AP0519 - Principles of Neuroscience

You will learn through lectures, practical exercises and independent learning. The lectures will provide you with the basic theories and concepts that will be further reinforced through directed learning for each topic covered. Practical exercises, hands-on and/or computer simulations, are specially designed to provide you with the necessary skills and abilities to handle and present scientific material and data. Independent learning will help you to consolidate your knowledge and understanding of taught topics and to support your performance in assessments.

This module is delivered by a team of highly knowledgeable and experienced tutors who are always willing to answer and provide further support to you via the staff office hour’s system. All teaching materials will be available and accessible through the electronic learning platform (elp) will be posted ahead of lectures to allow you time to prepare for your lectures. Written feedback will be given to you on your formative practical and short answer question assignments allowing you to check your progress and in addition prepare you for your summative assessments.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. Online reading lists (provided after enrolment) give you access to your reading material for your modules. The Library works in partnership with your module tutors to ensure you have access to the material that you need.

Knowledge & Understanding:
1. You will be expected to identify the major neural aspects related to the principle of control of the nervous system over bodily functions in the normal state.
2. You will understand how some common neurological disorders arise.
Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
3. You are expected to present experimental data in a suitable form and style providing a scientific argument supported by the literature.
4. You will acquire skills that enable you to provide a brief and concise written explanation of concepts covered in the module.
Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
5. Enhance your curiosity of neuroscience.

There are two elements of summative assessment in this module.
1. A final short answer question exam (SAQ; 50% of final module mark) will test your knowledge and understanding of the concepts and theories explained in the module. (MLO 1, 2, & 4)
2. You will be required to submit a practical report (50% of final module mark), written in the style of a scientific paper, which will cover material in the 2nd practical exercise. (MLO 1, 3 & 5)
For your formative assessment there will be two elements. The first will be a few practice SAQs, accessed through the electronic learning platform (eLP). Questions will be based around the lectures received in the two to three previous weeks. The second will be a practical report written in the style of a scientific paper, which will cover material in the 1st practical exercise. Your tutors will give you written feedback on the practice SAQs and practical report where you can track your progress as well as prepare for the summative assessment components.

Anatomy and Physiology (Semester 2 at level 4)

N/A

Neuroscience is a multidisciplinary field that harnesses elements of cell, molecular & developmental biology, neuroanatomy, physiology and pharmacology, which then facilitates understanding of how bodily functions can be controlled. In addition, it provides links to sciences of the mind: psychology and philosophy. In the ‘Principles of Neuroscience’ module, you can expect to gain a broad grounding in the subject area of Neuroscience, developing an understanding of how the nervous system and the cells that comprise it work to alter behaviour, motor activity, perception, mood and memory, as well as some emphasis on developmental neuroscience and diseases & disorders of the nervous system.