BSc minor Quantified Self (WUQFS)

Innovative technical applications to support self-monitoring by individuals are emerging, e.g. smart watches, activity trackers. This multidisciplinary minor focuses on recent developments in information technology and communication sciences. These developments have the potential to revolutionize the collection of valid dietary and lifestyle data and to support consumers in adopting and maintaining a healthy diet and active lifestyle by using self-monitoring and feedback mechanisms.

Continue to an overview of the courses in this minor

Knowledge on behaviour, lifestyle, communication, intervention strategies and information technology are needed to assess opportunities and challenges. Therefore, this minor combines courses in the fields of nutrition and health research, communication science, and information technology.

Students will acquire knowledge on conventional methods to assess dietary intake and status. Students with prior knowledge (i.e. BGV students) will broaden their scope by learning about psychobiology of food choice and eating behaviour. Students will also study a range of ICT developments and examples of innovations/tools and will critically discuss their possibilities from a multidisciplinary perspective. Students will develop a communication strategy based on communication and learning theories and build an interactive digital application to support that communication strategy.

Finally, students will integrate newly gained knowledge and evaluate existing apps and tools and will critically reflect on their usability and the data quality, and design a simple prototype of an app.

Learning Outcomes

After successful completion of this minor students are expected to be able to:

  • demonstrate knowledge on evidence-based best practice in the use of innovative technologies in monitoring dietary and other lifestyle behaviours for public health and research purposes;
  • judge the potential and limitations of conventional and innovative technologies that are used by individual consumers and for research purposes;
  • make design choices for the development of a tailored innovative technology (app) that addresses problems and opportunities in the life-science domain;
  • assess the possibilities and limitations of internet-based communication and learning for social change;
  • communicate on a professional level with ICT specialists, information managers, and executives regarding challenges and opportunities offered by ICT developments;
  • appraise methods to quantify body composition, physical activity and dietary intake;
  • apply theories and concepts of social and behavioural sciences to nutrition behaviour issues (for BVG students).

Target group

This minor fits their prior knowledge and is interesting for
Wageningen University BSc students of:

  • Nutrition and Health
  • Health and Society
  • Biology
  • Food Technology
  • Communication Sciences

Outside WU: Students in e.g. biomedical sciences, health sciences, biology, communication sciences and psychology from other universities.

Language

English

Semester

Second semester (period 4, 5 and 6)

Programme or thematic

Thematic minor