This project establishes a program of instruction in computer-based instrumentation as a means of improving the quality of the undergraduate curriculum in Food Science. The new equipment consists of a texture analyzer and a viscometer to provide undergraduate students with hands-on training in measuring rheology of food. These instruments are standard in the food industry for quality control and for product development, and students use these instruments in both capacities. The instruments are computer driven, giving students an opportunity to learn the principles of computer-operated instrumentation. A bank of computer workstations allow demonstration of this technology to several students at a time. The students analyze the texture of a food material, gather the data in a spreadsheet, graph the results, and evaluate the results individually, or at most, in pairs. The aim of this project is to provide the students with an understanding of rheology and, more importantly, an understanding of computer-based instrumentation so that they can use this knowledge to operate other computer-based instruments. This project improves the quality of undergraduate education by giving students experience on equipment used in the food industry, it helps them understand the principles of texture and texture measurement, and it increases the number of independent research projects performed by undergraduate food science students. The new instruments are used in several food science courses. Statistical and data analysis software is installed on the computers, along with specific software to teach biochemical proceqses, protein structure, diet analysis, and other food-science-related topics. Other departments in the Science Division at this university and local colleges with Food Science programs will benefit by sharing this computer-based instrumentation laboratory. Undergraduate research generated by this program can be disseminated by means of a Food Science and Nutrition Home Page on the World W ide Web, presentations at Institute of Food Technologists Meetings, and publications in Food Science journals. *
