An Introduction to Sensory Systems

About the lecture

In this first mini-lecture, we begin with an overview of the human “sensory systems”. We introduce how the human body senses, via the general sensory system or through special senses such as vision or hearing. We then move on to discussing the ways in which we receive sensory stimuli, such as through touch or light. To finish off, we then examine the various mechanisms used by the human body to understand and process these sensory stimuli.

About the lecturer

Professor Jon Scott is a higher education consultant with over 10 years of experience in senior leadership roles, most recently as Pro Vice-Chancellor (Student Experience) at the University of Leicester (2015-19). On leaving that role he was given a life-time achievement award by the Students’ Union: ‘For excellent service and outstanding contributions to student experience’. Jon has extensive, ongoing experience as a reviewer for the Quality Assurance Agency in England and Scotland and he was a member of the main Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) Panel 2016-19. He has been engaged with AdvanceHE as an accreditor for the UKPSF for over five years and is a member of the Peer Review Quality Board. He was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship in 2012 and recognised as a Principal Fellow in 2013. Jon has wide-ranging experience of educational leadership and has published research papers in the fields of student experience and retention, academic integrity and assessment and feedback as well as core textbooks on Study and Communication Skills. He was named as UK Bioscience Teacher of the Year in 2011 and elected to a personal chair in Bioscience Education in 2012. Jon has worked widely with different universities as an external examiner and quality assurance adviser in the UK and internationally. In the latter context he is currently engaged as a quality assurance adviser to the Ministry of Higher Education in Afghanistan. He has undertaken large-scale reviews on behalf of different universities and advised on preparations for QAA reviews and professional body accreditations. Jon has championed the development of reward and recognition schemes in relation to teaching and learning and is also an experienced mentor, in particular supporting colleagues in developing leadership roles and preparing for promotion.