The science of mind and decision making

This course is an introduction to human cognition and how it is explored. You will explore how Psychology was born as a separate discipline and how we began to study the nervous system in terms of functions, abilities and traits linking brain, mind, behavior and relationship with the environment. With this course we will also explore the main cognitive functions, such as memory, language, attention and perception and look at how they are investigated.

This course provides a guided tour through the brain, looking at the changes that occur on a cellular level when we learn new information or store a memory. Using research from neuroscience and psychology, we will look at the process of storing long-term memories, and how you can help your students do this effectively. We will also examine the way the brain changes from birth to adulthood, and how these affect the way we learn and remember information. We will explore how teaching to a child’s developmental stage can benefit students and teachers. Then, we will dive into neurodiversity in the classroom, covering the current understanding of autism, dyslexia, ADHD and other cognitive differences, and how best to support these pupils. Throughout the course, we will discuss how to apply this learning to your own classroom, and what the evidence says about the best ways to teach. By understanding more about the way memories are stored and recalled, we can explore different ways you can support your students to learn efficiently, so the memories last a lifetime, not just until the exam.

This fascinating introduction to the cognitive psychology of emotions explores how, when we see others’ emotions, not only the mind, but also the body is engaged in the recognition. You will explore how to measure our ability to understand the feelings of others.