HLTH SC 1406 - Introduction to Behavioural Neuroscience

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2023

The ability to sense and respond to our environment is critical to the survival of all living things, from the simplest of single celled organisms right up to complicated animals like us. In this course, students will explore how we sense our environment, and how our brains use this information to guide behaviour. Students will focus on four broad areas; first, students will investigate the senses, including smell, taste, vision, hearing, and touch. Then, learn how hormones affect multiple body systems with implications for occupational engagement. Next, students will learn about the internal processes that keep human bodies working efficiently. Finally, students will uncover the mechanisms of learning and memory.

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Course Details

Course Code	HLTH SC 1406
Course	Introduction to Behavioural Neuroscience
Coordinating Unit	Occupational Therapy
Term	Semester 2
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	3
Contact	Up to 4 hours per week
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	N
Restrictions	Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Hons)
Assessment	Final examination, various assignments and continuous assessment tasks

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Kimberly (Kim) Charlton

Course Coordinator: Kylie Vogt
Phone: +61 8 8313 3555
Email: kylie.vogt@adelaide.edu.au
Location: Level 4, Engineering & Maths Sciences Building

Tutor: Prof Rachel Gibson
Phone: +61 8 8313 0245
Email: rachel.gibson@adelaide.edu.au
Location: Level 4, Engineering & Maths Sciences Building

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from .

Timetable information can be found in the MyUni website for this course.

Course Learning Outcomes

1	Describe the key areas of neuroscience relevant to human behaviour using appropriate anatomical and physiological terminology.
2	Explain how neuroscience and biological mechanisms underlie and influence human behaviour.
3	Undertake, analyse, interpret and communicate results of practical experiments in behavioural neuroscience
4	Explain how behavioural neuroscience is relevant to allied health disciplines.
5	Present scientific information appropriately in both oral and written formats.

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.	1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.	2, 3, 4
Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.	3
Attribute 4: Professionalism and leadership readiness Graduates engage in professional behaviour and have the potential to be entrepreneurial and take leadership roles in their chosen occupations or careers and communities.	-
Attribute 5: Intercultural and ethical competency Graduates are responsible and effective global citizens whose personal values and practices are consistent with their roles as responsible members of society.	-
Attribute 6: Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural competency Graduates have an understanding of, and respect for, Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander values, culture and knowledge.	-
Attribute 7: Digital capabilities Graduates are well prepared for living, learning and working in a digital society.	2, 3, 5
Attribute 8: Self-awareness and emotional intelligence Graduates are self-aware and reflective; they are flexible and resilient and have the capacity to accept and give constructive feedback; they act with integrity and take responsibility for their actions.	3, 4

Learning Resources

Required Resources

Breedlove SM and Watson NV 2019 Behavioural Neuroscience (9th Ed)., Sinauer Associates, Inc. Publishers, Sunderland, Massachusetts

Tortora, G.J et al 2022 Principles of Anatomy and Physiology (3rd Ed), Asia-Pacific; John Wiley & Sons

Recommended Resources

Online Textbook: Bear, MF, Connors, BW & Paradiso, MA 2020, Neuroscience : exploring the brain, Enhanced fourth edition, Jones & Bartlett Learning, Burlington

Textbook: Carlson, NR & Birkett, MA 2016, Physiology of Behavior, Global Edition, 12th edition, Pearson Education Limited, Great Britain

Textbook: Kalat, J 2017, Biological Psychology, 13th Edition, Cengage Learning Inc, US

Online Learning

All notes, resource manuals and papers for lectures, practicals, tutorial sessions and assessment tasks are available on MyUni as well as lists of suitable readings, online quizzes and links to external websites.
Learning & Teaching Activities

Learning & Teaching Modes

This course will be delivered in a blended format that uses a mixture of delivery modes to ensure the course materials are aligned to and facilitate student achievement of the learning outcomes. Learning activities will include lectures (online), workshop sessions (face to face) and self-paced online activities

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

Workshops: 12 x 2 hours = 24 hours
Examination: 1 x 2 hours = 2 hours
Preparation for Workshop Sessions: 2 hours per session = 24 hours
Preparation for Assessment Tasks = 25 hours
Weekly reading: 2 hours per week = 24 hours
Online modules: 4 hours per week = 48 hours
TOTAL = 147 hours

Learning Activities Summary

MODULE 1: SENSORY SYSTEMS

• General and Chemical Senses

• Characteristics of sensory systems

• Sensory pathways to the brain

• Vision

• Visual pathways to the brain

• Neurobiology of echolocation

• Hearing

• Basics of sound

• Anatomy and physiology of the ear

• Auditory pathways to the brain

• Vestibular system

• Touch and Pain

• Tactile receptors in the skin

• Sensory pathways to the brain

• Pain perception

• Motor Systems

• How muscles control movement

• Proprioception

• Control of movement by the nervous system

• Disorders that disrupt movement

MODULE 2: HORMONES

• Introduction to Hormones
• The basics of hormonal communication
• Hormones in the body
• Endocrine glands / structures
• Endocrine disorders

• Stress
• The sympathetic stress systems
• The HPA-axis
• Stress and immunity

• Sex
• Reproductive behaviour
• Sexual differentiation

MODULE 3: HOMEOSTASIS

• Thermoregulation and Osmoregulation
• Homeostasis
• Thermoregulation
• Fluid regulation
• The effects of ecstasy on homeostatic systems

• Metabolism
• Why we eat
• Insulin and energy utilization
• Appetite control
• Obesity treatments

MODULE 4: LEARNING AND MEMORY

• Memory Systems
• Multiple Memory Systems
• Stages of memory, and memory modulation
• Brain regions that are important for memory formation
• Disorders of memory

• Memory Molecules
• Memory formation requires synaptic remodelling
• Simple systems approaches to understanding memory
• Long-term potential in the hippocampus
• Neurogenesis

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

The assessment for Introduction to Behavioural Neuroscience consists of:

Assessment Task	Task Type	Weighting	Learning Outcome
Examination	Summative	40%	1, 2, 3, 4
Assignment	Summative	20%	1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Continuous Assessment	Summative	40%	1, 2, 4, 5

Detailed information, including due dates, can be found in the MyUni wesbite for this course.

Assessment Detail

Examination 40%
A written examination covering the entire course content will be held during the University examination period. Students will be required to complete a variety of different types of questions to demonstrate their achievement of the course learning outcomes.

Assignment: Practical Project Report 20%
Students will analyse, interpret and communicate results of practical experiments completed in workshops and then use relevant neuroscience and allied health literature to interpret the results and formulate a written report to explain the outcomes.

Continuous Assessment 40%
Students will undertake an individual oral presentation on a topic related to the course content.
Students will complete three summative online quizzes at various stages throughout the semester.

Submission

No information currently available.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through .

Student Feedback

The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
Fraud Awareness

Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student鈥檚 disciplinary procedures.

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Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator

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