How do we feed a growing, changing world in the face of climate disruption, geopolitical instability and cascading system failures? This fall, a new experiential learning pilot course invites students to take on that question from the inside.
Led by Professors Dr. Evan Fraser and Dr. Maria Corradini, Food Systems in Crisis: An Experiential Learning Pilot is designed as a small-cohort, high-intensity course that brings together food systems science, real-world decision-making and emerging approaches to learning with artificial intelligence.
Rather than learning about food system disruption only through lectures or readings, students will step into the roles of real Ontario food system actors and negotiate responses to escalating crises. The simulation-based structure is intended to mirror the complexity of real-world food systems, where decisions are shaped by competing priorities, limited information and rapidly changing conditions.
Alongside the simulation, students will work through an AI-tutor-supported content stream, exploring food systems science and innovation at their own pace with personalized support. The course positions students not only as learners, but also as co-researchers in a broader experiment about what it means to learn with AI in a university setting.
For Fraser, director of the Arrell Food Institute and a professor in the Department of Geography, Environment and Geomatics, the course builds on years of work focused on global food security, sustainability and climate change. For Corradini, an associate professor in the Department of Food Science and Arrell Chair in Food Quality, the course connects to her research on food quality, safety, sustainability and the use of predictive and computational tools to better understand food systems.
Together, they are inviting students into a learning environment that is intentionally different from a traditional classroom. The cohort will be limited to 10 to 20 students, creating space for close discussion, active participation and reflection. Students will be assessed through participation, a handwritten reflective journal, an oral examination and a data-driven case study.
The pilot course will also connect students to the Arrell Food Institute Food Resiliency Hackathon, tentatively planned for September. Through that experience, students will have an opportunity to apply course themes in a fast-paced, collaborative setting focused on food systems resilience and innovation.
The course is open to third and fourth year undergraduate students, first-year graduate students in Geography, Environment and Geomatics or Food Science, as well as motivated students from related disciplines or degrees. Students interested in being part of the pilot are invited to send a copy of their CV to express interest to Dr. Evan Fraser or Dr. Maria Corradini.