Post 4 – Interaction

In our project, we are considering including the following video by Matt Siegel, which explores historical myths about food, such as misconceptions surrounding potatoes and tomatoes, and connects them to modern diet culture. The talk encourages critical thinking about how misinformation shapes our food choices. The video is primarily informative and does not require active participation from students while watching. However, it encourages reflection and critical thinking by presenting surprising facts and challenging common beliefs.

Students are likely to engage with the content through a variety of methods such as note-taking, critical thinking, and discussion. For instance, students are encouraged to write down key points about historical food myths and their impact on modern nutrition, question their own beliefs about diet and evaluate how food trends develop, and engage in a discussion form with their peers about how misinformation affects public health. 

An idea for a designed activity for students to complete after the video is to research a recent diet trend they have seen online. They should identify where it originated, analyze its credibility using scientific sources, and present findings in about 300-400 words. The objective of this activity would be for students to develop research skills while enhancing media literacy by distinguishing credible nutritional information vs. misinformation. In terms of the medium/technology they would use, it could be completed via a shared Google Doc or an online discussion forum/chat channel such as Mattermost.

Lastly, in order to reinforce student learning, they could receive feedback in multiple ways. Firstly, peer review could be implemented through the discussion forum whereby students can leave comments and questions on each other’s posts. As instructors, we could review the learners’ posts to check the quality of research and argumentation. Students could also complete a couple of questions at the end of the module examining how their understanding of media literacy has changed or if they learned anything new.

Overall, this video serves as a valuable tool for sparking discussions around food-related misinformation and its impact on public health. By engaging in structured activities such as independent research and peer discussions, students will not only deepen their understanding of historical and modern food myths but also improve their ability to critically assess online information. The combination of self-reflection, peer feedback, and instructor evaluation ensures a comprehensive learning experience that equips students with essential media literacy and critical thinking skills in an age of widespread misinformation.

References

Siegel, M. (2019, December 19). A brief history of nutritional misinformation [Video]. YouTube. TEDx Talks. https://youtu.be/VM1zCZLCClM?si=E5sj38S2b0xhdhcc