Undergraduate

Signals and perception: the science of the senses

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• What you will study
• Entry
• If you have a disability or additional requirement
• Study materials
• Teaching and assessment
• Students also studied
• Future availability

This interdisciplinary course uses fundamental concepts from biology, chemistry, physics and psychology to explain how we interact with our environment through the five senses – hearing, sight, smell, taste and the somatic sensory system, which includes touch and pain. For each of the senses you’ll investigate how sensation begins with a stimulus that is converted into an electrochemical impulse; how that is transmitted to the brain; and how the brain combines these messages – the process psychologists call ‘perception’. The course is designed to be accessible to students pursuing a wide variety of degree studies.

Course facts

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What you will study

The course explores the ways in which exciting ideas and findings at the forefront of biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology have transformed our understanding of how we experience the world through our senses. It provides a fundamental understanding of:

• the nature of the communication signals (e.g. light for vision, sound for hearing, molecules for taste and smell)
• primary transduction mechanisms
• the common nature of the transmission of the resulting electrical signal via the sensory nervous system
• processing in the brain
• psychological issues related to perception
• sensory disorders and treatments.

The material is divided amongst seven blocks and a reader comprising 29 specially commissioned chapters. The course emphasises the unity of the overall sensory system, while exploring the differences between the senses. After a one-week introduction to the area and the questions that the course will be tackling, the second block gives an introduction to the sensory nervous system. This is refined and expanded in each of the subsequent blocks, which deal with the various senses in turn.

Block 1 Introduction to the senses. An introduction to the human senses, concentrating on observations and experiences that raise questions about how the senses work. These questions will be taken up throughout the course.

Block 2 The sensory nervous system. An introduction to neuroscience, and in particular to the neuron, this block looks at the way electrical impulses created by external signals of whatever kind are transmitted to the brain, where they are processed and give rise to our personal picture of the world. It introduces the technique of functional imaging, now an essential tool for examining brain activity related to each of the senses.

Block 3 Hearing and balance explores the nature and properties of sound waves; the anatomy of the ear; and the specialised functions of the outer, middle and inner ear. It goes on to examine the mechanism of transduction (how hair cells convert the minute mechanical impulses brought about by sound waves into electrical signals); auditory perception, including both speech and music; and hearing defects and remedies. Finally, it describes the role of the semicircular canals in determining our sense of balance.

Block 4 Vision. This is the longest block partly because, of all the senses, the most is known about vision, and partly because vision is in many ways the most complex of the senses. The block covers the nature and properties of light; the electromagnetic spectrum; the optical system of the eye; the retina; visual acuity; visual defects and remedies; colour vision; processing in the visual cortex; visual perception; stereoscopy; and functional imaging in vision.

Block 5 Touch and pain describes the somatic sensory system. This includes at least four senses: touch, pain, temperature and proprioception (the sense of position and movement). It looks at both the body’s own mechanism of pain control and the use of drugs for pain relief.

Block 6 Smell and taste. These two senses are closely interlinked, and both involve the interaction of molecules, rather than energy as is the case with the other senses. For that reason they are often referred to as the chemical senses. Topics include the molecular characteristics of substances that we smell or taste; the coding of smell and taste; the nature of the receptors involved; the mechanism of transduction; and the role of human pheromones in sexual attraction.

Block 7 Integrating the senses brings the various senses together to examine how they interrelate, and how signals affecting one sense can conflict with those stimulating another sense. This can sometimes be simply uncomfortable (e.g. a feeling of nausea) or potentially dangerous (e.g. if it happens to aircraft pilots). The block looks at how perception can be manipulated in virtual reality and hypnosis.

Entry

The course should appeal to students from many backgrounds, and will be of particular interest to those who enjoy interdisciplinary study. It is suitable for those specialising in biology, chemistry, physics or psychology, as well as those following a degree in health studies.

This is a Level 3 course. Level 3 courses build on study skills and subject knowledge acquired from studies at Levels 1 and 2. They are intended only for students who have recent experience of higher education in a related subject, preferably with The Open University. You are expected to have a basic science background, such as Exploring science (S104) (or the discontinued course S103) and 60 credits in science at Level 2 (S204, S205, S207, SD226 and the discontinued S203, SD206, SK220, S246, S247, U205). If you are working towards our BSc (Hons) Health Studies, you should have completed An introduction to health and social care (K101) (or the discontinued course K100) and 60 credits at Level 2, including Human biology (SK277) or Biological psychology: exploring the brain (SD226) (or the discontinued courses SK220 or SD206). If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.

If you have a disability or additional requirement

Many parts of the course rely heavily on complex diagrams. You will need to spend considerable amounts of time using a personal computer and the internet. You can obtain more information and advice from the SD329 course manager.

The study materials are available in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). Components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader and mathematical, scientific, and foreign language materials may be particularly difficult to read in this way. The written study material in comb-bound format can also be provided on request. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.

If you are a new student, or new to courses using a computer or the internet, you will need to inform us of your particular needs as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Details of how to do this and our range of support services are described in our publication Meeting your needs.

You can also find information about accessible study materials, financial support and the Disabled Students' Allowance, equipment and other services, on our Services for disabled students website. It also includes our contact details for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.

Study materials

What's included

Course books, other printed materials, DVD-ROMs, a website and forum.

Computing requirements

This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave.

You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new computer since 2005 it should meet your course computing requirements. Check our Technical Requirements section if your computer is older than this or is otherwise unusual.

Teaching and assessment

Support from your tutor

You will have a tutor who will help you with the study material and mark and comment on your written work, and whom you can ask for advice and guidance. There will be forums that will act as a virtual self-help group and enable students to support one another. We will offer group tutorials or day schools that you are encouraged to attend. Where your tutorials are held will depends on the distribution of students taking the course. Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.

Assessment

The assessment details for this course can be found in the facts box above.

You can choose whether to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) on paper or online through the eTMA system. You may want to use the eTMA system for some of your assignments but submit on paper for others. This is entirely your choice.

Students also studied

Students who studied this course also studied at some time:

• Human biology (SK277)
• Biological psychology: exploring the brain (SD226)
• Molecular and cell biology (S377)
• Practising science (SXR103)
• Molecular basis of human disease (SXR376)

Future availability

The details given here are for the course that starts in February 2012. From 2013 we expect  it to be available once a year, in October.

Fees 2012

See fees and funding options for study from September 2012.

Study explained

Financial support

- find out if you qualify for support with your fees with our eligibility checker.

Study explained

- all you need to know about distance learning with the OU.

A taste of OU study

Student Reviews

An excellent course, fascinating material but a lot of it! I had a really helpful tutor whose tutorials were invaluable. ...
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This was my first Level 3 module after studying physics and astronomy modules at Level 2. There was a large ...
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Your questions

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Or contact an adviser in our Student Registration & Enquiry Service Email or call +44(0) 845 300 60 90+44(0) 845 366 60 35

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