Nutrition and Physical Fitness -NFSC 303

Purpose: to help other instructors teaching the same course

Common Course ID:  Nutrition and Physical Fitness (NFSC 303)
CSU Instructor Open Textbook Adoption Portrait

Abstract: This open textbook is being utilized in a Nutrition Health Science course for graduate students by Angela Alger at California State University, Chico.  The open textbook provides [brief description of highlights and any instructor supplements]. 

NFSC 303 Nutrition and Physical Fitness 
Course description: Analyzes and evaluates current practices and theories regarding nutrition and its relationship to athletics, weight control, and physical exercise. Upper division general education course in the Health and Wellness Pathway; Major requirement for BS in Nutrition and Food Science Option in Nutrition Communication and BS in Exercise Physiology; elective for Nutrition minor.  Prerequisite: One lower-division course in biological sciences.
Student population:  The majority of the students who take this course are juniors and seniors; however, there are some sophomores who enroll in this course as well. As this is an upper division GE course, there are students from a variety of majors. Students come from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. 
Learning or student outcomes:  Consider including links to any student-generated OER or feedback survey data.

Key challenges faced and how resolved:  I was not able to find a complete OER text that covered all the topics that this course includes. I had to use a variety of sources to meet my needs but it was challenging because so many sources are licensed differently. I consulted the CAL$ coordinators on campus for license questions. There were also very limited images, tables, and figures available so I had to create my own for many topics. 

OER Adoption  Diet and physical activity have been named as one of the key determinants of death in the United States. There has been a dramatic increase in the prevalence of diseases related to poor diet and lack of physical activity in the recent past. This course reading will assist you in evaluating and modifying your own nutritional status and activity patterns as a means for achieving your personal health and activity goals, now and throughout your life.

OER Course Objectives:  Course Learning Objectives - Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Identify and explain basic components of a healthy lifestyle.
• Identify and evaluate personal risk factors associated with developing, the most prevalent, chronic diseases.
• Evaluate efficacy and safety of current nutrition practices being promoted and used by the general population.
• Explain the scientific basis for nutrition and exercise recommendations.
• Critically review nutrition and exercise information present in both the popular and scientific literature.
• Critically evaluate dietary and physical activity patterns and create recommendations that enhance personal health and improve quality of life.
• Identify where nutrients and other beneficial organic compounds are found in the food supply.
• Identify the functions of the nutrients in the body and in maintaining overall health.

Student access:  All materials are uploaded to Blackboard Learn as PDFs. Students have the option to print materials if they choose or download them to another device. PDFs have been checked for accessibility and are compatible with screen readers. 

Cost Savings:  The previous text cost students approximately $100. It was an online only book that expired at the end of the semester so there was no option to sell back the used book and no option for students to purchase used books. There are between 600-800 students enrolled annually leading to an estimated annual cost savings to students of between $60,000-$80,000.

OER/Low Cost Adoption Process

Provide an explanation or what motivated you to use this textbook or OER/Low Cost option. The main reason I chose to adopt OER for this course was to save students money. I also wanted to customize the materials for this course.

How did you find and select the open textbook for this course? I found the materials via an online search of MERLOT and OER Commons. I added my own material and journal articles with a CC BY license to supplement the existing texts.

Sharing Best Practices: Start by searching MERLOT and OER Commons. A lot of new texts have been added recently. 

Angela Alger 
California State University, Chico 

Nutrition and Food Science