LSC-20076 - Module Specification
School of Life Sciences
Faculty of Natural Sciences

Programme/Approved Electives for 2024/25

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2024/25

How we learn and remember events is a complex process that we often take for granted.
Learning is critical to how we adapt our behaviour in an ever-changing, and often challenging, environment. Memories allow us to draw from our experiences and come to define who we are. In fact, they are so crucial, it would be extremely difficult to function with any kind of impairment to our learning or memory. The human brain is highly plastic, changing significantly following experience and can support many different types of learning and memory. In this Learning Memory module, you will understand how the brain encodes, stores and recalls information, which are also important challenges in neuroscience research.
Tutorials and workshops throughout the module will support group discussion of core material and you will explore many of the fascinating behavioural, cellular and biological aspects of how we learn and remember.

The aim of this module is to provide students with a fundamental understanding of the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying the acquisition, consolidation, retention and recall of knowledge and information.

Intended Learning Outcomes

discuss different types of learning and memory in humans and animals (e.g., declarative vs non-declarative, short-term vs long-term and working memory): 1,2
describe how the brain acquires and retains new information, including fear and spatial forms of memory, and motor skills: 1,2
critically evaluate a primary source journal article and answer questions related to the content of the paper: 1
explain learning and memory with reference to the underlying physiological mechanisms (e.g., synaptic plasticity) and molecular mechanisms: 1,2
explain how learning and memory can be impaired in disorders and diseases of the brain: 1,2
communicate effective to non-specialist audiences through the production of a Textbook-style Chapter based on a Learning and Memory topic: 2

Study hours

- 14 x 4 hours engagement with asynchronous content (making notes and engaging wider reading)
- 10 x 1 hr live tutorials
TOTAL Active learning hours = 66hrs
- 42 hours for background reading, preparation and completion of Journal Comprehension assessment
- 42 hours for preparation and completion of a Textbook Chapter-style essay
TOTAL independent learning hours = 84 hours

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment