Students

COGS3040 – Space and Time in the Brain

2024 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor and Lecturer
David Kaplan
Contact via Email
TBD
Lecturer
Michael Richardson
Contact via Email
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
130cp including COGS2000 or COGS202
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

Behaviour must be coordinated exquisitely in both space and time. A reach for the glass that is off target, results in a spill. A tennis serve that comes too early or too late, results in a miss. A poorly timed and spatially inaccurate spin of a dance partner, results in a fall. This unit explores fundamental spatial and temporal aspects of human behaviour from computational, neural, and dynamical perspectives. Topics include sensorimotor transformations, motor learning, motor timing and inhibition, and spatiotemporal coordination dynamics.

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: Explain the role of space and time in perception, action, and cognition.
  • ULO2: Demonstrate advanced knowledge of the structure and function of the brain with an emphasis on how space and time are represented.
  • ULO3: Interpret and critically evaluate the results of studies addressing how space and time are represented in the brain.
  • ULO4: Display effective scientific communication in written form.

General Assessment Information

Grade descriptors and other information concerning grading are contained in the Macquarie University Assessment Policy.

All final grades are determined by a grading committee, in accordance with the Macquarie University Assessment Policy, and are not the sole responsibility of the Unit Convenor.

Students will be awarded a final grade and a mark which must correspond to the grade descriptors specified in the Assessment Procedure (clause 128).

To pass this unit, you must demonstrate sufficient evidence of achievement of the learning outcomes, meet any ungraded requirements, and achieve a final mark of 50 or better.

Further details for each assessment task will be available on iLearn.

Late Submissions

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (OF THE TOTAL POSSIBLE MARK) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a grade of ‘0’ will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical concern. 

 For example:

Number of days (hours) late

Total Possible Marks

Deduction

Raw mark

Final mark

1 day (1-24 hours)

100

5

75

70

2 days (24-48 hours)

100

10

75

65

3 days (48-72 hours)

100

15

75

60

7 days (144-168 hours)

100

35

75

40

>7 days (>168 hours)

100

-

75

0

For any late submissions of time-sensitive tasks, such as scheduled tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, and/or scheduled practical assessments/labs, students need to submit an application for Special Consideration.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Data Analysis Writeup 1 20% No Week 5
Commentary Paper 20% No Week 9
Data Analysis Writeup 2 20% No Week 13
Final Exam 40% No Official Final Exam Period

Data Analysis Writeup 1

Assessment Type 1: Quantitative analysis task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 14 hours
Due: Week 5
Weighting: 20%

Data analysis and writeup of curated data set.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Explain the role of space and time in perception, action, and cognition.
  • Demonstrate advanced knowledge of the structure and function of the brain with an emphasis on how space and time are represented.
  • Interpret and critically evaluate the results of studies addressing how space and time are represented in the brain.
  • Display effective scientific communication in written form.

Commentary Paper

Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 14 hours
Due: Week 9
Weighting: 20%

Short highly structured critical analysis of scientific paper. 700 words max.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Explain the role of space and time in perception, action, and cognition.
  • Demonstrate advanced knowledge of the structure and function of the brain with an emphasis on how space and time are represented.
  • Interpret and critically evaluate the results of studies addressing how space and time are represented in the brain.
  • Display effective scientific communication in written form.

Data Analysis Writeup 2

Assessment Type 1: Quantitative analysis task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 14 hours
Due: Week 13
Weighting: 20%

Data analysis and writeup of curated data set.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Explain the role of space and time in perception, action, and cognition.
  • Demonstrate advanced knowledge of the structure and function of the brain with an emphasis on how space and time are represented.
  • Interpret and critically evaluate the results of studies addressing how space and time are represented in the brain.
  • Display effective scientific communication in written form.

Final Exam

Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: Official Final Exam Period
Weighting: 40%

2 hr exam, conducted in class during official exam period. Combination of multiple choice and short answer questions.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Explain the role of space and time in perception, action, and cognition.
  • Demonstrate advanced knowledge of the structure and function of the brain with an emphasis on how space and time are represented.

