Course content

The course is divided into two parts. The first part, held during the fall term, is intended to build skills in information literacy and scientific literacy, with a focus on reading, evaluating, and writing scientific articles. The second part, held during the spring term, focuses on quantitative literacy in science, particularly programming and data analysis.

Learning outcome

In the first part of the course, students will learn the following skills: to find and evaluate scientific literature; to critically read, summarize, and cite scientific literature; to design a simple experiment and generate a hypothesis relevant to that experiment; to frame a scientific question and provide background material in an introduction section; to clearly and concisely report methods; to visualize a basic set of results and figures; to consider the advantages, significance, and limitations of experiment(s) in a discussion section; and to present a scientific paper in an oral presentation.

During the fall term of the course, students will complete a written assignment on a topic related to the content of the NEVR3001/3002 course. Throughout the fall term, students will receive written feedback from their peers and the course coordinator. At the end of the fall term, performance on the written assignment will be evaluated with a letter grade, which makes up 50% of the final grade.

In the second part of the course, students will learn the following: how to use an interactive development environment (IDE); how to think like a programmer; different data types and their uses; control flow; error handling and debugging; how to read documentation and find help online; best practices for programming; data visualization; basic analysis of neuroscience data; how to present results from your own data analysis or model.

During the spring term of the course, students will analyze a dataset or create a model to answer a research question they devise related to the content of the NEVR3003 or NEVR3004 courses. They will write up their findings in the style of an academic article, and orally present and defend their work, at the end of the spring term. Performance on the oral presentation will be evaluated as approved/not approved, and the written component will receive a letter grade, which makes up 50% of the final grade.

Learning methods and activities

Lectures, participation in group-based work/discussions, assignments, supervised written assignment, and oral presentations.

The course is taught in the fall and spring semesters. One written assignment will be due in December. The other written assignment will be due at the end of the spring term. The language of teaching and examination is English.

This course is access limited. Students admitted to the MSc in Neuroscience are guaranteed a seat. Other students must apply for a seat by the given deadlines.

Compulsory assignments

In the fall term, students will complete assignments related to information literacy, scientific literacy, or quantitative literacy. The assignments will be evaluated as approved/not approved. The compulsory assignments must be approved for the written assignment to be graded at the end of the fall term.

In the spring term, students will orally present and defend their research project. The presentation will be evaluated as approved/not approved. The compulsory oral presentation must be approved for the written assignment to be graded at the end of the spring term.

Approved compulsory assignments are valid for two academic years.

Compulsory assignments

• Compulsory assignment
• Oral presentation

Further on evaluation

At the end of the fall term, performance on the written assignment will be evaluated with a letter grade, which makes up 50% of the final grade. At the end of the spring term, performance on the second written assignment will be evaluated with a letter grade, which makes up the other 50% of the final grade. The final grade will be announced at the end of the spring term by combining the grades of the two written assignments.

Appeals may only be made at the end of the spring term when the final grade is announced. Students can, at that time, indicate which written assignment they want to appeal. Students have the option to appeal grades for both written assignments.

Students with legitimate leave of absence and students who receive the final grade F may take a re-sit examination in the following fall semester. They can attempt to improve either one or both of the written assignments. The assignments must be on new topics.

Recommended previous knowledge

During the fall term, we recommend that NEVR3000 be taken in parallel with the integrated NEVR3001 (Cellular and Systems Neuroscience) and NEVR3002 (Sensory and Motor Neuroscience) courses. During the spring term, we recommend that NEVR3000 be taken in parallel with NEVR3003 (Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience), and, subsequently with NEVR3004 (Neural Networks).

Required previous knowledge

Exam registration requires that class registration is approved in the same semester.

Course materials

Reading materials (e.g. textbook chapters and scientific papers) that supplement each lecture will be listed on the course syllabus and will be made available to students electronically at the start of the term.