This course teaches participants how to translate scientific discoveries into effective treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders. They will explore the bench to bedside process, from basic research to clinical applications. Participants will also work in project teams to research and evaluate the history of a treatment of their choice, based on real-world data and feedback. They reflect on the role of targeted basic research,
serendipity and clinical observations. This course offers the opportunity to discover the exciting challenges and opportunities of neuropsychiatric disease drug development!
This course explores the bench to bedside process for neuropsychiatric disease treatments. 2 hours of lectures alternate on a weekly basis to present either the clinical side or the basic research side of a disease. In the third weekly hour, in a flipped-classroom setting on-site, project teams explore the interplay between basic research and clinical needs based on existing treatments for a neuropsychiatric disorder of their choice. Students receive feedback on their project early during the semester through an intermittent evaluation by the lecturers in one lecture and peer feedback in a structured form at the end of the semester. The latter is jointly reflected upon in a last lecture during which the highest ranked projects are showcased. Lecturers additionally attend each other’s lectures and provide direct feedback to adjust course content. Students can use the EduApp anonymous question channels and engage in clicker question based sequences during lectures with lecturers and teaching assistants. Assessment is conducted by peer review and by a final exam. Exam relevant information is always highlighted throughout the semester on lecture material.
Encouraging Student Engagement
- We use student projects on the topic of the student’s own choice to speak to students intrinsic motivation.
- Active learning sequences with anonymous clicker questions are incorporated during and EduApp question channels in between lectures lectures to monitor learning and have a low threshold to participate.
- Student projects are conducted in groups which facilitates them to learn from each other and encourages social interaction – which was also extremely valuable during the pandemic.
- Question:
- Describe the innovative elements of your course/project.
- Answer:
- We use peer evaluation of student projects and include flipped classrooms lessons during which students can consult us during the crafting of their projects . The peer evaluation enables us to do project work despite large classrooms where students learn from their peer groups' topics and learn to evaluate other’s projects.
- Question:
- What effect did the innovative elements have on student learning?
- Answer:
- Since the flipped classroom projects are conducted on self-chosen topics students were intrinsically motivated and became very creative. Students had to understand content at a deeper level to be able to present the content to their peers. The structured evaluation gave them additional insights into improving their own projects. The flipped classroom allowed them to clarify their doubts so they could submit a more advanced project in a first place.
- Question:
- How did you ensure (continues) feedback on student learning progress?
- Answer:
- We used an intermittent round of project evaluation by the lecturers, in combination with EduApp anonymous question and answer channels throughout the course.
- Question:
- Which elements of your project would you recommend to others?
- Answer:
- We recommend “Peer Review” to enable project work in large classrooms. Self-chosen topics in the project work trigger the student’s intrinsic motivation. We further recommend anonymous channels for asking questions via the EduApp.
- Question:
- What discussion points are you particularly interested in when exchanging with other lecturers?
- Answer:
- We’d like to hear about the experiences of others that have used peer review for grading and whether they found this a reliable source to grade work in the absence of instructor grading.
Course Description
- Name:
- Translational Neuroscience
- Description:
- This course connects the clinical reality of common neuropsychiatric diseases to the underlying brain circuits, and explores how basic research helps to identify disease mechanisms and treatments. In a flipped-classroom setting, project teams will explore the interplay between basic research and clinical needs based on existing treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders.
- Objective:
- By the end of the course, students will be able to explain how changes in fundamental brain processes can give rise to neuropsychiatric disease. They will have an understanding of the clinical reality of diagnosing and treating such disorders. Ultimately, the students will be able to evaluate how basic research can address clinical needs, and they will be able to explain how preclinical research and treatment options for neurological diseases are linked, and how a treatment can evolve from the interplay between basic research and clinical trials. During the flipped classroom projects, students will learn to (1) critically read scientific publications for a specific disease and disease model; (2) synthesize the relevant information in a presentation; (3) evaluate each other’s presentations; (4) provide constructive feedback to their peers.
- Department:
- D-HEST
- Level:
- Final year Bachelor or Master level
- Format:
- 2x45min lectures 1x45min flipped classroom
- Size:
- 170
- Assessment:
- Admission requirement for assessment: semester project pass + peer review, End-of-semester examination (multiple choice and open questions)
