Problem-Based Learning

PBL allows for learning the course content in groups, developing greater facility in communication, working in teams, and research skills.  I developed a set of problems that students use to learn food safety and sanitation, menu planning, purchasing, productions planning, service, and cost control.  David Bedford is a problem which has students develop some expertise in food service and delivery systems in institutions.  One constraint with using this problem is students' lack of experience with patient food service. Unless students have worked in hospitals or nursing homes, they cannot visualize how food gets from the kitchen to the bedside.  I created this virtual tour to help them overcome this barrier.  The following are examples of the resources student could access to approach the problem.

The David Bedford Problem

You will be considering how to get the food to the customer after it has been produced in this problem. A hospital foodservice operation is to be renovated and decisions need to be made about how to serve all of the various customers. These include patients, staff, visitors, and people attending special events. Quality of the delivered product is a primary consideration because the food may have to travel some distance to be delivered to the customer.

Patient Tray Line Positions

Tray Starter
The tray starter begins the tray assembly process. He places the tray on the line with a tray cover. He adds a menu or tray card, napkin, flatware and condiments.

Sodexho-Marriott --Frankford Hospital, Philadelphia PA

View other images of the starter position.
 

Entrée station
This station consists of equipment  to hold hotel pans of entrees, soups, vegetables, sauces and gravies, heated plates. It also may include cooking equipment to produce eggs, pancakes, etc.

Sodexho-Marriott at Frankford Hospital, Philadelphia PA View other images of the entree position.
 

Salad and dessert stations
Here we find equipment to hold made up (or bulk ingredients to make to order) salads and desserts, sandwiches, breads, juices, milks, frozen desserts. Station may include a toaster.

Sodexho-Marriott at Frankford Hospital, Philadelphia PA View other images of the salad and dessert station.

Beverage stations
At this location there is equipment to dispense coffee, hot water, soft drinks, ice, cups.

Sodexho-Marriott at Frankford Hospital, Philadelphia PA

Checker station
 The checker will cover the plates with lids at this station.

Sodexho-Marriott at Frankford Hospital, Philadelphia PA

View other images of the checker station.
 

From this station, trays are placed in carts which are delivered to each patient unit for service. On the unit the trays may be served immediately or held for predefined time before service.

Sodexho-Marriott at Frankford Hospital, Philadelphia PA