A Multi-Institutional Web-Based Undergraduate Food Product Innovation and Marketing Course

Food product development courses at The Pennsylvania State University and Saint Joseph's University were combined into a single course with a common faculty, syllabus, and web-based course management system. Industry specialists made weekly presentations on critical aspects of the product development and marketing process, via compressed video conferencing and the Web, to students at both locations. Cross-institutional interdisciplinary student teams completed a comprehensive plan for developing, evaluating, and launching a new product. Assessment of student learning revealed an enhanced understanding of all aspects of the product innovation, development, and marketing processes. The net result is a model learning system transcending disciplines, place, and time.