Parallel
Using a parallel strategy to make connections involves making relationships between the subject being taught and other material that the students have learned before or will learn later. It means making associations with similar subjects that seem parallel to the subject being examined or discussed. For example, making connections between meat fabrication and seafood fabrication, between the principles of MEP in the kitchen and MEP in dining room service stations.

Promotional
The promotional strategy involves using quotes, stories, statistics and anything that will capture students’ interests in order to help them make connections with what they are now learning. Getting them engaged with the material requires creative thinking about how to capture their interest and excite them to associate the new information with other situations. Sometimes, it takes tantalizing them with questions about the material, using games—a wonderful way to promote interest and get them thinking—or puzzling through an intentionally incomplete assignment.

A second way to promote interest is to show your passion for the topic. If you are excited about what you are teaching and can provide examples of when you have used the information or cooking procedures, you will capture their interest and help them connect with what they are learning and apply it to other situations. Of course, the best way to connect culinary students to new information and skills involves making them use it in realistic, practical settings.

Practical
Making students use the ideas they read about or hear about in class is one way to make sure that they engage and learn them well. There are several ways to make the ideas practical. As Kurt Lewin said, “There is nothing so practical as a good theory.” One would be to apply an idea to a practical cooking demonstration, preparing a food item, cooking an entire meal or creating a menu.

A second way would be to ask them to define the idea in their own words—not the words of the texts—and explain its importance. If they can explain the edge of a knife and why it is essential or define braise and why it is a significant skill for a chef, then you know that their minds are engaged and they really understand the information. Sometimes, you can ask them—orally or on a test—to define key concepts and then give industry examples; that task also requires them to think about what they are learning and explore the ideas more fully.

Another way to ensure that students have connected the ideas to other ideas is to require them to prepare a dish using different ingredients, but a similar cooking technique to one that they have studied. For example, braising a vegetable instead of a lamb shank or sautéing fruit instead of a chicken breast can indicate that they really know how to perform these skills. Other ways that you can push them to apply cooking-preparation methods to various different situations involves asking them to create a menu using six different preparation techniques, all in unusual ways or with ingredients they have not used before.

While students need to know basic information and cooking procedures, having them apply their knowledge to new situations tests the depth and breadth of that knowledge and gets them used to using the ideas or the principles in new settings, one of the criteria for success in the industry.

Provocative
If you wish to use a provocative strategy, then you should require the student to agree or disagree with what they read or what you are teaching. Playing devil’s advocate helps you confront them and make then defend their thinking. Asking them to advocate for a particular practice, a specific menu item or a method of preparation is another way to make them think about what they are arguing for and encourages them to develop clear reasons for the recommendations that they are making. It matters less whether they are right or wrong; it matters a lot that they have to make a case for their ideas.

Some faculty members encourage students to advocate for their own grades; I use the practice of self evaluations and peer evaluations when students are involved in large group projects because it gets them to think about their involvement and the contributions made by their group members. They have to complete a form with scores for various skills AND they have to explain with examples why they gave their fellow student the rating they did. I am less interested in the rating than the explanation and support for the rating. If they do not take the assignment seriously, they lose points for it. It provokes them to think about what they are doing and what their partners do to make the group projects successful.

Summary
Thank you for reading this column on helping students make connections with ideas and culinary techniques. In the next issue, we will talk more about enhancing our connections as faculty members.

If you have comments about this topic or suggestions for others, send them to me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and I will include them in future Mayo Clinics.

Dr. Fred Mayo, CHE, CHT, is a clinical professor at New York University and a frequent presenter at CAFÉ events nationwide.