Psychology 275, Section B1

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Tentative Course Syllabus Winter session, 2018 Tuesdays & Thursdays 9:30-10:50

Location: TL-11

Contacts:

Instructors:

Dr. C.T. Dickson

Office: P439 Biological Sciences Phone: 780-492-7860

Office Hours: Thursdays 11-12, or by appointment.

Email: [email protected] Dr. K. E. Mathewson

Office P455 Biological Sciences Phone: 780-492-2662

Office Hours: twitter: @MathKyle Email: [email protected]

TA:

D. Robles Office: BS-P-531

Office hours: Mondays 12:00-13:00 and Wednesdays 16:00-17:00

Phone: (780) 492-5361 Email: [email protected]

Please note: for email communications, the following link will serve you well:

How to email your instructors effectively

Policy about course outlines can be found in the University Calendar.

Description:

This course is an introduction to brain mechanisms involved in sensation, perception, movement and cognition, as studied in both animals and humans.

Objectives:

This course is the flagship of the neuroscience stream in Psychology. It begins with an introduction to Biopsychology and its methods, followed by an extensive review of the anatomy and physiology of the nervous system. This includes how the nervous system (particularly the forebrain) is involved in sensation and perception and its potential for modification (neuroplasticity) following learning. Brain circuits associated with higher order cognitive functions, such as attention and memory, will also be discussed as will the mechanism of biological rhythms like sleep.

Our goals as instructors are to facilitate your comprehension of, and to inspire your interest in, this most fascinating field of study.

Student's goals should be to develop an understanding of the fundamental elements of biopsychology and to acquire critical thinking skills. The latter can be only achieved through a detailed comprehension of the subject matter combined with active participation.

Required Text:

Kolb, Whishaw, Teskey (2016) An Introduction to Brain and Behavior (5^th edition) New York, Worth

This textbook comes with optional online resources. These include practise questions/exams.

Schedule:

See attached.

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Lectures:

The lectures are meant to provide a forum to enhance understanding of the general principles outlined in the text and are not simply a reiteration of the text. In fact, some of the topics in the text may not be covered in class time, although the student's understanding of this material will be tested in the exams.

Moreover, material may be provided in class that may not covered in the textbook. Knowledge of this material will also be tested in the exams. The lectures will proceed at a quick pace. This requires that students read the chapter before the lecture, to the point that they will be able to answer questions put forth by the instructor during the lecture period.

Course Website: eClass

Students will find the course web site necessary for two reasons. First, exam scores and final grades will be posted on the site. Second, class information and lecture notes will also be made available via the website. These can be viewed and printed out before class so that you can spend the lecture time listening rather than writing constantly. If you are unfamiliar with operation of the Internet, contact any library for instruction, or call the Information Services and Technology Help Desk at 492-9400.

Expectations:

We expect students to be familiar with and to follow University Regulations (Sections 20-26 in the

University Calendar:http://www.registrar.ualberta.ca/calendar/Regulations-and-Information/). We expect a high degree of decorum in our relationship. Students can expect to be treated politely, professionally and honestly. We expect no less in return. We and your fellow students will appreciate your prompt

attendance, preparation, attention, and quiescence in class. We also look forward to our interaction, which will require active participation on your part.

Evaluation:

Students will be evaluated through a series of exams: two in-class midterms, each worth 31% and one final exam worth 38% of your final grade.

Midterm 1: 31% in class, February 15, 2018

 70 multiple choice questions

 Chapters 1-7 and any additional information covered in class Midterm 2: 31% in class, Mar 22, 2018

 Chapters 9-11 and any additional information covered in class Final Exam: 38% 09:00 Monday April 24, 2018, location to be announced

 This date will be confirmed later in the term by the registrar and will be posted on Bear Tracks, along with the location

 2 hours

 ~65 questions from chapters 12-14, and any additional information covered in class

 ~40 questions from previous chapters (1-7; 9-11), and classes FOR ALL EXAMS:

 BRING NOTHING ELSE but an HB pencil and your student photo I.D.

 DO NOT BRING ANY electronic equipment (e.g. no cell phones).

 Students will not be allowed to begin an examination after it has been in progress for 30 minutes. Students must remain in the exam room until at least 30 minutes has elapsed.

Past (or Representative) Evaluative Material:

We both have different ways to provide example questions. Dr. Dickson provides examples in class at the end of each section. He also provides the opportunity for students to make up their own exam questions for which he provides assessment. This is a great way to study and can actually influence the content of the exam since he often uses good questions that students provide. Please note that if you buy a new copy of the textbook, you already have access to practise questions/exams.

