The learning activities will be carried out through practical sessions in the pilot plant, laboratory practical sessions, seminars in the computer room, and problem-solving workshops in the classroom. In all learning activities, students will apply the scientific knowledge presented in the theoretical lectures of the courses Food Preservation and/or Processing Methods I and Food Preservation and/or Processing Methods II.

During the practical sessions, students will carry out practical work in groups under the supervision of the responsible teaching staff. Before each practical session, students are required to read and prepare the practical manual in order to become familiar with the objectives, theoretical background, procedures, and protocols to be followed. Prior to the practical session, the teaching staff will assess students’ preparation based on the practical manual. This may be done individually (by asking any student present to explain the principles of the practical exercise to the rest of the group), through a short quiz (online or in person), or through the submission of tasks completed by the entire group. The teaching staff will introduce the practical session and explain the operation of the equipment to be used, as well as the general safety regulations that must be observed throughout the activity. At the end of each practical session, students will be required to complete an activity, which may consist of answering questions posed by the teaching staff (through an online or in-person quiz) or submitting a report.

During seminar sessions, students will individually carry out process simulation exercises in the computer laboratory. Upon completion of the simulation exercise, they will be required to undertake independent work based on the simulation results.

During problem-solving sessions, students will perform calculations related to different food processing operations, either individually or in groups, under the supervision of the responsible teaching staff. At the end of each session, students will be required to complete independent work based on the knowledge acquired during the activity.

All teaching materials used in the course will be available on the Moodle platform. At the beginning of the course, students will be provided with a practical manual covering all practical activities to be carried out in the pilot plant and laboratory. For each practical activity, the objectives, theoretical background, and methodology will be specified. Moodle will also be used as a platform for the exchange of information and documents between teaching staff and students.

For seminar and problem-solving sessions, the teaching staff will provide the corresponding teaching materials for each activity.

Attendance at practical sessions is mandatory. Justified absences must be compensated through independent assignments proposed by the responsible teaching staff.

For this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted exclusively for support tasks, such as literature and information searches, text editing and proofreading, or practising problem-solving.

Students must clearly identify any parts generated using these technologies, specify the tools used, and include a critical reflection on how these tools influenced both the process and the final outcome of the activity. Failure to disclose the use of AI in this assessed activity will be considered a breach of academic integrity and may result in a partial or total penalty in the activity grade, as well as more severe sanctions in serious cases.

Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment will be individual and will be carried out on a continuous basis through the different assessment activities scheduled throughout the course. The maximum score that can be obtained is 10 points and will be calculated as the sum of the marks obtained in the different assessment activities. To be eligible for averaging, students must obtain a minimum score of 5 out of 10 in each assessment component. The course will be passed with an overall grade of 5 out of 10 or higher.

To pass the course, students must obtain a minimum score of 5 out of 10 in both mid-term examinations, attend at least 80% of the practical sessions, and achieve a minimum score of 5 out of 10 in the assessment activities. Attendance at practical sessions is compulsory. Absences will only be accepted in cases of force majeure and when duly justified. Such absences must be compensated through an assignment proposed by the course coordinator.

Each assessment component will contribute to the final grade as follows:

• Pilot plant and laboratory practical sessions (50%): At the beginning of each session, the instructor will ask students questions about the practical manual, which must have been read and prepared beforehand. Students may also be asked to explain the principles of the practical activity to their classmates, either orally or in writing (20%). At the end of each practical session, students will complete a multiple-choice quiz on the content of the practical activity, either online or in person, or they will be required to submit a report (30%). Students cannot pass the course if their absence rate from practical sessions exceeds 20%.
• Seminars and problem-solving workshops (50%): In some sessions, students will be assigned tasks to be completed individually and submitted afterwards (10%). To be eligible for averaging with the mid-term examination grades, the mark obtained in these submitted assignments must be at least 5 out of 10.

One mid-term examination will be held during the first semester (20%) and another during the second semester (20%). A minimum grade of 5 out of 10 in each examination is required in order to average these grades with the other assessment components. To pass the course, students must obtain a minimum grade of 5 out of 10 in both mid-term examinations.

Resit opportunities for the first and second mid-term examinations will be provided through a final resit examination. Students who have not obtained a minimum grade of 5 out of 10 in the submitted assignments will not be eligible to sit the resit examination. The practical component may be retaken through a final examination, provided that the student has attended at least 80% of the practical sessions. Submitted assignments are not eligible for resit.

A student will be considered “Not Assessable” if they have participated in assessment activities representing ≤ 15% of the final grade.

This course does not provide for a single-assessment system.