Successful Integration of Interactive Neuroscience Simulations into a Non-Laboratory Sensation & Perception Course
By Uta Wolfe

Laboratory core courses in neuroscience at small liberalarts colleges are few in number and thus under greatpressure to offer active laboratory explorations of a widerange of topics. Furthermore, traditional lab activitiesrequire substantial resources in terms of space, time,equipment and organization, further limiting the extent towhich a school can provide students with importantinteractive neuroscience experiences in the classroom.Previous work has shown that interactive computersimulations can successfully replace more traditional labactivities in an introductory neuroscience laboratory (Bishand Schleidt, 2008). The present work shows that similaractivities can also enhance the learning experience in amidsize, non-laboratory Sensation & Perception (S&P)course. While this course is considered a supporting orelective, rather than a core course in most neuroscienceprograms, its subject matter lends itself to the in-depthexploration of several key topics in cognitive neuroscience.The success of using computer-based neuroscienceactivities in a class like S&P might thus point to effectiveways in which to distribute the interactive exploration ofsome neuroscience topics to supporting courses in thecurriculum, thereby easing the pressure on the few corelaboratory courses to cover all aspects of the field.

Key words: web-based simulations; pedagogy;laboratory activities

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