Course:FNH200/Format TeamWork
FNH 200 942 Summer July/August
Instructor: Dr. Judy Chan
Dear Students,
Many of you asked me about the format of FNH 200 942. I am posting my responses to a couple most commonly asked questions here. By the way, here is a link to the syllabus in 2025.
I'm on the waitlist, how can I...?
Or, I like to learn about food science. How can I register?
Or, I'm on the waitlist, how do I know if a space if open?
Or, I have been blocked from registration, what do I do now?
Or, Both the course and the waitlist are full, is there a waitlist to get on the waitlist?
Or, (New question to me as of March 2026) I'm on the waitlist now, may I have extra time to accept the seat when a seat is offered [to me]?
Or, any other questions about registration...
I'm sorry to let you know that as an instructor, I really don't understand how registration and enrollment work. I leave this to my trustworthy colleagues in advising to handle registration for me. I also understand that academic advisors from all over campus are well connected to support you all. Once you are registered, and no matter how late it will be, I will support your learning about and exploration of food science. For instance, all my course content (course lessons) is available on my course Wiki page (on the right panel) and you may complete your assignments late - never late penalty!
May I ask about eligibility?
The only per-requisite for FNH 200 is Year > 1. Some students (esp PharmD) may have Year 1 status in their professional schools. Please talk to your academic advisor about this. In my past experience, PharmD Year 1 students will eventually (magically?) be registered in FNH 200. I welcome you all.
May I complete this course completely remotely? Answer: Yes, and need to coordinate with teamwork
FNH 200 942 will be offered online from July to mid-August. All content, learning activities, and assessments will be delivered and experienced online. There will be two midterms and a final exam. You will be required to complete the midterms (roughly 60 minutes long) and final (roughly 120 minutes long) within a specific time frame. For midterm, it will be mostly be from 6 am to 11 am PDT. Unfortunately, the exact date and time of the final exam will have to be determined later. I aim to open the final exam for at least 8 hours.
The catch of the midterms and exam is that you will need to complete them along with your teammates (more on team work below). I use the two-stage exam strategy for the mid-term and final. So, you will have to discuss with your teammates to find a time that work for all of you for synchronous collaboration among team members.
How does teamwork work in FNH 200?
Team work is integrated throughout FNH 200 942.
I am a strong believer that meaningful learning happens when we learn and explore with our peers (along with independent reading, questioning, exploring and reflecting). You will be assigned to teams of 4 to 5 students and you will work together on one small-ish assignment, a project, and also part of the midterms and final exam. I usually start the course with a few breakout room activities and small informal group discussions. Many students are able to 'bump' into a few people that they feel they can work together for a few weeks. I help you create your own teams or assign you into teams. For instance, I will let you:
- Form your own teams of 4 to 5
- Partner with one or two other friends/acquaintances; then I will add a couple members to your pair/triad
- Use the discussion board on Piazza to look for teammates based on geographical locations, interests, or other criteria that will deem help you learn
- I then assign students into teams based on what I know about your academic background; I aim to create interdisciplinary team
In the past, roughly half of the teams are created by me based on academic background. About 25% of students managed to create their own teams; then 25% will work with a couple friends and a couple new classmates. Among students who form their own teams, many of them were formed based on their geographical locations or academic interests.
I always advice students to try to attend online classes during the first couple of weeks during the dedicated team work hour. Students should use this hour to bond, exchange contact information, begin the first assignments, etc.
Last year, I had a team with students from five different time zones! (No one in that team told me anything about their locations when I asked!) A student had to switched twice to find the 'right' team (in terms of geographic locations.)
I must also admit that there is usually one or two teams that didn't work out despite our best intentions and efforts. I am here to help support you all.
I am here to help.
Questions? Just ask! I will respond to your questions when I am back in the office in April.
Judy