| Unit name | Brain, Mind and Education |
|---|---|
| Unit code | EDUCM5404 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52) |
| Unit director | Professor. Howard-Jones |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Education |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
This unit is aimed chiefly at providing those students pursuing the psychology of education pathway understanding of the complex interrelationship of mind, brain and behaviour. It will include the key areas of biological psychology including those providing insights into developmental disorders and the role of psychopharmacological drugs in their management. It will draw heavily upon the rapidly developing field of cognitive neuroscience.
The aims of the unit are to:
Upon successful completion of this unit students will be able to:
The teaching strategy will employ two broad approaches, where appropriate, with the aims of contextualising as well as theorising concepts, developing student autonomy and promoting individualised study and support. These approaches will also encourage development of the oral, written and team-working skills required to discuss and explore concepts in small and larger groups.
Face to Face teaching Large and small group teaching methods will include presentations by staff and students, discussion, analysis of preparatory texts and practical tasks involving anatomical models.
ELearning ELearning approaches will augment face-to-face teaching to facilitate individualised study and support within the broad parameters of the unit and the pathway. These will include: on-line discussion, online supervision and peer mentoring/feedback.
The needs of a wide range of students, including those with disabilities, international students and those from ethnic minority backgrounds have been considered. It is not anticipated that the teaching and assessment methods used will cause disadvantage to any person taking the unit. The Graduate School of Education is happy to address individual support requests as necessary.
Assessment begins with a written, multiple-choice question (MCQ) examination on brain anatomy, development and function (~25%). This will assess students’ knowledge of basic terminology, principles and concepts associated with the central nervous system and neurocognition, including basic neurochemistry and neurophysiology of nerve transmission, the structure and organisation of the CNS and cortical localisation of function.
In negotiation with tutors, students will then identify an appropriate and individualised context for the rest of their assignment by drawing upon their own experiences/interests and exploring their chosen context in terms of neurocognitive function. They will produce a poster (~25%) and essay (~50%) that reviews the cognitive neuroscience of this topic with appropriate and extensive use of the terminology, principles and concepts associated with the central nervous system and neurocognition. The poster assesses students’ initial direction and critical understanding of mind/brain/behaviour relationships in which chosen topic is situated. The essay will assess students’ ability to analyse relevant texts and synthesise concepts from cognitive neuroscience, psychology and education, to make links/connections and recognise associations/relationships between these concepts, and to draw upon current understanding of mind/brain/behaviour relationships. Students will be expected to develop balanced arguments that reflect a multidisciplinary awareness and an ability to contextualise concepts, and draw appropriately upon a wide range of evidence that includes empirical behavioural data, physiological measurements (e.g. neuroimaging), observation and evolutionary perspectives. Assessment of the unit involves a “portfolio” approach, drawing on evidence across all 3 components of the assignment considered as a whole.
MCQ Test : ILO 1, Poster : ILO 1+2, Essay : ILO 1- 5
Howard-Jones, P. (2010) Introducing Neuroeducational Research, Abingdon: Routledge.
Ward, J. (2015) A Student’s Guide to Cognitive Neuroscience (3rd Ed). New York: Psychology Press.
Blakemore, S-J and Frith, U. (2005) The Learning Brain: Lessons for Education, Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.
Gazzaniga, M.S., Ivry, R.B. and Mangun, G.R. (2014) Cognitive Neuroscience: the biology of the mind, 4 th Edition NY: WW Norton and Company. MSc Neuroscience and Education - Supplement to Student Handbook 15/16 9 Pinel, J. (2014) Biopsychology, 8 th edition, New York: Allyn and Bacon.
