1. MEAL PLATFORM, A TOOL TO HELP EDUCATORS TO LEARN AND TRANSFER NUTRITIONAL EDUCATION TO CHILDREN A. Dominguez-Rodriguez1, E. Oliver1, A. Cebolla1, A. Gonzalez-Segura2, E. de la Cruz2, S. Albertini3, L. Ferrini3, K. Kronika4, T. Nilsen5, R. Baños1   1 University of Valencia and CIBER Obn (SPAIN) 2 everis (SPAIN) 3 FVA di Louis Ferrini and C. (ITALY) 4 BEST Institut für berufsbezogene Weiterbildung und Personaltraining GmbH (AUSTRIA) 5 Rogaland School and Business Development Foundation (NORWAY) th International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies Barcelona - 6th - 8th of July 2015

2. Introduction
In Europe most risks of premature death are related with unhealthy feeding habits and obesity.
Specifically in Spain, the 30% of the children between 6 and 13 years old are overweight.

3. Nutrition Education (NE) has shown to be a key factor for the prevention of obesity.
Although the NE is present in the school curriculum for children in Europe, it has been identified that is in very low levels and needs to be reinforced.

4. Objective Describe the MEAL platform and their contents.
Explain the validations trials that will be implemented with professionals (Teachers, nutritionists, and students of nutrition and education) in order to obtain their general validation regarding the MEAL platform.

5. This tool includes several specific NE modules adapted for the nutritionists and teachers to transfer this knowledge to the children.
Also contains two Serious Games (SG´s) for children to train and implement the competencies and principles learned during the lessons of the MEAL contents.

6. Methodology
The contents of the MEAL platform were obtained from an extensive literature review to identify three main sources:
(1) Characteristics of several NE programs supported by ICT´s (Information and Communication Technologies). (2) Theoretical models mostly used in interventions with children. (3) Main characteristics of the SG´s, and examples of this tools used in children population to teach NE.

7. Also 6 focus groups were performed in Spain and Norway to obtain information directly from the target populations.
The result from this focus groups and the literature review are the following modules that are the contents of the MEAL platform:
(1) Nutritional education: basic elements.
(2) Food preparation and basic principles of food hygiene and manipulation.
(3) Eating habits and healthy behaviour.
(4) Nutrition and children: Characteristics of the development of children from 9 to 12 years old and recommendations for educators.
Contents were based on the Contento´s model (1995) that is focused on changes of habits and specific actions, and not only in nutritional. information

8. MEAL platform

10. Serious Games
Two SG´s were created for this platform, Pickit! And Cookit! These games are specifically focused on teaching to the children:
To differentiate between the diverse group of aliments,
Warn them about the high caloric aliments and
How to prepare healthy recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

11. Pickit!

12. Cookit!

13. Participants The sample will be composed by 100 teachers
85 nutritionists, and
70 students of education and nutrition
This sample will be composed by participants from 4 countries (Spain, Norway, Austria and Italy).

14. 1.-General validation of MEAL platform and training course
Instruments
1.-General validation of MEAL platform and training course
To assess the perception of the professionals regarding the training course (4 items) and the MEAL Platform (10 items).
E.g. The contents of the training course are proper for the children’s needs.
E.g. The meal platform facilitates the transference of nutritional knowledge to the children.
The professionals should answer how much they agree or disagree about the sentences with a scale from 1 (Completely disagree), to 5 (Completely agree).
One open question is offered in order to indicate the improvement of the training course and MEAL platform in general.

15. 2.-Acceptability – playability questionnaire
Instruments
2.-Acceptability – playability questionnaire
To assess 3 main areas regarding how effective are the Serious Games:
Playability (11 items)
Immersion (2 items)
Acceptance (7 items).
The answers goes from 1 (nothing at all), to 5 (a lot).
Eg. Did you find properly the velocity or rhythm in which the game developed? (Acceptance)
Eg. Did you have any problem to feel inside the game? (Immersion)
Eg. Did you find it complicated to control the game? (Playability)

16. Procedure 1
The professionals will be provided with an unique access to review the contents of the MEAL platform. 2
The users will have from 15 to 20 minutes to explore the platform. 3
The questionnaires will be given to the participants to be answer regarding their general validation of the platform and the SG´s. 4
The data retrieved from the questionnaires will be analyzed through the statistical program SPSS. 5
Results will be analyzed and interpreted.

17. Expected results
It is expected high rates of acceptability and usability by the educators to the MEAL platform.
The SG´s will be evaluated with high rates of playability and acceptability.

18. Conclusion
The MEAL platform can be a useful tool to help nutritionists and educators to teach NE to children between 9 and 12 years old.
As it is supported by ICT´s, offer several benefits:
The contents could be updated at any time
It will provide control to the teachers in order to teach NE at the necessary rhythm to the children.

19. Thanks for your attention