Psychology 3440F-001 (Online for 2020-21)
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
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
An introduction to the way in which genetic and experiential factors interactively contribute to the emergence of adaptive neural structures underlying visual processing, face perception, number processing, language, memory, and executive functions.
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.
3 lecture/seminar hours; 0.5 course
2.0 COURSE INFORMATION
Instructor: Dr. Lien Peters
Office: WIRB 5176
Office Hours: By appointment over Zoom
Email: lpeter56@uwo.ca
Teaching Assistant: Dimitri Palidis
Office: WIRB, 4th floor
Office Hours: By appointment over Zoom
Email: dpalidis@uwo.ca
Time and Location of Classes: asynchronous, virtual
Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to Mental Health@Western
http://www.uwo.ca/uwocom/mentalhealth/ for a complete list of options about how to obtain help.
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 Student Accessibility Services (formerly known as Services for Students with Disabilities) at 519-661-2147.
3.0 TEXTBOOK/COURSE MATERIALS
The readings will mostly comprise recently published, peer-reviewed journal articles and some recent news articles and blog posts related to Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. The required readings are mandatory, and it is important that you do these so that you can complete the topics quizzes and participate in discussion threads on the course’s slack channel. The suggested readings are recommended if you choose to write any of the assignments on one of these topics, or if you are simply interested in learning more about a particular topic. All readings can be found on the OWL website for the course. If you have difficulties accessing the materials, please contact the instructor.
4.0 COURSE OBJECTIVES
This course provides an introduction to the theoretical, methodological, and empirical foundations of the field of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience (DCN).
4.1 STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
|
Learning Outcome |
Learning Activity |
Assessment |
|
Depth and Breadth of Knowledge. - Describe concepts in DCN |
- Lectures and readings - Writing assignments - Class discussion |
- Topics quizzes - Discussion post - Blog post - Final essay |
|
Knowledge of Methodologies. - Compare and contrast evidence |
- Lectures and readings |
- Topics quizzes |
|
Application of Knowledge. - Consider implications of DCN research |
- Class discussion |
- Participation in discussion |
|
Communication Skills. - Writing for lay and professional audiences |
- Writing assignments - Providing peer feedback |
- Discussion post |
|
Awareness of Limits of Knowledge. - Locate and evaluate research |
- Class discussion - Writing assignments |
- Participation in discussion - Final essay |
|
Autonomy and Professional Capacity. - Writing for lay and professional audiences |
- Class discussion |
- Participation in discussion |
5.0 EVALUATION
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%.
This course is exempt from the Senate requirement that students receive assessment of their work accounting for at least 15% of their final grade at least three full days before the date of the deadline for withdrawal from a course without academic penalty.
Grade rounding will not be allowed.
- Participation in discussion on slack throughout the semester = 8%
- Topics quizzes = 15%
- Discussion post = 15%
- Blog post and peer feedback on two blog posts = 25%
- Final essay = 37%
Note 1: The instructor aims to make all lectures and supporting material available on OWL no later than during Fall Reading Week (week of November 2nd).
Note 2: The topics of your discussion post, blog post and final essay (see below) should come from three different class topics. You will be asked to send the topics you prefer to the instructor.
Participation in discussion on slack throughout the semester (8%):
You will be added to a slack channel by the instructor. There will be a different channel for each topic, where discussion posts and blog posts will be posted. You are encouraged to ask for clarification about lectures or readings, to participate in discussion and to comment on posts. The use of any language that is sexist, racist, or in any way discriminatory will not be tolerated. The instructor will be active on slack and will post news articles, talks, articles … relevant to the course throughout the semester. Your participation in discussion will be evaluated on Wednesday, December 16th to ensure you have sufficient time to participate after blog and discussion posts were posted.
Topics quizzes (15%):
For each topic (not topic 1), you will be asked to complete a short quiz that relates directly to the required readings, lecture and supporting material assigned for that topic (not the suggested readings or viewings). You should be able to complete these quizzes by reviewing the required materials for the topics. The quizzes will always be made available on OWL together with the lecture of that topic and can be used as a self-assessment (i.e., did you grasp the important components of the topic). The deadline for all quizzes to be completed is Wednesday, December 9th, 11:59pm (official last day of classes), but you are strongly encouraged to complete each quiz after reviewing the materials and readings for individual topics.