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

Readings

All required and optional readings are available through the Unit Readings (Leganto) link on the righthand side of this iLearn page.

iLearn

You will need access to the internet to access the unit's iLearn page. Through iLearn you will be able to access the lecture recordings (Echo360), additional readings, and feedback and marks for the assessment tasks. You are also required to submit assessment tasks via iLearn, using the Turnitin submission tool. Please allow time to familiarise yourself with how to access iLearn and how to submit a Turnitin assignment. ​

Lectures

All lectures will be delivered face-to-face in 14 Sir Christopher Ondaatje Ave - T3 Theatre, starting in Week 1. The officially scheduled lecture time is Tues 3:00 - 4:30 PM. Although attendance at lectures is strongly encouraged, all lectures will be recorded and made available for asynchronous viewing through Echo360. Lecture slides will be uploaded to iLearn just before the lecture time under the lecture link in the relevant week below. 

Tutorials

All tutorials will be delivered face-to-face in 12 Second Way - 417 Faculty PC Lab, starting in Week 1. Attendance at tutorials is strongly encouraged. The tutorials are designed to reinforce complex material and concepts introduced in unit readings and lectures. In addition, many tutorials are designed to help you complete unit assessment tasks.

Please check eStudent for the time of your tutorial. Changes to tutorials need to be made online via eStudent only (neither the unit convenor nor the tutor can make changes to your tutorial enrolment). After week 2, 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 enrol in. 

Requests for extensions, medical leave and/or disruption to studies

Please note that it is the student’s responsibility to notify the University of a disruption to their studies. All requests for extensions, medical leave and/or special consideration should be made prior to the due date for the assignment, are to be made directly via the University’s online Ask MQ system. Guidelines for Special Consideration can be found here

Uploading assignments via iLearn

You are required to submit your assessments via iLearn, using the Turnitin submission tool. Please use the following step-to-step guide on how to submit via Turnitin. 

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:

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 connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

If you are unsure about which activities count as violations of the policy, please see this list of "unacceptable academic activities". All forms of cheating including "contract cheating" are strongly prohibited and serious penalties will apply. In addition, the following behaviours associated with contract cheating also violate the University's Academic Integrity Policy. In some cases, these behaviours might also be against the law.

  • Uploading University-copyrighted teaching materials such as unit of study outlines, lecture slides and assignment questions to 'study notes' sharing websites.
  • Selling University-copyrighted teaching materials to private tutoring or ghostwriting companies, or sharing these materials on social media platforms.
  • Sharing or discussing information about the content of an exam (including exam questions and answers) with others including on social media platforms.

To learn more about contract cheating, we strongly recommend you complete the Cheating is Never the Right Answer module . Contract cheating is a big business in Australia and globally. Unfortunately, many students are targeted by these companies, offering “study support” that results in outsourcing their assessments, copywrite-protected lectures, etc.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

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.

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 based on their sex, gender, race, marital status, carers' responsibilities, disability, sexual orientation, age, political conviction or religious belief. All staff and students are expected to display appropriate behaviour that is conducive to a healthy learning environment for everyone.

Professionalism

In the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, professionalism is a key capability embedded in all our courses.

As part of developing professionalism, students are expected to attend all small group interactive sessions including clinical, practical, laboratory, work-integrated learning (e.g., PACE placements), and team-based learning activities. Some learning activities are recorded (e.g., face-to-face lectures), however you are encouraged to avoid relying upon such material as they do not recreate the whole learning experience and technical issues can and do occur. As an adult learner, we respect your decision to choose how you engage with your learning, but we would remind you that the learning opportunities we create for you have been done so to enable your success, and that by not engaging you may impact your ability to successfully complete this unit. We equally expect that you show respect for the academic staff who have worked hard to develop meaningful activities and prioritise your learning by communicating with them in advance if you are unable to attend a small group interactive session.

Another dimension of professionalism is having respect for your peers. It is the right of every student to learn in an environment that is free of disruption and distraction. Please arrive to all learning activities on time, and if you are unavoidably detained, please join activity as quietly as possible to minimise disruption. Phones and other electronic devices that produce noise and other distractions must be turned off prior to entering class. Where your own device (e.g., laptop) is being used for class-related activities, you are asked to close down all other applications to avoid distraction to you and others. Please treat your fellow students with the utmost respect. If you are uncomfortable participating in any specific activity, please let the relevant academic know.


Unit information based on version 2024.01R of the Handbook