BYU Faculty Research: Effective Education with Lora Beth Brown

Lora Beth Brown of BYU's nutrition department traveled to Ecuador to teach effective education techniques to Latin American students.

Ecuadorian students from the province of Imbabura commented to interns and staff of the Ezra Taft Benson Agriculture and Food Institute that their formal education primarily consisted of lectures, tests, and reports. This form of education leaves out an important factor of learning, the application of such knowledge. Lora Beth Brown, professor in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at Brigham Young University, spent a three-month sabbatical teaching a group of Latin American students more effective educating skills.

Lora Beth Brown teaches students in Ecuador how to use effective educational materials and techniques in real-life settings.

Brown’s preparation and background in public health assisted in bringing hope and new skills to students in Bolivia and Ecuador. Brown joined the faculty of BYU in 1974. She has worked in Mexico, Central and South America, Western Samoa, and Tonga with universities as well as humanitarian efforts of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to provide health education and improved nutritional practices to various peoples in these parts of the world.

In February of 2000, Brown traveled to Bolivia to begin a series of three-week seminars for a total of 54 students. Working with Benson Institute Student Extension Groups, Brown taught educational seminars in Cochabamba and La Paz, Bolivia, followed by Ibarra, Ecuador. The daily two-hour courses covered teacher development topics such as writing course objectives, diversifying teaching methods, identifying a specific audience, and evaluating/revising lesson plans. Brown emphasized teaching with a practical purpose and in a manner that a targeted audience could understand and apply principles taught. Brown stated, “I have heard of students doing an academic, technical thesis presentation to teach the community members. People don’t learn effectively that way. Community members are not likely to understand unless they see how the lessons can be ap-plied.” Brown completed each seminar by having her students do a final project, which included objectively developing and presenting a lesson plan tailored to the needs of Benson Institute beneficiary communities.

Brown notes that for some of the students the idea of interactively teaching practical information was a review; for others, it was a first exposure. Brown said, “If you look on a worldwide scale, my efforts were pretty minute, but I feel like (I did make a difference) in the lives of a few people.” Diego Andrés, a seminar student from Ecuador, stated, “Professor Lora Beth Brown has given us both the desire and the tools necessary to make improvements within our own countries. She will never be forgotten nor can we thank her enough.”