Discussion post (15%):
For each topic, a discussion question is provided in the syllabus. You should select one discussion question and discuss it by reading and citing at least five sources (e.g., peer-reviewed journal articles, books or book chapters) that were not discussed in the lecture(s) for this topic. Your discussion post should be at least 500 words (1.5 spaced; max. word count = 1000 words) and is due on Wednesday, November 18th at 11:59pm, via OWL. The instructor and TA do not expect “a correct answer” to any of the discussion questions (often there isn’t one), but merely a reflection about the topic that expands what was discussed in the lecture.
All discussion posts will be anonymized and shared on the topic’s channel on Slack on November 20th. You are encouraged to provide additional feedback on other blog posts there (see above for participation in discussions on slack).
Blog post (15%) and peer feedback on two blog posts (10%):
You should choose a topic from the topics within the syllabus and write a blog post of at least 500 words (1.5 spaced; max. word count = 1000 words). You can address a question in your post, discuss a topic of interest, evaluate methodologies … You can include figures or infographics if you so choose, but this is not mandatory. The intended audience for this blog post is friends and family without a background in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience or Psychology; you will therefore need to explain topic-specific concepts in layman’s terms. The goal is not to give a complete overview of the literature on your topic, but to write clearly and for a non-academic audience about a topic relevant to Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. You should rely on scientific materials (e.g., peer-reviewed journal articles, books or book chapters), cite sources according to APA regulations and include a reference list. You are encouraged to discuss the topic of your blog post with the instructor or teaching assistant.
In addition to writing a blog post, you will randomly be assigned two blog posts written by your peers to evaluate. Evaluation criteria will comprise clarity, structure and language and grammar. Instructions on how to provide peer feedback will be provided on OWL, as well as an evaluation rubric on how you will be graded.
The blog post is due on OWL on Friday, November 13th at 11:59pm, via OWL. Blog posts will then be randomly assigned, and you will receive the posts that you will give feedback on (anonymized) no later than Wednesday, November 18th. Your peer feedback for both posts is due on Friday, December 11th at 11:59pm, via OWL. All blog posts will be shared anonymously on the topic’s channel on Slack in the week of November 16th. You are encouraged to provide additional feedback on other blog posts there (see above for participation in discussions on slack).
Final essay (37%):
You are required to write a final essay of at least 2500 words (excluding reference list, 1.5 spaced, max. word count = 3500 words) that extends your thinking about one of the class topics by critically reviewing evidence from multiple sources. You should choose the topic for your final essays from the topics within the syllabus and generate a question, but it should be a different topic from your blog post and discussion post. The purpose of this assignment is to provide experience locating, reading, and evaluating primary research literature concerning structural and functional developments of the brain and their association with changes in cognitive functioning. In particular, your essay should discuss the findings of papers you will review and extend the discussion of your chosen topic by either outlining future research directions or proposing a research project to generate new evidence to inform the literature. You may also consider the practical and applied implications of the question you choose.
You are strongly encouraged to discuss the topic of your final essay with the instructor or teaching assistant. You may also send the instructor an outline or draft of your final essay for review at least 3 weeks before the deadline (i.e., no later than on Monday November 16th at 11:59pm via OWL). This is optional, not mandatory. If you submit an outline or draft, you will receive feedback on this outline or draft within 10 days. Your final essay is due at 11:59pm via OWL on Monday, December 7th.
Assignments that are handed in late without timely notifying the instructor will result in a penalty of 10% of the final grade for that assignment per day.
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 ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION SCHEDULE
Due dates for assignments, in chronological order:
- Friday, November 13th at 11:59pm: submission of blog post
- Optional: Monday, November 16th at 11:59pm: submission of outline/draft of final essay for review
- Wednesday, November 18th at 11:59pm: submission of discussion post
- Monday, December 7th at 11:59pm: submission of final essay
- Wednesday, December 9th at 11:59pm: completion of topics quizzes
- Friday, December 11th at 11:59pm: submission of peer feedback on blog post
7.0 CLASS SCHEDULE
Topic 1: Introduction & Course Overview
Suggested viewing: Inside the Psychologist’s Studio: Annette Karmiloff-Smith https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXmEe_m2Z9M
Topic 2: Theoretical Perspectives
Discussion question: “Are we born with core knowledge of how the world works?”
