Mid-Semester Test

The Mid-semester Test will assess all topics covered in lectures, practicals and assigned reading before the mid-semester break, except for the week 7 lecture. It will be held at 9am on Thurs. 16/4/2020. It should be noted that this is in the first week of the mid-session recess. The following locations will be used:

• Students with surnames beginning with letters A-K:  21 Wally's Walk Macquarie Theatre
• Students with surnames beginning with letters L-Z:  27 Wally's Walk Lotus Theatre

Final Exam

This exam will assess only the aspects of the course on vision, plus the multisensory lecture. Some information from the introduction and general principles lecture will also be relevant, as much of this lecture applies to all of the senses. This includes the content covered in lectures, practicals and assigned reading. The time and location for this exam will be timetabled centrally, and announced later in the semester.

Online Quizzes

Online quizzes must be completed individually by each student. Although reference materials may be used, it is advised that students also prepare for each quiz by reviewing the relevant material before attempting the questions. The online quizzes will be delivered via the online iLearn webpage for the unit. Therefore, access to a reliable computer that connects to the Internet is required. Technical difficulties will not be accepted as a reason for special consideration. Quizzes will be opened each week from week 3 to week 12. Students will have precisely one week (from the beginning of the lecture) to complete each quiz. No extensions will be given.  The online quizzes should take no longer than 20 minutes to complete. Detailed feedback on your performance will be provided at the end of the week in which the quiz is made available.

Practical Worksheets

Worksheets must be completed and handed in during each of the 4 practicals that you attend. Worksheets will not be distributed or accepted at other times.

This unit is taught through lectures and practicals with support from web-based resources such as iLearn, including the online discussion board. While lectures are useful principally for introducing new concepts and knowledge, practicals allow more direct interactions between instructor and students. They are your opportunity to enhance your understanding further by participating in activities and asking questions. The iLearn discussion board also allows students to discuss topics in greater depth, and may also feature contributions by staff members when there appears to be confusion amongst the student body. The lecture schedule set out above is a guide only, and is intended to be flexible. On occasion, more time will be spent on certain topics if additional explanation is required. As such, material from one lecture may overlap into the next, where necessary.

Technology Used and Required

For this unit you will need to have access to a computer that can reliably connect to the Internet. This will be essential for completing online quizzes (see section on "Assessment Tasks"), and in accessing the unit's web-page, which can be found at: https://ilearn.mq.edu.au

Required Text

Snowden, R., Thompson, P., & Troscianko, T. Basic Vision: an introduction to visual perception 2^nd Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012.

This is a very accessible text that is always popular with students. It introduces technical concepts in an easy-to-grasp fashion, and is an excellent introduction to the discipline of visual perception. It will be an indispensible resource for students on this course.

Recommended Text

Mather, G. Foundations of Sensation & Perception, 3^rd Edition. Taylor & Francis Group, 2016.

This text offers broader coverage of perception in general, and will be especially useful for topics outside of vision, which Snowden et al. does not cover. It also offers more technical detail than Snowden et al. in certain areas, allowing the conscientious student to deepen their understanding of the topics that are covered in the required text.

Access to Assigned Reading Material

Both the required and the recommended texts are available for purchase, but there are also hard copies available at the library in the main collection as well as those available for download as eBooks. Where availability is limited, students should consider using previous editions of each book which are are just as good for most topics.

Basic Vision, 2nd Edition (2014)

Basic Vision, "Revised" Edition (2012)

[Note: As far as I can see, these are identical, and either could be referred to as the 2nd Edition.]

Basic Vision, First Edition, (2006), available in print only

Foundations of Sensation & Perception, 3rd Edition

Foundations of Sensation & Perception, 2nd Edition

What does it take to do well in PSYU2247?

Students are expected to pay close attention to all lectures and to take notes to aid their retention of the material covered. Although echo360 will be invaluable when attendance is physically impossible, it is recommended that students attend lectures, as there are some aspects of the course that cannot be replicated through such media. Reading assigned during each lecture should be completed close to the date of the relevant lecture. Review of the material (individually, or in group sessions) in the student’s own time will be essential to consolidate knowledge and enhance understanding. Attendance of, and active participation in practicals is also mandatory. Worksheets distributed during practicals are assessed and need to be completed and handed in during the same practical. Online quizzes offer the chance to answer questions while using resources such as textbooks and lecture notes. This open book format is unlike formal examinations, and offers an opportunity for grade enhancement that should not be missed. In addition, other learning resources will be made available, such as lists of key terminology.

It should be noted that according to Senate guidelines, workloads should involve 1 hour per credit point per week. This results in 10 hours per week (including lectures and practicals) for a 10 credit point unit such as PSYU2247.

