Students
COGS1010 – Delusions and Disorders of the Mind and Brain
2021 – Session 1, Special circumstances
Notice
As part of Phase 3 of our return to campus plan, most units will now run tutorials, seminars and other small group activities on campus, and most will keep an online version available to those students unable to return or those who choose to continue their studies online.
To check the availability of face-to-face and online activities for your unit, please go to timetable viewer. To check detailed information on unit assessments visit your unit's iLearn space or consult your unit convenor.
General Information
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| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Anne Castles
Genevieve McArthur
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|---|---|
| Credit points |
Credit points
10
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| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
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| Corequisites |
Corequisites
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| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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| Unit description |
Unit description
This unit is designed to provide you with an understanding of the basic cognitive disorders and higher-level delusions that can arise either developmentally or as a result of brain injury. You will learn about the characteristic features of these disorders and delusions, and about how the patterns of symptoms displayed can be accounted for in terms of models of normal cognitive processing. Where relevant, you will be familiarised with theories about the underlying causes of the conditions, and with experimental investigations of the efficacy of particular treatments. Patterns of similarities and differences of conditions will be critically examined. Conditions covered include: dyslexia, specific language impairment (SLI), aphasia, agnosia, amnesia, autism, synaesthesia, auditory hallucination, delusion and schizophrenia.
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Important Academic Dates
Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- ULO1: Describe the characteristic features of a range of delusions and cognitive disorders.
- ULO2: Explain key concepts and theories about the underlying causes of a range of delusions and cognitive disorders.
- ULO3: Analyse the strengths and weaknesses of competing explanations and theories of a range of delusions and cognitive disorders.
- ULO4: Critique popular or prejudicial claims about delusions, disorders, and the mind from an informed and evidence-based perspective.
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online quizzes | 15% | No | During semester; All quizzes close in Week 12 |
| Tutorial activity task | 10% | No | Week 11 |
| Final exam | 45% | No | Examination Period |
| Mid-semester exam | 30% | No | Week 7 |
Online quizzes
Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 12 hours
Due: During semester; All quizzes close in Week 12
Weighting: 15%
Weekly short online multiple-choice quizzes that cover basic unit content
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Describe the characteristic features of a range of delusions and cognitive disorders.
- Explain key concepts and theories about the underlying causes of a range of delusions and cognitive disorders.
Tutorial activity task
Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 5 hours
Due: Week 11
Weighting: 10%
Short and structured writing task to be completed and submitted after one of the tutorials. The task is designed to practise academic writing and will be marked on a credit/no-credit basis.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Explain key concepts and theories about the underlying causes of a range of delusions and cognitive disorders.
- Analyse the strengths and weaknesses of competing explanations and theories of a range of delusions and cognitive disorders.
- Critique popular or prejudicial claims about delusions, disorders, and the mind from an informed and evidence-based perspective.
Final exam
Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 36 hours
Due: Examination Period
Weighting: 45%
2-hour exam, combination of multiple-choice and short essay questions
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Describe the characteristic features of a range of delusions and cognitive disorders.
- Explain key concepts and theories about the underlying causes of a range of delusions and cognitive disorders.
- Analyse the strengths and weaknesses of competing explanations and theories of a range of delusions and cognitive disorders.
- Critique popular or prejudicial claims about delusions, disorders, and the mind from an informed and evidence-based perspective.
Mid-semester exam
Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 25 hours
Due: Week 7
Weighting: 30%
1-hour online multiple-choice exam covering content from the first half of the unit
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Describe the characteristic features of a range of delusions and cognitive disorders.
- Explain key concepts and theories about the underlying causes of a range of delusions and cognitive disorders.
1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:
- the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
- the Writing Centre for academic skills support.
2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation
Delivery and Resources
The lectures will be fully online via iLearn, with interactive activities, and each topic in the course will be delivered by experts in the field of cognitive science. Weekly tutorials will be offered on-campus commencing Week 2, while keeping an online version available for those students who choose to continue their studies online (please check eStudent to see which version you are enrolled in, or if you wish to enrol in a different tutorial). It is essential that students have adequate access to the internet as most of the course material and activities are accessed online in the form of:
- Video interviews
- Audio and video lectures
- Unit readings (note that there is no prescribed textbook for this unit)
- Online activities and quizzes
- Online database research
- Participation in online discussion forums
Access to a reasonably fast internet connection would be ideal, given the large amount of video content. Also, please note that in order to access Resources and Activities in your online unit, you will need a browser such as Firefox or Chrome. iLearn will operate on the following browsers, it is recommended that you upgrade your browser to the most recent version:
- Firefox
- Chrome
- Safari
- Internet Explorer 8 or later
Policies and Procedures
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
- Academic Appeals Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progression Policy
- Assessment Policy
- Fitness to Practice Procedure
- Grade Appeal Policy
- Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public
- Special Consideration Policy
Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.
Student Code of Conduct
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct
Results
Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
Student Support
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to help you improve your marks and take control of your study.
The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources.
Student Services and Support
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
Student Enquiries
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
IT Help
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
Unit information based on version 2021.04 of the Handbook