Required readings: Karmiloff-Smith. 2009
Spelke & Kinzler, 2007
Westermann et al., 2007
Suggested readings: Karmiloff-Smith, 1998
Karmiloff-Smith et al., 2012
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/01/decoding-the-infant-brain/513005/
Topic 3: Research Methods Guest Lectures: Dr. Mojtaba Soltanolou, Dr. Melissa Troyer
Discussion question: “Are there critical periods in human development?”
Required readings: Werker & Hensch, 2015
Fox et al., 2010
Suggested reading: Hakuta et al., 2003
http://bold.expert/turning-back-the-learning-clock/
Topic 4: Brain Development
Discussion question: “Is screen time detrimental to child development?”
Required readings: Johnson, 2001
Gopnik et al., 2015
Suggested reading: Hackman & Farah, 2009
Topic 5: Genetics Guest Lecture: Dr. H. Moriah Sokolowski
Discussion question: “Is IQ a reliable and valid construct?”
Required readings: Sokolowski & Ansari, 2019
Belsky et al., 2019
Suggested reading: Deary et al., 2010
Topic 6: Language Development
Discussion question: “Is there a cognitive advantage to being bilingual?”
Required readings: Bialystok et al., 2012
Morton & Harper, 2007
Suggested reading: Bialystok, 2009
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/02/the-battle-over-bilingualism/462114/
Topic 7: Mathematical Development
Discussion question: “Are men better suited to STEM careers than women are?”
(STEM = Science, Technology, Engineering and Math)
Required readings: Merkley & Ansari, 2016
Kersey et al., 2019
Suggested reading: Hutchison et al., 2019
Sokolowski et al., 2017
Topic 8: Executive Functioning Guest Lecture: Dr. Rebecca Merkley
Discussion question: “Can training executive functions transfer to other cognitive skills?”
Required readings: Doebel, 2020
Takacs & Kassai, 2019
Suggested reading: Spencer-Smith & Klingberg, 2015
Melby-Lervag et al., 2016
Topic 9: Memory Development Guest Lecture: Dr. Anna Blumenthal
Discussion question: “Why do we have no memories from infancy?”
Required readings: Josselyn & Frankland, 2012
Mullally & Maguire, 2014
Suggested reading: Decker et al., 2020
Topic 10: Social and Emotional Development Guest Lecture: Dr. Emma Duerden
Discussion question: “Do mirror neurons understand the goals of others?”
Required readings: Heyes, 2009
Morawetz et al., 2020
Suggested reading: Buccino et al., 2004
Campbell & Cunnington, 2017
Casey et al., 2019
Topic 11: Adolescent Development Guest Lecture: Dr. Simona Haller
Discussion question: “Should adolescents be tried as adults?”
Required readings: Casey et al., 2017
Brenhouse & Schwarz, 2016
Suggested readings: Cohen & Casey, 2014
https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_reisel_the_neuroscience_of_restorative_justice#t-854323
https://www.ted.com/talks/sarah_jayne_blakemore_the_mysterious_workings_of_the_adolescent_brain
Topic 12: Atypical Development
Discussion question: “Can studying atypically developing children inform our understanding of typical development?”
Required readings: Peters & Ansari, 2019
Karmiloff-Smith, 2008
Suggested readings: Happe & Frith, 2014
8.0 STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES
Students are responsible for understanding the nature and avoiding the occurrence of plagiarism and other scholastic offences. Plagiarism and cheating are considered very serious offences because they undermine the integrity of research and education. Actions constituting a scholastic offence 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 offences. 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).
Computer-marked multiple-choice tests and/or exams will be subject to submission for similarity review by software that will check for unusual coincidences in answer patterns that may indicate cheating.
In classes that involve the use of a personal response system (PRS), data collected using the PRS will only be used in a manner consistent to that described in this outline. It is the instructor’s responsibility to make every effort to ensure that data remain confidential. However, students should be aware that as with all forms of electronic communication, privacy is not guaranteed. Your PRS login credentials are for your sole use only. Students attempting to use another student’s credentials to submit data through the PRS may be subject to academic misconduct proceedings.
Possible penalties for a scholastic offence include failure of the assignment/exam, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.
