Food Technology

Food technology

Examinations

Examination literacy techniques

Examination techniques and literacy issues can mean the difference between an average result and an excellent one. This tutorial focuses on the pre-examination preparation and addressing the key words used in the examination.

Pre-examination preparation

Examination techniques include your pre-examination preparation. Use the following checklist to see how you are going. Have you:

accessed the syllabus documents to check on your progress in achieving outcomes in all of the topic areas? Also check the content areas in the learn to and learn about columns.
studied last year's Food Technology examination paper to look at the way it is organised and the type of questions asked?
made a summary of the major topics:
- The Australian food industry
- Food Manufacture
  Food Product development
- One of the Contemporary food issue topics: Nutrition or Marketplace?
completed an overall mind map summary page with just the major points for each topic? This is invaluable as a summary to skim over the night before the examination.
familarised yourself with how much time you have to complete each question on the examination paper ? A suggested time frame is printed on the front of the examination paper. While you do not have to follow this, it provides a good starting point for managing your time.
read over class based assessment tasks? The content of many of these tasks will help you to answer examination questions and give you valuable examples to improve the quality of your answers.
revised your practical activities completed in class? Experimental activities and practical food preparation are an important part of this course and knowledge of these activities will assist you to answer questions more fully.
compiled a list of definitions. Start with the food technology glossary on HSC Online and add to it. Rewrite it in your own words adding any additional ones that you feel are important.
learned the meaning of, and are able to use the key words used to begin each question? The Board of Studies has published a Glossary of key words with meanings. It is really important that you are familiar with these words. You need to clearly understand what the question is asking you to do.

Activity 1

1. Key words tell you what you have to do to complete each question. A thorough knowledge of all the key words is vital to an understanding of how to answer the questions in all HSC examination papers.

The following key words were used in questions on the 2001 HSC Food Technology examination paper. From the Glossary of key words provided for you, write down what each key word in this list means.

Describe:
Define:
Outline:
Identify:
Explain:
Discuss:
Analyse:
Justify:
Propose:
Evaluate:

2. Define

Look through your notes, texts and study guides and make a comprehensive list of terms that need a definition. Check your definition against those provided in the food technology glossary. Each definition should include the meaning and essential qualities of that term.

3. Describe

This is a very common key word and will most likely appear on the examination paper in one or more questions. Descriptive questions are usually part of the short structured section of the paper. Write a response for the question below.

Describe how microbial contamination causes food deterioration and spoilage.

4. Outline

This is also a very common key word. You will need to indicate the main features of something and briefly sketch in general terms. Write a response for the question below.

Outline the functions of packaging.

5 .Identify

This is a simple and straight forward question type. Write a response for the question below.

Identify significant government policies and legislation that impact on the Australian Food Industry.

6. Explain

This key word requires higher order thinking. It is used in questions that require you to think beyond just memorising your work. These questions are usually worth more marks than the previous ones and will also require you to write a more lengthy answer. Good explanations require a thorough knowledge of the topic. Write a response for the question below, revise food product development before you attempt this question.

Explain the role of market research in food product development.

7. Discuss

Another key word that requires higher order thinking. It is used in questions that require you to provide points for and against an issue. To discuss well, you need to have sound knowledge of the topic. This key word would usually be used in questions that require a longer answer.

Choose one of the following questions, depending on which option strand you have studied and write a response for the question. Ensure you revise your option strand before attempting to answer the question.

Contemporary food issues: Nutrition

Discuss the relationship between nutritionally modified foods and health.

Contemporary food issues: Marketplace

Discuss the relationships between developments in the food industry and trends in the marketplace.

The understanding of key words used in questions is vital to presenting a good answer. The key words tell you how to construct the answer.

You can continue this activity as part of your pre-examination preparation by selecting questions from the past examination paper that use different key words and answering those for practice. If you are unsure about how to approach a question discuss it with your teacher. It is important to be familiar with all the key words as any of them can be used in the examination. The key words apply to all subjects so it is a valuable exercise to practise their use.

Answers for Activity 1

1. Refer to the Glossary of key words.

2. See glossary.

3. Your answer should include the characteristics and features of moulds, yeasts and bacteria and how these break down food causing it to detriorate and spoil. You will need to write in sentences.

4. To answer this question you will need to indicate all the functions that packages perform and briefly sketch the main features of each function. It is not enough to list the functions. For example,

The main functions of packaging are:

to protect the contents from being damaged. Food packaging must survive rough handling, provide protection against exposure to light, moisture, temperature changes, oxygen, all of which can damage food.
to communicate information about the product. Food packaging offers the opportunity to advertise or promote the product as well as inform the consumer about the product and how to use the product. It also gives information about the manufacturer.

and so on.

You will need to refer to your notes or textbook to find out the other functions of packages to complete this activity.

Check your notes and name each government policy and legislation under the following headings:

Local
State
Federal.

This type of question does not require you to give additional information.

6. For this question you need to show the relationship between market research and food product development. Think about what the question is asking, try re-wording it:

What role does market research play and how does it impact on food product development?

7. To show this relationship and give reasons, how and why, market research impacts on food product development, you will need to address both parts of this question and try to relate cause and effect.

Contemporary food issues: Nutrition

Discuss the relationship between nutritionally modified foods and health.

For this question you will need to identify health issues and show how nutritionally modified foods may address these issues. For example, take the issue of obesity and link it with the emergence of a range of fat reduced products (nutritionally modified foods). You would need to talk about the role of fat intake in obesity and identify foods with a high fat content that can be purchased in fat reduced forms.

Using this format think of other health issues, for example, heart disease, diabetes and osteoporosis and discuss them in the same way.

Contemporary food issues: Marketplace

Discuss the relationships between developments in the food industry and trends in the marketplace.

It may be easier to identify the trend and then relate it to developments in the food industry. You may select three or four trends and then discuss each one. For example, while the demand for value-added convenience foods is driven by consumers, the type of foods available depends on developments in the food industry. Then go on to discuss packaging which links to convenience foods, food production techniques such as sous vide and food manufacture techniques.