Note: Assessment will be based on the successful understanding of material from lectures, practicals and from the assigned reading. Please note that rote learning alone will not be a successful strategy, as the assessments will test for deeper appreciation of the course material in a variety of formats. Simply remembering the “facts” will not suffice. Students need to demonstrate their understanding of the principles, and demonstrate the ability to apply such understanding in new contexts.

What material is examinable?

Obviously, the exact details of the questions to be asked in the examinations will not be released in advance. However, questions will come from topics covered during lectures and practicals. Where additional information on these topics is supplied in the assigned reading, this should also be considered examinable. The examinations will not feature questions on topics not covered during lectures even if they are included in the assigned reading.

Statement on Academic Courtesy

It is the right of each student to learn in an environment that is free of disruption and distraction. Please make an effort to arrive to class on time, and if you are unavoidably detained, please enter the lecture theatre as quietly as possible to minimise disruption, using the back entrance if possible. Although some lecturers may allow questions during lectures, talking between students is often disruptive and is strongly discouraged. Phones, pagers, and other electronic devices that produce noise and other distractions must be turned off prior to entering class, and remain off for the duration of lectures and practicals.

Statement on Social Inclusion and Diversity

Social inclusion at Macquarie University is about giving everyone who has the potential to benefit from higher education the opportunity to study at university, participate in campus life and flourish in their chosen field. The University has made significant moves to promote an equitable, diverse and exciting campus community for the benefit of staff and students. It is your responsibility to contribute towards the development of an inclusive culture and practice in the areas of learning and teaching, research, and service orientation and delivery. As a member of the Macquarie University community, you must not discriminate against or harass others on the basis of their sex, gender, race, marital status, carers' responsibilities, disability, sexual preference, age, political conviction or religious belief. All lecturers, tutors and students are expected to display appropriate behaviour that is conducive to a healthy learning environment for everyone. The Unit Convenor is a member of the Ally Network and is happy to provide support to members of the LGBTIQ community.

PSYU2247 Unit Overview

The Unit Convenor role will be filled by A/Prof Kevin Brooks. Early lectures by Kevin Brooks and Kirk Olsen will concentrate on the low-level mechanisms of perception through a variety of senses, with special attention given to the details of auditory and visual perception. In later lectures, Kevin Brooks, Ann Carrigan and Regine Zopf will cover higher-level issues, such as the perception of faces and objects, the issue of multisensory integration and the development of perceptual abilities.

Practicals will supplement and build upon the lecture material, allowing a hands-on approach to perceptual phenomena and their explanation. Another aim of the unit is to teach general skills. In practical classes, students will learn how to use computers/tablets and will practice oral communication. Aptitude for written communication and problem-solving skills will be refined in practicals, and demonstrated in examinations through multiple-choice questions. Web/IT skills will be used in practicals, as well as in accessing the parts of the course housed on the unit’s iLearn web page, including online assessments.

It is University policy that the University-issued email account will be used for official University communication. All students are required to access their University account frequently.

The course will comprise lectures and practicals supported by assigned reading. Although some of the material from these separate components may be related to each other, different concepts and topics will be contained in each. Students enrolled in the External Composite attendance mode (Xc1) can access the echo360 recording of the lecture, but must attend the compulsory practical classes.

Lecture Topics and Assigned Reading:

Weekly lectures will be held on Thursdays from 9am-11am in 29 Wallys Walk - T1 Theatre.

Practicals

The practical program will run from university session weeks 3-6 and 9-12 inclusive, with sessions held in 12 Second Way - 316 Faculty PC Lab. During this period, students will attend fortnightly practicals either in weeks 3, 5, 9 & 11 (groups 17-32), or in weeks 4, 6, 10 & 12 (groups 1-16), as set out below. This differs from the information at timetables.mq.edu.au, which in this case should be ignored. Practicals will be conducted by experienced tutors who will be your first contact if you have problems with this unit. Their names can be found in the schedules below, and their contact details can be found in the "Teaching Staff" section. You will be required to attend four 2-hour practicals throughout the semester. The schedule and topics to be covered are displayed below. The content of the practical classes is identical for all classes. You should be aware that as practicals will include assessed activities, your attendance is essential.  

Practical Class Times:

Due to restrictions on the availability of resources in the laboratory and to health and safety regulations it is important that you attend the practical to which you have been assigned. Although students may be permitted to attend a tutorial that they were not assigned to if there happens to be ample room in the class (e.g. if registered students are absent), classes are expected to be full. In cases of overcrowding, those not attending their assigned group will be asked to leave. Under these circumstances, no special provisions will be made for attendance in an alternative practical class.

Managing Classes: Changes to all units can be made online via eStudent. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT TUTORS AND LECTURERS ARE UNABLE TO HELP WITH THIS. After the designated last day to add units, no further changes will be allowed unless supporting documentation about the reason for changing is provided and there is space in the tutorial you wish to change into.

Practical Topics: