AUDIOL 704 : Central Auditory Function

Medical and Health Sciences

2024 Semester Two (1245) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Auditory neurophysiology and electrophysiology of central auditory pathways, psychoacoustics, and speech and language. Topics include: the use of electrophysiology, imaging technologies and psychoacoustics to probe the function of the auditory system. Central processes involved in speech and language.

Course Overview

This course is linked to and extends the AUDIOL 701 Auditory Neuroscience course. Courses AUDIOL 701 and AUDIOL 704 aim collectively to provide an understanding of the physiology of the auditory system and the behavioural outcomes of this. This course deals with advanced topics in auditory neuroscience with a focus on central auditory pathways and associated auditory behaviour; these provide insight into the normal and abnormal processing of sound. The course includes measurement of auditory evoked potentials as indicators of auditory function.  Much of the course is based on student presentations and an important aspect of it is  learning to present research and to learn from peers.

Course Requirements

No pre-requisites or restrictions

Course Contacts

Course Director
Dr David Welch
Email: d.welch@auckland.ac.nz
Phone: +64 (0) 9 923 8404

Course Administrator
Mrs Upendra Wickramarachchi
Group Services Administrator
Email: u.wicks@auckland.ac.nz
Phone: +64 (0) 9 923 3058

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4: Critical Thinking
Capability 6: Communication
Capability 7: Collaboration
Graduate Profile: Master of Audiology

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Develop detailed knowledge of the nature of auditory evoked potentials, their source and mechanisms of generation, measurement and interpretation of these physiological responses and their use in assessing auditory function. (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 4.1 and 4.2)
  2. Critically explore the roles of the auditory brain in hearing. (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 4.1 and 4.2)
  3. Explore and describe the processes of the interpretation of sound in the brain. (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 4.1 and 4.2)
  4. Explore and describe the processes of auditory neuropathies and processing disorders (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 4.1 and 4.2)
  5. Critically evaluate and explain relevant scientific literature. (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2 and 6.1)
  6. Communicate research effectively and teach and learn from peers about the meaning underlying research findings. (Capability 6.1 and 7.1)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
AEP Test 10% Individual Coursework
AEP Practical Assignment 10% Individual Coursework
Seminar Presentation and Report 20% Individual Coursework
Final Exam 50% Individual Examination
Integration/Reflection 10% Individual Coursework
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4 5 6
AEP Test
AEP Practical Assignment
Seminar Presentation and Report
Final Exam
Integration/Reflection

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, the lectures/seminars are two-three hours each week, and may include a tutorial or practical session of one-two hours depending on topics/requirements. You are expected to spend the remaining hours on reading and thinking about the content and work on assignments and/or the  test .

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at scheduled activities including labs/tutorials to complete components of the course.
Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including seminars, tutorials and labs will be available only when possible as recordings.
The course will not include live online events including group discussions/tutorials].
Attendance on campus is required for the tests and exam.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Many classes are based on student presentations and a set of resources are made available three weeks prior to each class.  It is helpful if everyone has read the core research and review articles prior to each class.
The Oxford Handbook of Auditory Science. Chief Editor, David R Moore. Oxford University Press, 2010 (Required Text)
Volume 2 The Auditory Brain
Volume 3 Hearing
Auditory Evoked Potentials: Basic Principles and Clinical Application (Point (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins)) (Hardcover) by Robert Francis Burkard, Manuel Don, Jos J Eggermont (Recommended text)
New Handbook for Auditory Evoked Responses (Hardcover) by James W. Hall (Recommended text)

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Most of this course involves students presenting on topics for which they are given readings and must work with staff to develop their understanding then present to the rest of the class. The students are also asked to write an 'integration' exercise that brings together the content from each session and allows staff to provide feedback on the writing. Several different staff members are involved in the teaching.

All of these seem to have caused trouble this year. The overall rating of the course was low. Several of the negative comments focused on the student presentations, with preference for lecturers to present the material. There were a mixture of positive and negative comments about the integration exercise. There were negative comments about the 'fairness' of the topics and the variability, which may reflect the different staff involved.

For the last several years, we have had very low response rates to the SET evaluation, so this is the first meaningful feedback (14/23 responded) in a long time. The student presentations seemed to be generally at a lower standard this year than in previous years, possibly indicating that the students would learn better in a course with more lecturing by staff. There was an issue with several of the students being caught cheating in an online test, which might have influenced the responses they made to the SET.

We will consider trying to increase the amount of direct teaching done by staff, and I will engage with colleagues about this. The course currently requires quite a a lot of input from staff, with the need to engage individually with the students to help them understand the material they are presenting, and then to discuss material during the class, and to mark the weekly integration exercises and essays. Reverting to lectures, as the course was taught earlier, would reduce this load and appears to be what the students would prefer, so this might be beneficial. Possibly there could still be student presentations but reduced in scope and time, and the integration exercise could be reduced as well.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

The delivery mode may change depending on COVID restrictions. Any changes will be communicated through Canvas.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.

Published on 08/11/2023 09:16 a.m.