Course Syllabus

B320 Online - Behavioral Neuroscience (Section #31949)

Spring 2017

Instructor: Stephen Boehm, PhD

Office: LD 126D
Email: slboehm@iupui.edu
Office Hours: By appointment

Graduate Teaching Assistant: Megan Stringer, MA

Email: megstrin@iupui.edu
Office Hours: By appointment

Course Description:
Behavioral Neuroscience (B320) is an upper level course in Psychology intended to provide a basic
understanding of the relationship between the nervous system and behavior. Given significant
advances in our understanding of this relationship, a well-rounded student of psychology can no longer
ignore biologys contribution to the field. Our primary focus will be on the structure and function of the
brain, with a heavy emphasis on the behavioral consequences of the particular structure and function
under consideration. Thus, although it might seem tedious to learn the structure and function of a
neuron or the organization of the brain, I hope to convince you of how a basic understanding of these
concepts can help us understand the way we see, think, and feel, as well as how abnormal behavior is
brought about. My hope is that this course will provide you with exciting new perspectives on and
appreciation for both normal and abnormal human behavior.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Students completing this course will be able to
1. Recognize the importance of genes in cell structure and individual differences in behavior.
2. Describe the structure and function of cells in the nervous system.
3. Explain the electrochemical nature of cellular communication.
4. Identify the basic anatomical structures and organization of the brain.
5. Explain how behavior is a result of the interaction of neural systems.
6. Describe how the nervous system encodes incoming information and generates behavior.
7. Evaluate ethical issues in neuroscience research.
8. Describe how experience and development interact to modify brain structure and function.
9. Explain how brain organization and function reflect the evolutionary history of animals.
10. Connect basic principles of neuroscience to real world problems in behavior.
11. Compare and contrast methods of neuroscientific inquiry.

Course Policies:
1. Canvas (http://canvas.iu.edu) will be the primary mode of correspondence in this course. I will
communicate with the class via Canvas approximately once per week. Therefore, you are
encouraged to check Canvas daily for important announcements and course-related materials.
Furthermore, a Canvas class discussion forum will allow you to communicate with me and your
peers. The forum will be a great place to post questions that you need help with. Finally, you
should communicate with me via the messaging option in Canvas.
2. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. If I have reason to believe that you are cheating on a
quiz or exam, or Turnitin.com indicates that you have plagiarized a document, you will receive a
zero and may be subject to campus action. Students are referred to http://www.iupui.edu/code/ for
more information on the campus policy on cheating and plagiarism.
3. You are part of a diverse class consisting of students of different gender, race, religion, sexual
orientation, interests, and even learning styles. Treatment of your peers, myself, or the TA with
 anything less than your full respect will not be tolerated. Students are referred to
http://www.iupui.edu/code/ for more information on campus policies concerning student conduct.
4. Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact me to arrange for appropriate
accommodations.

Assignments and Grading:

All graded assignments, including quizzes and exams, will be completed using Canvas. Grades will be
determined based on your participation in weekly Group Thought Questions (eight in all), weekly
quizzes (one each week), a book report/reflection, and three semi-cumulative exams. Each exam will
consist of multiple choice questions. Late/make-up quizzes, exams, or other assignments are
generally not allowed, and only if a documented compelling excuse is provided.

Group Thought Question:

On certain weeks during the semester (weeks 1-4, 7-9, 13, and 15) you will participate in a small group
discussion and writing exercise. On such weeks I will pose a thought question that you will work with
your assigned online group to answer. The small group discussion will take place in an online forum,
with your final answer (no more than 250 words) constituting your last post. The main goal of these
group thought exercises is to stimulate critical thinking, and to foster small learning groups that will
facilitate overall learning and mastery of the course material.
The initial post should be a thoughtful attempt at answering the assigned Group Thought Question.
Simply saying I dont know is not sufficient. Your initial post is due by 11pm on Wednesday in
weeks where Group Thought Questions are assigned, and will be worth 5 points.
After making your initial post, you will be expected to follow your groups online discussion,
commenting on other group members posts indicating whether you agree, disagree, or have
anything to add. The goal is to build online consensus on the best answer to the assigned question.
Your participation in the ongoing deliberations from Friday to the next Tuesday in weeks where
Group Thought Questions are assigned, as well as adherence to group rules will be worth 10
points.
The final group post should constitute a collective answer that all participating members of the
group have contributed to and agreed on. Your groups final post is due on by 11pm the next
Sunday in weeks where a Group Thought Question is assigned, and will be worth 5 points.
Thus, a total of 20 points will be possible each week a Group Thought Question is assigned (9 Group
Thought Questions x 20 points each = 180 total points possible, constituting almost 25% of your final
grade). You are referred to the document Group Thought Question Question and Answers for further
discussion and information.

Quizzes:
A short quiz will be taken immediately after viewing the short lectures each week (130 total points
possible, constituting approximately 20% of your final grade). The quizzes will be timed, and consist of
five multiple choice questions (2 points each) that will most often test your understanding of the material
covered in the learning module. However, every now and then I will present you with a quiz question
that I did not cover in a short lecture, but that was instead discussed in the assigned textbook reading.
Thus, reading the associated book chapter before viewing/listening to a learning module will increase
your chances of earning all the points possible on these quizzes. Importantly, some of these same
multiple choice questions will appear on the exam! Short lectures must be viewed and quizzes taken
by Friday night at 11PM each week to earn quiz points.