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Grading:

Throughout the course you will be given marks in terms of your percentage correct. The final grade will be computed according to the letter grade system used at the University of Alberta system and will be based upon your raw mark as well as your relative standing in class (assuming an average class). This being said, at least 50% correct on examinations is typically required for a passing grade. The table below contains an approximate grade/percentage equivalency for the course.

Grade Grade points

Approximate Percentage Mark

Approximate Percentile

Approximate

% of students

A+ 4.0 90‐100 95th 5%

A 4.0 86‐89 88th 7%

A‐ 3.7 82‐85 76th 12%

B+ 3.3 78‐81 61st 15%

B 3.0 74‐77 45th 16%

B‐ 2.7 70‐73 31st 14%

C+ 2.3 66‐69 20th 11%

C 2.0 62‐65 12th 8%

C‐ 1.7 58‐61 7th 5%

D+ 1.3 54‐57 4th 3%

D 1.0 50‐53 2th 2%

F 0 0‐49 0th 2%

Missed Midterm Examinations:

All students must write the midterm exams in class on the assigned day. When a student is absent from a midterm exam a final grade will be computed using a raw score of zero for the exam missed.*

* As with all rules there are exceptions. These are outlined in the university regulations (see above). In brief, only those students who are incapacitated because of severe illness (which does not include mild colds, sore throat, headache, general malaise, hangovers and the like), or who are suffering from severe domestic affliction, or who have other compelling reasons (including religious convictions) may apply for an excused absence for the missed exam. For an excused absence where the cause is religious belief, a student must contact the instructor(s) within two weeks of the start of classes to request accommodation for the term (including the final exam, where relevant). Instructors may request adequate documentation to substantiate the student request. Excused absence for a missed exam is a privilege, not a right, and is granted at the discretion of the instructor. The instructor must be contacted within two working days following the missed exam and documentation may be requested. We reserve the right to refuse requests deemed to be unsubstantiated. For those granted an excused absence, the student will be typically required to write a make-up exam (at the instructor’s discretion). If this is missed, a raw score of zero will be assigned for the make-up exam. If the instructor decides against a make-up, the weight will be shifted to the final exam. University Regulations concerning examinations can be found in the University

Calendar (see above).

Missed Final Examination; Deferred Final Examination:

All students must write the final exams on the assigned day. When a student is absent from a final exam a final grade will be computed using a raw score of zero for the exam missed.*

*Students applying for a deferred exam for valid reasons (as above, see Missed Midterm Examinations) must present themselves to their Faculty's Undergraduate Office: the instructor is not involved in this process. The deferred final exam will be written on Friday, May 11, 2018 at 09:30. Missing the deferred exam will result in a raw score of zero being assigned.

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Academic Offences:

The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty.

Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect. Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the Code of Student Behaviour (online at www.governance.ualberta.ca - under

“Student Appeals”) and to avoid any behaviour which could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offence. More information is available in the Regulations and Information section of the University Calendar (as above).

Academic dishonesty is a serious offence

and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University.

For a quick review of the types of behaviour that constitute academic dishonesty please review the leaflet

“Don’t do it”. This can be found attached here or by searching the U of A site.

For a truly sobering look at real-life examples of breaking the code (and most importantly, their impact) type: “Hall of Shame” on the U of A’s web search engine.

All forms of dishonesty are unacceptable at the University. Any offense will be reported to the Senior Associate Dean of Science who will determine the disciplinary action to be taken. Anyone who engages in a sanctionable behaviour will receive at minimum a grade of zero for the exam in question and no

opportunity will be given to replace the grade or redistribute the weights. As well, in the Faculty of Science the sanction for cheating on any examination will include a disciplinary failing grade (no

exceptions) and senior students should expect a period of suspension or expulsion from the University of Alberta. Again, you should review the attached leaflet and the following:

Cheating: No student shall, in the course of an exam, obtain information from another student or

unauthorised source or have someone else represent them. It is an equal offence to deliver information to another student in any form or to represent another student during the course of an exam.

Recording and/or Distribution of Course Materials:

Audio or video recording, digital or otherwise, of lectures, labs, seminars or any other teaching

environment by students is allowed only with the prior written consent of the instructor or as a part of an approved accommodation plan. Please make your requests using the appropriate form which we can provide. Student or instructor content, digital or otherwise, created and/or used within the context of the course is to be used solely for personal study, and is not to be used or distributed for any other purpose without prior written consent from the content author(s).

