Design and evaluation of digital activating learning materials for Food Chemistry education.

Food chemistry is amongst others about the components and chemical reactions that are part of food products, about the effect of chemical reactions on the quality and about the techniques used to research food products. To support students in acquiring the knowledge and skills of food chemistry, in this design research it is investigated whether, but especially also how, digital learning materials can be developed. The biggest advantage of digital material opposed to non-digital material is that students can be activated easily. The computer can respond directly to an answer of the student for a question (feedback). The computer can also give a hint how to solve the question. Different kinds of learning materials were designed: 1. material with which students independently can solve a quantitative problem 2. material with which students can acquire knowledge in an active and efficient manner, and 3. material with which students learn how to design experiments. From evaluations with students a positive appreciation of these materials was noticed. Furthermore, it can be concluded from this research that giving feedback, just-in-time information and visual information is of importance for the success of digital learning materials.