TEXTS:

Rosenzweig, M.R., Breedlove, M., & Leiman, A.L. (2001). Biological Psychology: An Introduction to Behavioral, Cognitive, and Clinical Neuroscience ^{3rd Ed}. Underland, MA: Sinauer Associates, Inc..

OBJECTIVES: This course will provide a broad survey of the research orientations and findings in the major areas of neuroscience. We will begin with an examination of the fundamental aspects of neuroscience and build to the consideration of highly integrated behaviors.

CLASS ATTENDANCE: You are responsible for all announcements made in class, you may be tested on any lecture material, and you (or someone dear to your heart) paid a bunch of money so you could take this class. I feel no need to impose additional contingencies for missed lectures. My procedures for dealing with missed exams are described below.

GRADING:

Examination Grades:
The results of each test will be "curved" (see below) on a 4.67 point scale. Typically, the top grade on each defines "4.67." Chance performance (that which could be earned merely by stabbing a pencil at the answer sheet) defines "0.0". For each test, additional raw scores will be announced that determine "1.0", "2.0", "2.67", "3.67", and "4.67". You can calculate your precise curved score by interpolation. For example, if 40= 2.67, 45 = 3.67, and you earned a score of 44 on Exam I, then your curved test score would be 3.47 (that is 2.67 + 4/5 = 3.47).  If you are unsure about what your grade is, or question if you calculated it correctly, come visit.

Note: My curve is not based on number of people, rather, on percentage of earned points. Therefore, there is no limit to the proportion of students who can earn A's (or any other grade).

This grading procedure may at first glance seem a bit complex, but it is to your benefit. You know precisely what grade you have at any given point in the course--you don't have "about a B+," rather, you have a 3.47. Once you've gotten an exam back, you've got a grade that you can put in the bank, not an approximate value that may shift based on a final "mystery" grade distribution that won't come into existence until the end of the semester. Knowledge is power.

Numbers to Letters:
For each exam you will receive a grade that ranges from "0.0" to "4.67", such as the 3.47 mentioned above. You can convert these numeric grades to letter grades using the following table.  On the table below, a 3.47 equates to a grade within the B+ range:
 

The Final:
The final examination will be subdivided into 4 major sections. Three of the sections will correspond to materials covered in each of the 3 semester exams, the fourth section will deal with material covered since the third exam. Your curved grade for the final will be defined by the total number of correct answers on the test overall. In addition, curved scores will be calculated for each of the three subsections of the final that dealt with semester exam material. You may opt to challenge (i.e., replace) one and only one semester exam grade with the appropriate curved score from the final. The midterm and final sub-part grades will be compared and the HIGHER used in calculating your course grade. The challenge option cannot lower your score. If you have missed a semester exam, you must use your challenge to replace this grade.

Overall Testing Procedure: There will be 3 semester exams and a comprehensive final. All students must take the final in its entirety. Examinations will be given during the designated class periods, no exceptions. Your overall examination grade will be defined by these tests--67% for the semester exams and 33% for the final.  There will be no extra credit assignments, nor will there be any make ups for midterms. Should you miss a midterm, the procedure outlined above will allow you to replace this grade. Do not miss the final.

Tests will consist of: text figures, your reproductions of drawings, multiple choice, fill-in, and short answer essay questions drawn from both lecture and ALL assigned readings. Students should not overlook the latter source of information.  NOTE WELL, there will be a comprehensive component to exams 2 and 3.  As the semester progresses, I will identify material that is so fundamental to the course that it may appear on every subsequent exam.  By the end of the course, this fundamental information should be second nature to you.  This net effect of this Rolling Thunder cumulative testing procedure is that it will make the overall course much easier because you will remain fluent in the basic concepts necessary to understand all course content. It should also make the final examination much easier to prepare for.  Trust me, you'll like it!

ASSIGNED READINGS: Unless specifically assigned, you will not be tested on information that is contained ONLY in a figure or table.

GROUP "KIDS JUDGE NEUROSCIENCE PRESENTATION OR INDIVIDUAL WEB-BASED--ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY WITH REACTIONS:

NOTE:  YOU MUST CHOOSE AND COMPLETE ONLY ONE OF THE FOLLOWING TWO ASSIGNMENTS.

Grading: These assignments will be graded on a pass/no pass basis (not passing doesn't happen, but it would result in a lowering of your overall course grade by 1.0). For those of you who don't know how to create a web page, help will be provided by the TA or myself.

Kids Judge:  In early December, probably on a Saturday, the University will sponsor its first Kids Judge Neuroscience event.  Grade school children will come to campus for a festive day of (typically) hands on presentations relating to neuroscience.  Kids Judge is funded by a federal grant and small budgets will be available to support your presentation needs.  The visiting students will grade your presentations (their grades, don't affect your grade, by the way) and the winning presentation will receive and award at the end of the day.  Individuals, or teams of up to 3 students, may prepare these presentations and related web support materials in lieu of the following individual assignment.

Web-Based:  During the course of the semester you will choose, or be assigned, a topic upon which to prepare a web page that presents an annotated bibliography (8-15 citations, mostly journal articles but it may include a sprinkling of annotated links from the World Wide Web).  After each annotation, write a brief summary of your "reaction" to this article.  These bibliographies should evolve on the web during the semester and must be complete by 3:00 pm on Tuesday, November 27. You should retain complete copies of all journal articles. After submitting your bibliography, you will choose a 20 minute period from those I will have posted outside of my office in order to schedule a non-threatening collegial discussion of the research area in which you have developed some expertise.

To maximize your enjoyment and educational experience, choose a topic that interests you. Typically (but it's not a rule), your first citation will be chosen from those referenced in your text. Be certain to have your topic and key reference approved prior to beginning any substantial library work.

You will not be responsible for obtaining any articles through inter-library loan. You must make use of the library's databases to obtain some of your citations. Students who have had Research Methods already know how to use these data bases. Tutorials will be set up for all other students.

BLACKBOARD-BASED-THIS  SHOULD BE ON THE EXAM AND THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE EXAM QUESTIONS: No exam is perfect and I hate to think that you've labored to master some difficult concept only to find that the concept doesn't/didn't show up on an exam.

To help rectify this, each week you will post a multiple choice question based on that week's readings, with correct answer and relevant text page(s) on the Discussion Board in Blackboard.  There will be a discussion thread for each week.  Just put your question in the appropriate thread.  Each posted question must be on a different chapter topic (the only exception would be if 2 questions appear on the board virtually simultaneously - then they are both acceptable - but this can't become a pattern for any pair of individuals).  Early posters won't have to worry too much about this issue, but if you leave things until the last minute there may be a problem.  Your question can't simply be a slightly modifed version of an earlier posting.  If it is, it won't count and penalties (see below) will begin to accrue.  It's your job to read earlier questions and confirm that you are submitting a novel question.  That's part of this assignment - reading the earlier questions - its a learning experience.  It would be wise to not wait until the last minute to post your question - the penalty for not completing this weekly assignment on time can become quite real.

After each exam, you will put  in the appropriate discussion board thread a fully formed question (multiple choice questions should include options) that you wish had been asked. Include the correct answer and relevant text page(s), if appropriate.

I'll browse through the above questions and use as many as possible on all exams. Of course, your peers can also browse through them, knowing that some of these questions will be on the exams.

Your "should have been" questions should be on Blackboard within two class days following each exam.  Your weekly questions should be posted by noon Friday.  Failure to meet these deadlines will result in a reduction in relevant exam grade by .2 for each class day.