Psychology 4295F-001
Special Topics in Behavioural Cognitive Neuroscience:
"Sensory Systems in Enriched and Impoverished Environments"
If there is a discrepancy between the outline posted below and the outline posted on the OWL course website, the latter shall prevail.
1.0 CALENDAR DESCRIPTION
Selected topics of current interest in Behavioural Cognitive Neuroscience.
Prerequisite(s): Psychology 2220A/B, Psychology 2221A/B or Neuroscience 2000, and registration in third or fourth year Honours Specialization in Psychology, Honours Specialization in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Honours Specialization in Neuroscience, or Honours Specialization in Animal Behaviour. Other Psychology students and Psychology Special Students who receive 70% in the prerequisite course(s) may enrol in this course.
3 seminar hours. Course Weight: 0.5
Unless you have either the prerequisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enrol in it, you may be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record. This decision may not be appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your fees in the event that you are dropped from a course for failing to have the necessary prerequisites.
2.0 COURSE INFORMATION
Instructor: Dr. Blake Butler
Office and Phone Number: WIRB 5150, (519) 661-2111 x 85831
Office Hours: By appointment
Email: bbutler9@uwo.ca
Time and Location of Classes: Wednesdays 1:30pm-4:30pm, WIRB 1110
If you or someone you know is experiencing distress, there are several resources here at Western to assist you. Please visit: http://www.uwo.ca/uwocom/mentalhealth/ for more information on these resources and on mental health.
Please contact the course instructor if you require material in an alternate format or if you require any other arrangements to make this course more accessible to you. You may also wish to contact Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) at 519-661-2111 ext 82147 for any specific question regarding an accommodation.
3.0 TEXTBOOK
There is no textbook for this class. Instead, a list of required readings will be posted to the OWL site. Each reading will be available through the library either as a physical copy or digitally, accessible through a search mechanism such as PubMed or Google Scholar.
4.0 COURSE OBJECTIVES
The overall objective of this course is to extend your conceptual and theoretical knowledge of sensory system development to include exceptional circumstances. A secondary aim is to help develop the skills necessary to appraise the available literature, and to adopt and defend a position either through writing or oral presentation. Topics will include the influence of enriched and deprived experience on sensory development, the relationship between sensory representations of our environments, and how sensory experience may influence non-sensory behaviours. Students will have the opportunity to present research in an area that interests them, and to engage their classmates in debate on open topics. Course work and evaluation will consist of individual written assignments, an oral presentation, and in-class participation.
4.1 STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
|
Learning Outcome |
Assessment |
|
Demonstrate a clear understanding of the influence of experience on sensation & perception |
In-class participation that reflects an advance reading of material and effort to understand details therein |
|
Develop the capacity to summarize and critically appraise scientific literature for a generalist audience |
Seminar-style presentation of an assigned reading to peer group |
|
Develop the capacity to prepare and deliver careful criticism |
Debate preparation and participation |
|
Demonstrate mastery of a specific topic by integrating and extending upon current literature |
Written final examination |
5.0 EVALUATION
Evaluation is based on class participation (15%), an oral presentation to the class outlining one of the assigned readings (20%), reflections on the readings/presented material in a blog format (10%), participation in a debate on open topics (20%), and a take-home comprehensive review paper (35%) in which you will analyze and summarize available literature, and discuss theoretical implications thereof.
PLEASE NOTE: Because this is an essay course, as per Senate Regulations, you must pass the essay component to pass the course. That is, the average mark for your written assignments must be at least 50%.
Although the Psychology Department does not require instructors to adjust their course grades to conform to specific targets, the expectation is that course marks will be distributed around the following averages:
70% 1000-level and 2000-level courses
72% 2190-2990 level courses
75% 3000-level courses
80% 4000-level courses
The Psychology Department follows Western's grading guidelines, which are as follows (see http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/general/grades_undergrad.pdf):
A+ 90-100 One could scarcely expect better from a student at this level
A 80-89 Superior work that is clearly above average
B 70-79 Good work, meeting all requirements, and eminently satisfactory
C 60-69 Competent work, meeting requirements
D 50-59 Fair work, minimally acceptable
F below 50 Fail
6.0 TEST AND EXAMINATION SCHEDULE
7.0 CLASS SCHEDULE
Below is a general outline of the topics that will be discussed each week. In advance of each class, a short list of applicable readings (2-3 papers per week) will be available on OWL. Students are expected to have read each of the papers posted, and be ready to comment.
|
Date |
Topic
|
Assignments |
|
Week 1 (Sept 12) |
Introduction |
|
|
Week 2 (Sept 19) |
Auditory System – Deafness |
Student Presentations |
|
Week 3 (Sept 26) |
Auditory System – Musical Training |
Student Presentations |
|
Week 4 (Oct 3) |
Auditory System – Therapeutic Intervention |
Student Presentations |
|
Week 5 (Oct 10) |
*No Class* Fall Reading Week |
|
|
Week 6 (Oct 17) |
Visual System – Blindness |
Student Presentations Auditory Blog Post Due |
|
Week 7 (Oct 24) |
Visual System – Video Games |
Student Presentations |
|
Week 8 (Oct 31) |
Visual System – Therapeutic Intervention |
Student Presentations |
|
Week 9 (Nov 7) |
Sensory to Non-Sensory Transfer I |
Student Presentations Visual Blog Post Due |
|
Week 10 (Nov 14) |
Sensory to Non-Sensory Transfer II |
Student Presentations |
|
Week 11 (Nov 21) |
Debate Preparation |
Transfer Blog Post Due |
|
Week 12 (Nov 28) |
Debate |
Debate Participation |
|
Week 13 (Dec 5) |
Summary & Essay Preparation |
|
8.0 STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES
Students are responsible for understanding the nature and avoiding the occurrence of plagiarism and other scholastic offenses. Plagiarism and cheating are considered very serious offenses because they undermine the integrity of research and education. Actions constituting a scholastic offense are described at the following link: http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf
As of Sept. 1, 2009, the Department of Psychology will take the following steps to detect scholastic offenses. All multiple-choice tests and exams will be checked for similarities in the pattern of responses using reliable software, and records will be made of student seating locations in all tests and exams. All written assignments will be submitted to TurnItIn, a service designed to detect and deter plagiarism by comparing written material to over 5 billion pages of content located on the Internet or in TurnItIn’s databases. All papers submitted for such checking will be included as source documents in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between Western and Turnitin.com http://www.turnitin.com
Possible penalties for a scholastic offense include failure of the assignment, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.
9.0 POLICY ON ACCOMMODATION FOR MEDICAL ILLNESS
Western’s policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness can be found at:
http://westerncalendar.uwo.ca/PolicyPages.cfm?Command=showCategory&PolicyCategoryID=1&SelectedCalendar=Live&ArchiveID=#Page_12
Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation:
http://counselling.ssc.uwo.ca/procedures/medical_accommodation.html
10.0 OTHER INFORMATION
Office of the Registrar web site: http://registrar.uwo.ca
Student Development Services web site: http://www.sdc.uwo.ca
Please see the Psychology Undergraduate web site for information on the following:
http://psychology.uwo.ca/undergraduate/student_responsibilities/index.html
- Policy on Cheating and Academic Misconduct
- Procedures for Appealing Academic Evaluations
- Policy on Attendance
- Policy Regarding Makeup Exams and Extensions of Deadlines
- Policy for Assignments
- Short Absences
- Extended Absences
- Documentation
- Academic Concerns
- 2018 Calendar References
No electronic devices, including cell phones and smart watches, will be allowed during exams.
