The FOSS Human Brain and Senses course challenges students to discover their own learning styles. They explore visual, auditory, and tactile memory as well as the role of association. Through these experiences, students begin the course with strategies to assist them in their own learning. Through investigations of optical illusions, light, lenses, and the structure and function of eyes, they discover how the stimulus of light is received by the eye as the first step in getting the message to the brain. Each student then uses MRIs to put together a three-dimensional brain model, which is used as a reference throughout the rest of the course.
Students then move on to brain function.
Students map EEG recordings and learn that different parts of the brain are used for different functions. They investigate the receptors and the part of the brain that is involved in the sense of touch. Students trace the pathway of information through the neurons from fingertip to brain and back. Students revisit learning and memory, applying what they know about brain structure and function to refine and extend their knowledge of their own cognitive abilities. Students acquire a sense of the power and capability of their own brains.