Course Title: Human Sensory Evaluation

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Human Sensory Evaluation

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

ONPS2755

Bundoora Campus

Postgraduate

171H School of Science

Face-to-Face

 Sem 2 2024,
Sem 2 2025

Course Coordinator: Dr Penny Brotja

Course Coordinator Phone: -

Course Coordinator Email: penny.brotja2@rmit.edu.au


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

Assumed Knowledge

You should have knowledge of basic statistics and be familiar with a statistical package such as Minitab, SPSS or the Excel statistics add-on.


Course Description

In this course you will be introduced to the principles of sensory science and the way we perceive foods through the different senses. Sensory science is a fundamental aspect of food and nutrition research. You will be exposed to sensory evaluation as a tool to measure human responses to a variety of stimuli, relevant to product development within the food industry. These tools also have an important role in understanding food consumption habits and nutrition. You will be presented with real world food industry case studies and analyse how sensory evaluation is used across multiple facets within a business, from research and development to quality assurance. Throughout the course you will be engaging in practical work and teamwork to solve real world case studies.


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

Program Learning Outcomes

This course is an option course and will broadly contribute to the development of your program learning outcomes.

For more information on the program learning outcomes for your program, please see the program guide.


Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

  1. Evaluate sensory physiology, perception of flavour and factors that affect perception, drawing from real world examples.
  2. Implement sensory evaluation methods in real-world food science contexts.
  3. Analyse the relationship between food flavour, individual sensitivity, and consumer preferences in the context of sensory evaluation and product development.
  4. Analyse the principles and practices of sensory analysis to aid product development through the use of novel technologies.
  5. Solve real world case studies via the application and interpretation of research findings to inform recommendations.
  6. Synthesise peer-reviewed sensory science literature to develop evidence-based solutions for real-world food science challenges.


Overview of Learning Activities

You will be actively engaged in a range of learning activities such as lectorials, tutorials, practicals, laboratories, seminars, project work, class discussion, individual and group activities. Delivery may be face to face, online or a mix of both.

You are encouraged to be proactive and self-directed in your learning, asking questions of your lecturer and/or peers and seeking out information as required, especially from the numerous sources available through the RMIT library, and through links and material specific to this course that is available through myRMIT Studies Course.


Overview of Learning Resources

RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through myRMIT Studies Course.

Weekly learning resources are set up and available in Canvas.

A list of recommended learning resources will be provided by your lecturer, which may include books, journal articles and web resources. You will also be expected to seek further resources relevant to the focus of your own learning.

There are services available to support your learning through the University Library. The Library provides guides on academic referencing and subject specialist help as well as a range of study support services. For further information, please visit the Library page on the RMIT University website and the myRMIT student portal.


Overview of Assessment

Assessment Tasks

This course has no hurdle requirements.

Assessment Task 1: Practical tests (in-class, individual)
Weighting: 20%
This assessment task supports CLOs 1 and 3

Assessment Task 2: Infographic and recorded video (individual)
Weighting: 25%
This assessment task supports CLOs 4 and 6

Assessment Task 3: Group practical report (Written)
Weighting: 35%
This assessment task supports CLOs 2, 3 and 6

Assessment Task 4: Individual Case Study (Written)
Weighting: 20%
This assessment task supports CLOs 2, 5 and 6

If you have a long-term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program coordinator or Equitable Learning Services if you would like to find out more.