PY3VIS: Vision Science

Module code: PY3VIS

Module provider: Psychology; School of Psych and Clin Lang Sci

Credits: 20

Level: 6

When you’ll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Dr Shumetha Sidhu , email: shumetha.sidhu@reading.edu.my

Pre-requisite module(s): BEFORE TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST TAKE PY2RMP (Compulsory)

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2025/6

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: No

Last updated: 3 April 2025

Overview

Module aims and purpose

The goal of this module is to introduce students to the science of understanding and investigating vision, and to also consider how this knowledge can be applied outside of a laboratory. Students will be given an overview of how the visual system develops and changes through the lifespan, including how it is affected by atypical development. Students will also receive hands-on practical experience with designing and implementing visual psychophysical and eye-tracking paradigms.  

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Synthesise the key concepts relating to the development of vision throughout the lifespan of typical and atypical populations
2. Design vision experiments utilizing the essential principles of visual psychophysics
3. Design  applied vision experiments using various methods and measures of eye-tracking
4. Reflect on the practical applications of vision research

Module content

This module will incorporate BPS core content in the following areas: Research methods, biological, cognitive and developmental psychology. In this module, students will examine the fundamentals of visual neuroscience from the visual input at the retina to the perception of visual stimuli. We will also cover the typical and atypical development of vision throughout the lifespan, including how vision develops in atypical populations (e.g., autism). The module will demonstrate the methods and measures used to study perception, in particular giving students both the theoretical and practical knowledge of designing psychophysical and eye tracking experiments . Students will also be able to assess to what extent can vision research be applied outside of a laboratory. 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

This module comprises 10 2-hour seminars, which will include a variety of teaching and learning approaches, including lectures, interactive discussions, flipped learning, guided team-based learning, and practical sessions to design and run psychophysical and eye-tracking experiments. 2 2-hour workshops will supplement some of the seminar content, with an emphasis on supporting students with the module assignment.

In addition to the hours listed below, you will be required to complete an additional 40 hours of study, taking the total number of study hours to 240 for this module. This is to comply with the Malaysian Quality Agency (MQA).

Study hours

At least 24 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: /cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Active participation in class will help students reflect and think critically, which will support them in completing the coursework. 

Students will have an opportunity to prepare an outline of the magazine article (including layout) for feedback from the module convenor. 

Exercise and worksheets during the practical/workshop sessions will enable students to design and implement vision experiments.  

Reassessment

Additional costs