Abstract:

Contextualization of the experience: nº students: minimum 2, maximum 18; Year: 4th; Semester: 1st. Characteristics of the subject: Design and development of meat products (Optional course). 6 ECTS. Theoretical / practical distribution: 25/75.

Competencies to be developed:
1. Design and write a production process for a meat product.
2. Learn how to formulate different meat products and calculate their processing cost.
3. Learn the management of semi-industrial equipment.
4. Know how to use additives.
5. Develop the critical spirit and organizational capacity in the design of an elaboration process.
6. Integrate the different knowledge acquired in other courses of the degree.
7. Learn to prepare presentations through ICT.

Description of the experience: it is focused on the design and develop of an innovative meat product. The competencies described above are acquired during the process of design and develop, involving the student through the use of semi-industrial equipment and digital tools.

The mark obtained in this activity is the 40% of the total evaluation of the course. The activity is divided into 5 parts:
1. At the beginning of the course, the activity and the planning are described and published on the Moodle platform.
2. During the first practical session (in the computer room) each student has to present on a paper sheet the concept and the idea of their own innovative product, and try to sell it to their classmates in approximately 2 minutes. Moreover, students have to choose the products they wish to elaborate by voting for their favourites and thus creating the working teams, preferably, from 3 to 4 members. Then, each team has to prepare a brief report that has to be uploaded to the Moodle platform. This report must include: the idea, a draft of the formulation of the product, with a description of raw materials, auxiliary materials and non-assimilable materials, as well as the process scheme to be carried out.
3. Elaboration of the product in the pilot plant and sensorial analysis. Students performed this step after 24 h of practical training focused on the elaboration of 6 different meat products and the use of different additives to make a wide range of products (low fat, low salt content, different flavours, textures) in the same pilot plant. Then students have 8 h to elaborate by themselves the products they have designed.
4. Final presentation in Power Point that has to include images and / or video of the process and the final product and the duration has to be approximately 15 minutes. This presentation is performed in the last hours of the course, after students have received 16 hours of theoretical sessions related to the practical sessions. In addition to the mandatory requirements presented in the point 2, the results of the final product elaborated must be included.
5. Evaluation: a rubric, previously designed, is applied to evaluate the oral presentation of each working team. The rubric is available from the beginning of the course and is explained in the classroom along with the activity the first day of the course.

This activity can be reproduced in other contexts, taking into account the required infrastructure and material resources and working with small working teams. Moreover, is a rewarding experience for the course, it is also a challenge for the teacher that has to deal with different proposals from each team, keeps the teacher out of the comfort zone, and promotes their permanent knowledge update.

Keywords:

Innovation, motivation, learning improving, meat science.