EdAuthor activity template

A real Reading food-system treasure hunt for student teams

The Reading Food-System Quest turns the city into a collaborative learning environment. Teams travel from the University of Reading through eight local agri-food checkpoints, solve scored challenges, collect respectful evidence and return to propose one practical improvement.

Take the learning beyond the room. Bring the evidence back.

This example follows the return-and-reflect part of the food-system quest. Teams place observations on an uploaded Space Card board, compare possible improvements and check their confidence. The full guide below covers route preparation and fieldwork.

Illustration of university students discussing food-system observations in a British market street while using edauthor on a phone.

  1. Place the evidence

    After the visit, place an evidence pin on a shared food-system board. Give the observation a location in the system and explain why it belongs there.

    edauthor room screen: Where does your observation belong in the food system?

    The example uses edauthor’s uploaded-image Space Card. Four demonstration observations connect production, processing, retail and consumption.

  2. Turn evidence into a proposal

    Ask teams to weigh practical improvements against what they observed. The ranking opens a discussion about trade-offs.

    edauthor room screen: Which £500 improvement would you investigate first?

    Clearer surplus-food information comes first here. Teams still need to test feasibility against their own evidence.

  3. Notice what changed

    Close by checking whether the field evidence helped people see the wider system. Use the spread to guide the final discussion.

    edauthor room screen: How confident are you explaining the food-system connections?

    The confidence check distinguishes identifying a stage from explaining a connection between stages.

Actual edauthor screens with demonstration responses. Scene artwork is illustrative.

Purpose and outcome

Help students recognise food-system stages, local enterprise, sustainability and community value through structured field evidence.

Prepare before the session

Set up the activity around one clear purpose and decide how the responses will shape what happens next.

  • Verify every business, opening time, waypoint and approved crossing immediately before use
  • Contact businesses in advance if students may enter, take photographs or speak with staff
  • Complete the institutional risk assessment and prepare accessibility, weather and transport alternatives
  • Split participants into teams of three and appoint a Navigator, Food Detective and Evidence Keeper

Run the activity

Guide participants through a visible sequence with enough time to think, contribute and learn from the emerging results.

  • Brief and safeguard the teams
  • Unlock the food-system route
  • Investigate eight checkpoints
  • Turn observations into systems thinking
  • Return, pitch and reflect

Frequently asked questions

Do students have to buy anything or interview business staff?

No. Every checkpoint can be completed through respectful observation from a public place or through clearly labelled public online evidence.

Can the route be used without checking it first?

No. The host must verify locations, opening hours, accessibility, crossings and institutional field-trip requirements for the actual date.

How are duplicate team pins avoided?

Each team appoints one Evidence Keeper to submit the eight Space Card pins, while the other members support navigation and analysis.

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