Humanity is at a crossroad. If we do not act now, the current global issues we are facing will become exponentially worse. The COVID-19 pandemic is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to our global crisis. As a field, we have not done enough to ensure the success and continuation of the next generation, and society is demanding a change.…

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Cooperative Extension professionals, like many others, were tasked with quickly adapting to accommodate limited face-to-face interactions. The pandemic necessitated that Extension educators leverage online resources to deliver tailored programming in informative and innovative ways while providing engaging, hands-on…

Bridges and Fowler (2022) collected survey data regarding grocery shopping attitudes and behaviors prior to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and followed up by collecting similar data during the pandemic. This allowed for comparisons of grocery shopping habits before and during COVID-19; in addition, survey respondents were asked how they…

Technological advances have created a myriad of possibilities for university teaching, administration, and research. In particular, the internet makes it possible for teaching and meetings to occur when faculty and students are in different locations, and the use of such technologies has seen an unprecedented upsurge since the COVID-19 pandemic.…

This paper explores the role of home economics education in the 21st century. It commences with an explanation of the disruption to the five predicted future global megatrends -- globalisation, urbanisation, digitisation, cybersecurity, sustainability -- as a consequence of the global Covid-19 pandemic. The place of megatrends framing home…

In March 2020, the pandemic brought significant changes to higher education modalities. This paper examines how family and consumer sciences (FCS) instructors in a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary department at a large 4-year university modified instruction and related activities as a response to the pandemic. Using the Family and Consumer…

Successful Extension programming relies on strong relationships between campus-based Extension faculty/specialists and the field-based Extension agents they support (Shaklee et al., 2014). Strong connections facilitate bi-directional communication, enabling specialists to understand the needs of agents and their communities. The COVID-19 pandemic…

The family and consumer sciences (FCS) discipline focuses on developing knowledge and skills that help individuals make informed decisions about their well-being and relationships (American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences, n.d.). FCS content areas include consumer affairs (e.g., personal and family finance), nutrition, hospitality…

The COVID-19 virus pandemic limits the movement of activities and learning is carried out online, followed by blended. After returning to normal offline. The research objectives are i) to analyze satisfaction, interest in learning and academic performance with online, blended and offline learning and ii) to differentiate between study programs in…

Background: The coronavirus pandemic has caused a shift in how many teaching, learning and research activities are conducted internationally. Lockdowns compelled all education sectors, including higher education (HE), to adopt a variety of online learning practices at short notice. As these changes in practice have implications beyond the…

Family and consumer sciences (FCS) has a long history in embracing the value of hands-on, project-based learning in the classroom. The value of this learning style extends beyond the classroom through internships and other types of experiential learning. FCS literature is replete with examples from the early years of the profession to more recent…

Amidst the ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and the collective social movements against systemic racism, an interesting opportunity presented itself for educators in family and consumer sciences (FCS). These two significant and complex scenarios have proven to be relevant avenues for understanding student experiences since the onset of…

Despite the importance of scholarship in Human Development and Family Sciences, many students and professors are unenthusiastic about Research Methods and Statistics courses. This article will first, identify issues that deter optimal teaching and learning in the research methods courses and then engage in a reflective discussion of effective…

The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced many aspects of life and wellbeing. Eating behaviors and food habits among college students--many leaving campus and returning home mid-semester--were of particular interest for this qualitative study. Reflections from 33 students across 3 courses were analyzed using content analysis. Five major themes emerged…

The following are journal reflections written by Morgan State University Family and Consumer Sciences-Fashion Merchandising students in 2020, during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. As we navigated through a semester that should have had students completing practicum credits, they instead wrote about recouping the time and identifying…