9.0 POLICY ON ACCOMMODATION FOR ILLNESS OR OTHER ABSENCES
Western’s policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness can be found at:
The full policy for consideration for absences can be accessed at:
https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/Academic_Consideration_for_absences.pdf
If you experience an extenuating circumstance (e.g., illness, injury) sufficiently significant to temporarily make you unable to meet academic requirements, you may request accommodation through the following routes:
- Submitting a Self-Reported Absence form (for circumstances that are expected to resolve within 48 hours);
- For medical absences, submitting a Student Medical Certificate (SMC) signed by a licensed medical or mental health practitioner in order to be eligible for Academic Consideration;
- For non-medical absences, submitting appropriate documentation (e.g., obituary, police report, accident report, court order, etc.) to Academic Counselling in their Faculty of registration in order to be eligible for academic consideration. Students are encouraged to contact their Academic Counselling unit to clarify what documentation is appropriate.
Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation. The self-reported absence form must be submitted before the exam/coursework deadline in order to be valid. It may NOT be used for absences longer than 48 hours; coursework/tests/exams/etc., worth more than 30% of the final grade; or exams scheduled in the December or April final-exam periods:
http://counselling.ssc.uwo.ca/procedures/medical_accommodation.html
Students seeking academic consideration:
- are advised to consider carefully the implications of postponing tests or midterm exams or delaying handing in work;
- are encouraged to make appropriate decisions based on their specific circumstances, recognizing that minor ailments (upset stomach) or upsets (argument with a friend) are not normally an appropriate basis for a self-reported absence;
- must communicate with their instructors no later than 24 hoursafter the end of the period covered by either the self-reported absence or SMC, or immediately upon their return following a documented absence
10.0 CONTINGENCY PLAN FOR RETURN TO LOCKDOWN
In the event of a COVID-19 resurgence during the course that necessitates the course delivery moving away from face-to-face interaction, all remaining course content will be delivered entirely online, either synchronously (i.e., at the times indicated in the timetable) or asynchronously (e.g., posted on OWL for students to view at their convenience). The grading scheme will not change. Any remaining assessments will also be conducted online as determined by the course instructor.
11.0 STATEMENTS CONCERNING ONLINE ETIQUETTE
In courses involving online interactions, the Psychology Department expects students to honour the following rules of etiquette:
- please “arrive” to class on time
- please use your computer and/or laptop if possible (as opposed to a cell phone or tablet)
- please ensure that you are in a private location to protect the confidentiality of discussions in the event that a class discussion deals with sensitive or personal material
- to minimize background noise, kindly mute your microphone for the entire class until you are invited to speak, unless directed otherwise
- In classes larger than 30 participants please turn off your video camera for the entire class unless you are invited to speak
- In classes of 30 students or fewer, where video chat procedures are being used, please be prepared to turn your video camera off at the instructor’s request if the internet connection becomes unstable
- Unless invited by your instructor, do not share your screen in the meeting
The course instructor will act as moderator for the class and will deal with any questions from participants. To participate please consider the following:
- If you wish to speak, use the “raise hand” function and wait for the instructor to acknowledge you before beginning your comment or question.
- Please remember to unmute your microphone and turn on your video camera before speaking.
- Self-identify when speaking.
- Please remember to mute your mic and turn off your video camera after speaking (unless directed otherwise).
General considerations of “netiquette”:
- Keep in mind the different cultural and linguistic backgrounds of the students in the course.
- Be courteous toward the instructor, your colleagues, and authors whose work you are discussing.
- Be respectful of the diversity of viewpoints that you will encounter in the class and in your readings. The exchange of diverse ideas and opinions is part of the scholarly environment. “Flaming” is never appropriate.
- Be professional and scholarly in all online postings. Use proper grammar and spelling. Cite the ideas of others appropriately.
Note that disruptive behaviour of any type during online classes, including inappropriate use of the chat function, is unacceptable. Students found guilty of Zoom-bombing a class or of other serious online offenses may be subject to disciplinary measures under the Code of Student Conduct.
12.0 OTHER INFORMATION
Office of the Registrar: http://registrar.uwo.ca
Student Development Services: 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
- 2020-2021 Calendar References
Copyright Statement: Lectures and course materials, including power point presentations, outlines, videos and similar materials, are protected by copyright. You may take notes and make copies of course materials for your own educational use. You may not record lectures, reproduce (or allow others to reproduce), post or distribute any course materials publicly and/or for commercial purposes without the instructor’s written consent.
