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Accessibility statement
This sensory neuroscience module is interdisciplinary, using concepts from biology, chemistry, physics and psychology to explain how we interact with our environment through the senses. For each of the senses, you’ll investigate how sensation begins with a stimulus that’s converted into an electrical impulse, how that’s transmitted to the brain, and how the brain combines these messages to arrive at a ‘perception of the stimulus’.
The module explores how 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 an understanding of:
The material is divided into six blocks, presented in three printed books, beginning with two blocks introducing the senses and the nervous system. These blocks are designed to give you sufficient neuroscience background knowledge to work through the remainder of the module and include online activities to maximise your understanding of this essential information. Blocks 3-6 also include online activities and additional resources that can be accessed online.
Throughout the module, the emphasis is on the commonalities and integration between the sensory systems. You examine the processes from sensation to perception for each sense and the impact and treatment of impairment or loss of sensory systems.
Block 1: Introduction to the senses
This block introduces you to the human senses, concentrating on observations and experiences that raise questions about how the senses work.
Block 2: Introduction to the nervous system
In this introduction to neuroscience, particularly the neuron, you’ll look at how electrical impulses created by external signals of whatever kind are transmitted throughout the nervous system, and where they are processed and give rise to our picture of the world. You’ll also explore the techniques commonly used to investigate the senses.
Block 3: Somatosensation
This block describes the somatic sensory system, including how we sense and perceive touch, pain, body position and movement. The latter is often considered a hidden sense, and in this block, you will explore the impact of its loss. You will also cover the multidisciplinary treatment of pain.
Block 4: Hearing and balance
In this block, you’ll explore the nature and properties of sound waves; the specialised anatomy and functioning of the ear; and how auditory perception arises, including for speech and music. This block also focuses on the vestibular system, which is housed within the ear, and how this system gives rise to our sense of balance.
Block 5: Vision
This block is exclusively dedicated to how we sense and perceive visual information. It is the longest block, partly because the most is known about vision and because vision is, in many ways, the most complex of the senses. In this block, you’ll cover the nature and properties of light, the optical system of the eye, the processing of visual information within the brain, and how we perceive different elements of the visual scene, such as colour.
Block 6: The chemical senses
This block focuses on the related senses of smell and taste, as well as the sense of flavour. Topics covered include the molecular characteristics of substances that we smell or taste, the nature of the receptors involved, the coding of smell and taste, and how smell may be used in diagnostics.
There are no formal entry requirements for this module.
At The Open University, we believe education should be open to all, so we provide high-quality university education to anyone who wishes to realise their ambitions and fulfil their potential.
Even though there are no entry requirements, you’ll need appropriate study skills and knowledge obtained through:
Are you ready for SD329?
We recommend that you’ve completed:
You’ll get help and support from an assigned tutor throughout your module.
They’ll help by:
Online tutorials run throughout the module. While they’re not compulsory, we strongly encourage you to participate. Where possible, we’ll make recordings available.
Course work includes:
You’ll have access to a module website, which includes:
We also provide physical:
The OU strives to make all aspects of study accessible to everyone, and this Accessibility Statement outlines what studying SD329 involves. You should use this information to inform your study preparations and any discussions with us about how we can meet your needs.
To find out more about what kind of support and adjustments might be available, contact us or visit our Disability support website.
Signals and perception: the science of the senses (SD329) starts once a year – in October.
It will next start in October 2026.
We expect it to start for the last time in October 2027.
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