Pivoting Culinary Arts Education During COVID-19 Part One: Setting the Pedagogic Scene

Abstract

As culinary educators, we have a long history of teaching our craft within a hands-on master apprentice learning environment . Since the dark ages, it has been typical for the trainee chef to physically stands by the side of their master and be guided in the development of their technical and cognitive skills. However, through the onset of Covid 19 in early 2020, the traditional ‘hands-on’ master-apprentice mode of learning was disrupted by lockdown and the inevitable of distance learning. In response to this, disruption The Food Design Institute at Otago Polytechnic, New Zealand quickly pivoted its mode of curriculum delivery from on-campus face to face learning to on-line distance learning.

As part of the development process of repivoting their course, the culinary lecturing team engaged with distance education literature to inform their teaching and learning decision-making processes. The intent of this literature review was to inform the teaching team of known strategies for effective distance learning and provide the best learning experience for their learners.

This paper discusses the finding of this literature review and produces several strategies and considerations for vocational educators who wish to produce curricula and learning experiences of the same caliber as traditional on-campus programs. With corona virus remaining a critical factor within our immediate futures, developing strategies for delivering educational programs via distance are not only practical to develop but also necessary if we are to keep abreast of our learner’s educational, social and individual needs.