Getting students interested in neuropsychology

1. Getting students interested in neuropsychology Dr Trudi Edginton

2. Overview • Is Neuropsychology unique? • Experiences - yours and mine • Challenges and rewards • Identification of good (and bad) practice • Engagement strategies

3. Unique discipline? • If so, why? • What are the specific challenges? • Student numbers? • Optional vs. compulsory? • Teaching level? • Subject area? • Lecturers? • Getting students interested…..

4. Your experiences • Teaching neuropsychology? • Theoretical distinctions neuroscience/neuropsychology • Waiting to begin? • By choice? • Background? • Challenges? • Rewards? • Your initial thoughts…

5. My experiences • Teaching for 10 years (OU; UOW) • BSc Cognitive Science and MSc Applied Cognitive Neuroscience • Nursing (Clive Wearing) • PhD (Alzheimer’s disease; Headway) • Post-doc (Oncology) • Clinical research (TBI; HC; memory clinic) • Single case studies (Emotion / imagery deficits)

6. My initial thoughts • Completely biased! • Challenging topic to teach - for different reasons? • Remember inspiration and challenges e.g. dissociations! • Identify and learn from experience of good & bad practice • Feedback & reflection • Use own experience (balance here!) • Ask them! What do students like? • Weird, wonderful, gory, funny, relevant, music, relationships, celebrities, reality (Field, 09)

7. Phineas Gage

10. Clive Wearing

11. Pedagogy • Peer observation • Student-centred learning • Learning styles and learning outcomes • Blended learning • Problem-based learning • Appropriate use of technology • Assessment • Feedback

12. TIER project comments Promoting research mindfulness • Importance of enthusiasm • Importance of up to date knowledge • Appropriate integration of research experience • Ability to link theory to real world applications • Importance of experience and sensitivity • Importance of interaction • Link between anatomy and cognitive profiles • Symptom based approach

13. Personal feedback “…you and Catherine are so enthusiastic -you can tell that you both love what you teach” “ your clinical experience helps it become more meaningful, I enjoy the funny stories and want to hear more” “ ..what I love about your lectures is that you always say such silly things - helps me remember stuff! - pause… what I mean is…… not um silly…..!!”

14. Double dissociations Postcentral gyrus damage results in paralysis of voluntary movements • unable to ‘smile for the camera’ • able to smile in response to a joke Limbic damage results in inability to express emotions • unable to smile in response to a joke • able to ‘smile for the camera’

15. Student enrolment issue • Attracting students early in course • Lecturers • Outside speakers • Student testimonies • Word of mouth • Feedback

16. Suggestions so far….. • Keep the anecdotes and humour! • Maintain enthusiasm • Importance of clinical experience • Importance of up to date research, conferences • Need to convey/demonstrate material effectively • Student & lecturer engagement • Active student-centered learning • Innovative assessment

17. Assessments • Role play • Case studies • Science magazine article • Peer marking All require engagement with material to promote understanding and ability to select appropriate assessments and how to convey and approach material in easy to understand manner

18. Role play • Opportunity to be patient and assessor • Differentiate profiles • Appropriate selection of tasks • Experience of administering tasks • Awareness of pragmatics, sensitivity, time and fatigue constraints, relationship • Link to student participation in studies

19. NART CHORD ACHE DEPOT AISLE PSALM CAPON DENY NAUSEA MMSE What is the year? season? date? day? month? Where are we? country? county? town? street? house name/number? Repeat and remember 3 objects Serial sevens Recall 3 objects Repeat ‘no ifs ands or buts’ Neuropsychological assessment

22. Neuropsychological assessment • CT scans • MRI • fMRI • Diffusion tensor imaging • PET scans • TMS • Use of computerised and pen & paper tasks

23. Integration • Neuropsychological assessment/profiling • Expertise and sensitivity • Link to anatomical lesions • Link to theoretical frameworks • Symptom-based approach • Rehabilitation

24. Case studies • Opportunity to develop detailed profile • Introduction to single case methodology • Personal and medical history • Cognitive deficits • Cognitive assessments • Conclusions • Recommendations

25. Science article • Opportunity to be more creative • Use of straightforward language • Links to science in the media • Promotes in depth understanding • Creates portfolio for students

26. Peer assessment • Develops critical evaluation • Need for constructive feedback • Peer comparison • Awareness of marking criteria • Harshest critics!

27. Challenges Student numbers Time Effort Learning outcomes Marking criteria Support Rewards Engagement Interest Enjoyment Marking Plagiarism Positive external feedback Evaluation (Edginton, Loveday and Boubert, in prep)

28. Summary • Feedback • Enthusiasm • Experience and sensitivity • Appropriate integration • Appropriate anecdotes/humour • Interaction and novel assignments • Passion!