Psyco 403Q1   Pedagogy Assignments Readings Course Schedule Lecture Notes

 

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Course Pedagogy

This is a fourth year seminar course. The assumption is that by this point students have received ample practice in studying and writing exams. Many students, however, have had little or no experience in critically evaluating scientific writing, researching a topic in detail, and presenting their findings as written papers and oral presentations. The ability to write comprehensively and communicate orally are absolutely necessary for students who wish to continue their education in graduate programs. Similarly, these same skills are increasingly require in non-academic careers. Course assignments are designed to give students experience and practice in skills that students can apply to any number of situations after the completion of their undergraduate degree.

With respect to the course content, this class will deal with the processes used by animals during navigation and wayfinding. Broadly speaking, three general conceptual approaches to the study of navigation will be explored: mechanisms of navigation, the neuroscience of navigation, and the ecological, environmental, and behavioural motivations and drives that necessitate spatial representation systems in animals.

An additional aim of this course is to expose students to some of the theoretical and practical considerations that drive scientific research. Why does a researcher use one animal instead of another to study some behaviour? What are the benefits and hinderances of adopting a particular theoretical approach to a problem? How does a researcher decide on the appropriate methodology to investigate a question?

Class periods will consist of a combination of lecture material presented by the instructor, presentations from students, and guest lecturers by experts from various areas of navigation and spatial representation studies. Students are expected, and required, to take an active part in class discussions.
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  Psyco 403Q1   contact site webmaster   page created: 13 Sept. 1999   page last updated: 13 Sept. 1999