and updating the main web site
• Revising and improving the WebCT coursework

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We Couldnt Have Done it Without Your Support!

• USDA/ADEC
• Agricultural Telecommunications Program grant
  (1999)
• ADEC
• Program Planning grant (1998)
• University of Idaho
• College of Agriculture and Cooperative Extension
  System

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Thank you!

• For more information
• http//www.aee.uidaho.edu/feeding
• e-mail feeding_at_uidaho.edu

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