Boston University's Online classes for Gastronomy shine.
Boston University's program in Gastronomy, or Cultural Food Studies, is the first of its kind in the United States. Combining the pracitcal aspects of food service, such as wine tasting and identification, and culinary arts to the academic side of the discipline which includes food history and sociology, this interdisicplinary major is designed to acquaint the student with all aspects of food. Professors are brought from all fields and use their specialty as a way of studying food. For example, a history professor will teach history through the lens of food, encouraging students to question what role food played in a country's development. An art professor will instruct students in the methods of critique, focusing on the meanings of food in cultures and what understanding we can derive from paintings, film and sculpture by knowing the country's beliefs about the food present in those pieces of artwork. A sociology professor will challenge students to apply their knowledge of worker relations to the foodservice industry in the areas of migrant labor, fast food employees, meat packing plants and restaurant servers. Boston University's online portion of this program is great but not outstanding. It is great because the online classes are easy to understand. The format is simple to follow and the fact that there is usually no assigned class time makes it easy for students to get on and post comments on the lesson right when they are fresh in their minds. An interactive class is easy to achieve and learning is enhanced by the continual dialogue that happens throughout the week rather than just on class day. The only downfall is that not many of the classes are yet available online. If more were online in the future and the course could be completed through distance education, the program would be one of the best online programs in the country.
sashannadc
Forsyth, MO