Book Report:
You will be required to read the book Still Alice, written by Lisa Genova, and write a 3-4 page double-
spaced (Arial font, 1-inch margins) personal reflection on the story, due by 11PM on Monday, April 17
(50 total points possible, constituting approximately 8% of your final grade). Your grade will be
determined based in part on how well you respond to each of the following questions (30 points). (1)
Can you relate to the story line as a friend or family member of someone diagnosed with a
neurodegenerative disorder, addictive disorder, or severe mental illness? (10 points) (2) Which book
character do you think youd most relate to if someone close to you received such a diagnosis? (10
points) (3) What has he book taught you about the human impact of such disorders of the mind? (10
points) Use specific examples with page numbers from the book to illustrate your points. The remaining
20 points will be awarded based on length, spelling, and grammar.

Exams:
Three 100-point exams will be taken online over the course of the semester: Monday, February 13;
Monday, March 27; and Monday, May 1 (300 total points possible, constituting approximately 45% of
your final grade). These exams will consist of a combination of 50 multiple choice questions (2 points
each). On the scheduled exam day, the exam will open at 12AM, and close at 11PM, and will be
accessed via Canvas. Importantly, the exam will be timed. Once you access the exam, you will have
not more than 60 minutes to complete it.

Final Grades:
Point totals will be converted to a %age of total points available (660 points), and the following letter
grades will be assigned: A+ = 97-100%; A = 94-96%; A- = 90-93%; B+ = 87-89%; B = 84-86%; B- = 80-
83%; C+ = 77-79%; C = 74-76%; C- = 70-73%; D+ = 67-69%; D = 64-66%; D- = 60-63%; and F =
59%.

Required Reading:
Kolb, Whishaw, and Campbell, An Introduction to Brain and Behavior, 5th edition (available at the
bookstore)
OR
Kolb and Whishaw, An Introduction to Brain and Behavior, 4th edition (available through Amazon.com)
AND
Genova, Lisa. Still Alice. New York: Pocket Books, 2009 (available through Amazon.com)
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Course Schedule:
Monday, January 9 Introduction to Online B320
Introductory module

Week 1 (Jan 9-15) Chapter 1: What Are the Origins of Brain and Behavior?
Short Lecture 1
Week 1 Thought Question

Week 2 (Jan 16-22) Chapter 2: How Does the Nervous System Function
Short Lectures 2, 3, and 4
Week 2 Quiz (Chapters 1-2)
Week 2 Thought Question

Week 3 (Jan 23-29) Chapter 3: What are the Nervous Systems Units?
Short Lectures 5, 6, and 7
Week 3 Quiz (Chapter 3)
Week 3 Thought Question

Week 4 (Jan 30 Feb 5) Chapter 4: How Do Neurons Transmit Information?

Short Lectures 8, 9, 10, and 11
Week 4 Quiz (Chapter 4)
Week 4 Thought Question
Week 5 (Feb 6-12) Chapter 5: How Do Neurons Communicate and Adapt?
Short Lectures 12, 13, 14, and 15
Week 5 Quiz (Chapter 5)

Monday, Feb 13: Exam 1 (Chapters 1-5)

Week 6 (Feb 13-19) Chapter 6: How Do Drugs and Hormones Influence the Brain?
Short Lectures 16, 17, 18, and 19
Week 6 Quiz (Chapter 6)

Week 7 (Feb 20-16) Chapter 7: How do we Study the Brains Structure and Function?
Short Lectures 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24
Week 7 Quiz (Chapter 7)
Week 7 Thought Question

Week 8 (Feb 27 Mar 5) Chapter 8: How does the Nervous System Develop and Adapt?
Short Lectures 25, 26, and 27
Week 8 Quiz (Chapter 8)
Week 8 Thought Question

Week 9 (Mar 6-12) Chapter 9: How Do We Sense, Perceive, and See the World?
Short Lectures 28, 29, 30, and 31
Week 10 Quiz (Chapter 9)
Week 10 Thought Question

Week 10 (Mar 13-19) Spring Break (no scheduled activities)

Week 11 (Mar 20-26) Chapter 12: What Causes Emotional and Motivated Behavior?
Short Lectures 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36
Week 11 Quiz (Chapter 12)

Monday, Mar 27: Exam 2 (Chapters 6-9, 12)

Week 12 (Mar 27 Apr 2) Chapter 13: Why Do We Sleep and Dream?

Short Lectures 37, 38, 39, 40, and 41
Week 12 Quiz (Chapter 13)

Week 13 (Apr 3-9) Chapter 14: How Do We Learn and Remember?

Short Lectures 42, 43, 44, 45, and 46
Week 13 Quiz (Chapter 14)
Week 13 Thought Question

Week 14 (Apr 10-16) Late Semester Break (no scheduled activities)

Monday, Apr 17: Still Alice reflection paper (due by 11pm)

Week 15 (Apr 17-23) Chapter 15: How Does the Brain Think?
Short Lectures 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, and 52
Week 15 Quiz (Chapter 15)
Week 15 Thought Question

Week 16 (Apr 24-30) Chapter 16: What Happens When the Brain Misbehaves?
Short Lectures 53, 54, 55, and 56
 Week 16 Quiz (Chapter 16)

Monday, May 1: Exam 3 (Chapters 13-16)

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The above schedule and assignments are subject to change at the discretion of Dr. Boehm.

Honors Contract Options: Students interested in Honors credit are encouraged to contact Dr. Boehm
to discuss options.

Other Important Dates:

Sun, Jan 15 Last day to drop on-line via One.IU.
Sun, Mar 12 Last day to withdraw with a grade of W. Advisor signature required.
***After Mar 12 Withdrawal with a grade of W or F will require advisor, instructor, and signatures
from the students dean. Drops will NOT be approved after this date unless there are serious,
extenuating circumstances.