Nutrition
Name:
Institution:
Nutrition
The hypermedia project will focus on nutrition. The project sees to empower the children with relevant aspects of nutrition. Firstly, it provides them with basic knowledge of nutrients such as carbohydrates and proteins. Information relating to their benefits is also listed. It is important to note that the content provided has been simplified, to meet their cognitive needs. Information on water and exercise is also posted. By adopting this approach, the hypermedia seeks to provide the children with an interactive learning experience. This will improve their knowledge base on the subject.
According to UNICEF (2000), children learn best through experiences. To meet this need, the hypermedia will implement various learning experiences. Firstly, the hypermedia project implements many graphics. These have been chosen based on relevance and their vibrant colors. Their relevance will ensure that the children gain knowledge that relates to the topics of discussion. By using vibrant colors in the hypermedia, the children will be attracted to the learning process. This is important in maintaining their attention during learning.
Secondly, audio is used in the project. Audio is important for giving spellings for complex terms. Similarly, it provides a practical approach for learning terms. For instance, the children may learn through songs. By adopting audio, the learning experience may also be enhanced since the children will not be distracted. Since the hypermedia will focus on nutrition, some foods can be used for practical learning. For instance, the children may be allowed to have a piece of fruit. This experience will sharpen their memory of what they have learnt, as they will be able to relate the food and the lesson (Curriculum Media Group, 2004).
To maintain relevance to students, hypermedia needs to define its audience. In the case of the nutrition project, the prerequisite ages for the children are between 6 and 10. This age has been adopted since the project best meets their learning needs. There are other prerequisites for the project’s success with the children. Firstly, they should be conversant with the fundamentals of computer technology. This will ensure that they can operate the hypermedia independently. Secondly, they should be able to identify different types of foods. Similarly, they need basic knowledge of food groups. For instance, they need skills in the basic identification of food groups, such as the terms proteins and vitamins. This will ensure that the children are able to classify them into various food groups. Finally, they should be able to use the internet. This will ensure that they can successfully use the additional resources provided in the hypermedia (Saab & Kalnins, 2010).
The hypermedia takes the considerations of the syllabus, while providing knowledge to the children. It combines the various stages of nutritional education, to best match the needs of the audience. Firstly, it covers stage one need such as balanced eating habits, and food groups. In stage two, the hypermedia focuses on eating choices, and the effect of the nutrients on our bodies. For instance, the project relates vitamins and immunity. Stage three needs such as food storage and energy needs are not covered in the hypermedia. They are considered as too advanced for the intended audience (State of New South Wales through the Department of Education and Communities, 2011).
The hypermedia project has a number of prerequisites for its successful implementation. Firstly, the project needs a computer with relatively fast hardware. This will ensure that the program runs without performance glitches, which may harm the children’s learning experience. Secondly, the classroom provided should meet a number of requirements. The classroom should be large enough to accommodate the children and equipment comfortably. The classroom should also have curtains to ensure that the display is not interrupted by sunlight. Thirdly, a display solution needs to be provided for the activities. For instance, a projector or a large screen may be used. This will ensure that all the children can participate in the activities. Similarly, speakers need to be provided, for the project’s audio needs.
Experiences are an important part of children’s learning. This is attributable to their influence on the cognitive processes in children. Firstly, the hypermedia will provide an optimal visual experience for the children. The colors chosen in the hypermedia are attractive to the children, and do not cause eyestrain. Similarly, attractive graphics and pictures have been included in the project. This will ensure that the children can maintain a visual memory of what they have learnt. Similarly, audio elements have been incorporated into the hypermedia. They will assist children in pronouncing difficult terms in nutrition. Questions have also been placed in the hypermedia. They will improve the cognition of the children, as they will be required to contemplate. Finally, additional resources for learning nutrition have been provided by the project. For instance, a game for learning food groups has been linked. This will improve the children’s understanding of nutrition, beyond the provided information. Similarly, this fun approach will cement that knowledge through practice (Curriculum Media Group, 2004).
Assessment is an important component of learning. For the children, it can be carried out through questions. A quiz may be given after the project, to reflect on what they learnt. Similarly, questions have been posted at the end of the hypermedia. The questions should focus on several aspects. Identification of food groups is the first aspect. Secondly, the children should be able to identify with the benefits of different food groups. Finally, the children should be able to identify what constitutes healthy living (Curriculum Media Group, 2004). In grading success, all children should meet at least 50% of the total score. This will highlight their familiarity with nutrition. Remedial sessions may be held with underperforming children. The hypermedia project has been developed such that, it is easily configurable for other needs. Therefore, the children from other levels can adapt it to their standard of learning. For instance, the resources on nutrients can be expanded for their needs.
References
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Curriculum Media Group. (2004). Nutrition. Princeton, NJ: Curriculum Media Group.
Saab, J., & Kalnins, D. (2010). Better food for kids: Your essential guide to nutrition for all children from age 2 to 10. Toronto: R. Rose.
State of New South Wales through the Department of Education and Communities (2011). The place of nutrition education in the curriculum. Retrieved from http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/primary/pdhpe/phc/nut003.htm
UNICEF (2000). UNICEF – Teachers Talking. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/teachers/learner/exp.htm
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