APPLIED SKILLS IN NUTRITION - 2025/6

Module Overview

This module aims to lay groundwork in practical skills for the nutrition professionals of the future. This centers around understanding food properties, production and nutritional qualities. This module builds on information learnt in BMS1055 and the skills from this module will support professional development in second and final year modules, as well as professional placement year for those undertaking this.

Module provider

School of Biosciences

Module Leader

JEARY Caitlin (Biosciences)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 4

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

N/A

Module content

Catering and food use:

• Students will be introduced to methods of mass catering and menu planning principles. This will relate to their assessments.


• Students will consider how a meal can be modified to alter its properties, and how this might relate to the consumption of these foods.


• Students will consider the other professionals involved in catering (eg chefs, consumer groups, commissioners) and how they interact with the nutritionist/dietitian.


• Students will think about food origins, production and sustainability of the supply.

Nutritional analysis

• Building on the healthy eating principles learnt in BMS1055, students will learn to apply this to dietary information.


• Students will particularly focus on qualitative and quantitative nutritional analysis, using national guidelines and begin translating this into food-based advice (to be continued in BMS2040).


• Students will learn to use nutritional analysis software.


• Students will pull together communication skills (BMS1055), healthy eating knowledge (BMS1055) and nutritional analysis (BMS1034) to grow their resourcefulness and integrate holistic nutrition skills. 

Professional practice

• Students will gain a greater understanding of what it means to be a nutrition professional.

• This will include team working, teaching others, presentation and pitching skills, alongside nutrition-specific skills such as nutritional analysis. This will be groundwork for further skills covered in second year.

Dietetics students will have simulation sessions to prepare them for A placement. Nutrition and Food Science students will have an integrated communication skills practical to consolidate their communication skills learning from across the first year of study.

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

Alternative assessment for 'Coursework - Group Presentation of Menu Plan' is an opportunity to present the work individually at a later date.

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate all the module learning objectives.

The summative assessment of this module consists of:

• Assessment 1: menu planning report. This report would comprise of a menu designed by the student themselves, quantitative and qualitative analysis of the menu and a brief costing. Quantitative analysis would be done online using Nutritics software. Qualitative analysis would be done by comparison to nutritional standards. An outline of the coursework would be provided in early weeks of the semester, with details of the different sections of the report required. Students would be able to complete sections of the report throughout the semester as they have the taught content associated with the report (i.e. menu planning, quantitative analysis, qualitative analysis). Students would be provided with guidance sheets, mark scheme and access to tutor support through discussion boards and email, as well as a coursework tutorial. Submission in week 7 or 8. Individual feedback would be provided after submission and marking. 
  
  
  
  • Learning objectives: 1,2,3
  
  
  • This assessment draws on professional skills learnt in the module, such as nutritional analysis and problem solving, and gives students the opportunity to demonstrate digital literacy, creative thinking and scientific writing skills.
  
  
  
  

• Assessment 2: Group presentation of menu plan. Students would be allocated small groups (3/4) and be required to ‘pitch’ one of their menu plans to a group of ‘commissioners and caterers’. This would involve some peer assessment so that the students choose which menu plan they decide to make their presentation about. Students would present as a group, speaking ~5minutes each. Groups would be allocated after submission of assessment 1 and be given with guidance sheets, mark scheme and a coursework tutorial, along with access to tutor through discussion forum and email. Submission in week 10/11 of the semester. Students would have immediate feedback from peers after presentation, as well as written tutor feedback provided with marks.
  
  
  
  • Learning objectives: 3,4,6,7
  
  
  • This assessment develops interpersonal skills, such as team working, constructive discussion and negotiation, and professional skills such as public speaking and visual communication.
  
  
  
  

• Formative assessments
  
  
  
  • Interactive class discussions and practical skills sessions – facilitated by tutors and peer feedback to improve knowledge and skills. LO = 1,2,3,4,5,6
  
  
  • Meal modification – group work and self-directed study, followed by a tutor-facilitated discussion session. LO = 2,4,5
  
  
  • Dietetics programme only - simulated ward environment sessions to help orientate students to clinical scenarios and prepare for A placement. LO = 6,7
  
  
  
  

Nutrition and Food Science programmes only – integrated communication skills practical to pull together communication skills from across first year. LO = 6,7

Module aims

• Appreciate the physical, nutritional and organoleptic properties of foods and how these affect their use.
  
• Be able to undertake qualitative and quantitative nutritional assessment.
  
• Develop an understanding of the menu planning and catering processes.
  
• Consider food origins and how these are adapted for sustainability.
  
• Build on existing communication and professional skills.
  

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to enable students to develop skills for practical application of theoretical knowledge. Teaching therefore takes place in a variety of forms:

• Lectures – these will be taken by a variety of tutors and external speakers 


• Interactive workshops – these sessions are taught in smaller groups and give opportunity for practicing skills with peers, reflecting and sharing ideas (6 hours)


• IT practical sessions – nutritional analysis uses an online platform 


• Group presentations – one assessment is presentation-based, including viewing and taking part in others presentations 


• Self-directed learning (including learning from assessment) – this may be supplied by tutors in the form of on-demand content or reading in response to taught content and will also be learning driven by the student themselves. 


• (Dietetics simulation sessions – ward simulation sessions with university tutors to use practical skills in a clinical environment)

Please be aware that timings are approximate and may change slightly.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: BMS1062

Other information

The School of Biosciences is committed to developing graduates with strengths in Employability, Digital Capabilities, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability, and Resourcefulness and Resilience, in line with Surrey’s Curriculum Framework. This module is designed to allow students to develop knowledge, skills and capabilities in the following areas:

Employability:  Spoken and written communication skills, such as presentations and report-writing are developed through assessment opportunities. Team working, professional behaviours and peer review are built into module assignments, all of which provide examples of employment skills for future interviews. Practical understanding of food and catering environments is invaluable preparation for working in these fields.

Digital capabilities: The online learning platform utilises multiple media forms (video, reading, audio) to facilitate learning, often using the flipped approach. The students learn to use nutritional analysis software, which is commonly used in nutritional practice (as well as future modules in the programme), and students grow in understanding the limitations of this also.

Sustainability: Students will be encouraged to think about the sustainability of food supply and production practices, and how these industries are adapting in response to sustainability needs.

Resourcefulness and resilience: Students are guided to learn independently alongside introduction of new concepts throughout the module. Students are encouraged to teach each other in practical skills and share their knowledge. The students undergo group work with their peers as part of their second assessment and learn to problem-solve in a mutual environment. Students are encouraged to integrate their existing knowledge from other modules to the skills learnt in this module, making links in themes and pulling these together to draw conclusions.

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.