About your Instructors:

Please see our departmental webpages (and links to our research websites):

Clayton Dickson: http://www.psych.ualberta.ca/people/showperson.php?id=38 Kyle Mathewson: http://www.psych.ualberta.ca/people/showperson.php?id=311

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Frequently asked questions (with much credit to our colleague Dr. Geoff Hollis):

Q: Should I buy the required textbook? Can I buy a cheaper but earlier edition of the required textbook?

A: Buying the latest edition of the textbook ensures that you have access to the material used in the class. As well, it also gives you access to further optional material that you can use to test yourself.

If you are uninterested in digital bells and whistles, previous versions of the text should not be all that different, however you should explore the differences yourself in order to make an informed choice. One thing to carefully consider is that exam questions, although customized, tend to follow the material presented in the textbook. If you don’t require a hard copy of the textbook, there are other (perhaps more economic) digital options (see bookstore for information).

Q: Do you post your lecture notes online?

A: Yes, typically the day before. This is done to make sure you will not have to write down

everything said in class but, instead permits you to listen, engage in discussion, and only write down what you absolutely need to. If the notes aren’t posted; our apologies. Remind us the next day.

Q: Since you post your lecture notes do I need to bother to come to class?

A: Although we do post (nearly) all our slides, you will find that we say things that deviate from and expand on the content you are provided with. We also frequently modify lecture material right up until the point of the class. The point being… we would like to think that our lectures are indeed useful.

Q: Since you feel that your lectures are so important, what should I do if I miss one?

A: Find a friend early in the semester that a) you trust to take good notes and b) will let you see them following class. Please don’t expect us to redeliver a lecture verbatim.

Q: Am I expected to know about X?

A: If X was covered in the textbook or in class, the answer is yes.

Q: Will X be on the exams?

A: Hard to say - the content of exam questions is largely chosen through quasi-random sampling.

However, if it was covered in the textbook or class, there is always the possibility it will be tested on during exams. Remember that a grave danger of asking these types of questions is that they can give us potentially bad ideas for what to test.

Q: Will you tell us what to study for the exams?

A: Yes. You should study everything that is covered in class and in the textbook. Even if a piece of knowledge is not directly tested on, it will still help round out your understanding of course

concepts.

Q: Do we have to know the names of all the researchers covered in class and dates their experiments were performed?

A: Usually no, but sometimes yes. We post this information as a courtesy to people who would like

to know where the information being presented is coming from. The only exception is if we cover

truly historical material - in that case, students are expected to know the names and contributions of

major historical figures, as well as their relative chronological orderings (specific dates not required).

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Q: There is a discrepancy between the textbook and lecture notes. What should I do?

A: In the event of a discrepancy, lecture notes override the textbook.

Q: Are you sure the notes/textbook are correct...?

A: No. We all make mistakes. If you think one of our sources of information is wrong, ask us and we will double-check and clarify in class.

Q: Will you ever test on the videos you show in class?

A: If the video is longer than 30 minutes, the answer is yes. If it is less than that, the answer is that we will probably not directly test on the material in these videos (i.e., In video X, what happened?).

However, knowing the material will certainly help you solidify your foundation of knowledge for this course, and will probably even be useful for answering some exam questions.

Q: Are exams cumulative?

A: Please see the course syllabus for any questions about exam format or content.

Q: Which chapters will be covered on the final exam?

A: Please see the course syllabus for any questions about exam format or content.

Q: Can you tell me what my grade is?

A: All numeric grades will be provided through eClass which provides a weighted average for each component of the course. As specified in the syllabus, letter grades will be assigned based on the marking scheme used. Final (letter) grades will be posted in BearTracks. Please note that we cannot send information by email or phone due to privacy regulations. Indeed, we also do not know what a grade will be until all marks from all students (including the final) are available.

Q: I am on the cusp of getting a better letter grade / passing this course. Is there anything I can do to boost my grades?

A: Other than building a time machine, going back to the beginning of class and studying harder…

no, sorry.

And finally, a question that doesn’t get asked nearly enough:

Q: I want to get involved in research on campus, what do I do?

A: Talk to the instructors of the class about volunteering in their labs as well as others and helping with ongoing research on campus. Be sure to send along your transcript, a resume, and a statement of interest when you formally ask so that they can get a sense of your interests.

Psychology 275, Section B1 - University of Alberta