Students as partners in nutrition education : co-developing an elective module through participatory workshops

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Wahid, Maheen and Tinto, Kirsty and Currie, Susan and Gibson, Lorraine and Cunningham, Margaret Rose and Coubrough, Katie and Temple-Atkinson, Katriona and Klemm, Nicholas and Clark, Ben and Guan, Yue and Houston, Grace and McGaff, Amy and Turgal, Ebru and Wu, Jia and Xie, Xinyi and Yilan, Sasanka (2025) Students as partners in nutrition education : co-developing an elective module through participatory workshops. In: SIPBS Postgraduate Research Day 2025, 2025-10-10 - 2025-10-10, University of Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences.

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Abstract

Background: Curriculum innovation in STEM education increasingly emphasises relevance, inclusivity, and engagement. Nutrition and ageing provide a multidisciplinary theme linked to health, academic equity, and sustainability, making it a useful vehicle for co-design approaches. Aims: This participatory pilot project explored how students and staff can collaborate to co-design an elective module and assessed the potential benefits of early-stage co-design for programme development. Methods: A student-led focus group engaged 13 participants, including undergraduates, postgraduates, and academic staff in biomedical sciences. The workshop was structured for equal participation and employed interactive tools (Mural and Mentimeter) to support discussion and anonymous contributions. Activities included: 1) mapping perceived links between nutrition, wellbeing, and academic performance, 2) identifying knowledge gaps via a shortened General Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire-Revised, and 3) generating proposals for module content, teaching methods, and assessment formats. Results: Thematic analysis indicated strong perceived links between diet and academic performance, with many barriers identified (such as stress, misinformation, and cost). Participants highlighted the absence of formal nutrition education in current programmes and co-designed a preliminary module framework. Prioritised content included disease-linked nutrition, cultural perspectives, and system-level approaches. Preferred teaching methods were case studies, diet planning, and guest speakers, while suggested assessments included posters, case analyses, and practical tasks. Broader connections were drawn to employability, the Sustainable Development Goals, and global health challenges. Conclusions: The co-design process revealed benefits, including closer alignment with student priorities, enhanced interdisciplinary awareness, and the dismantling of disciplinary silos. We see this pilot as a small but practical example of how participatory approaches can make STEM curricula more inclusive, engaging, and relevant, while also linking to bigger issues such as sustainability and employability.

ORCID iDs

Wahid, Maheen ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1500-0671, Tinto, Kirsty ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-7954-0742, Currie, Susan ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4237-4428, Gibson, Lorraine ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1461-5359, Cunningham, Margaret Rose ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6454-8671, Coubrough, Katie ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-2875-7708, Temple-Atkinson, Katriona ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-1447-4821, Klemm, Nicholas, Clark, Ben, Guan, Yue, Houston, Grace, McGaff, Amy, Turgal, Ebru, Wu, Jia, Xie, Xinyi and Yilan, Sasanka;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)