Syllabus

BCSC 251: Syllabus

Fall 2022

Time & Location

Tuesday & Thursday 9:40-10:55am
Harkness 210

Instructor: Jennifer Marsella
Email address:
Office hours: By appointment only, Zoom

Teaching Assistant: Hannah Sattler
Email address:
Office hours: By appointment only

Course Description

This course introduces the field of sleep science and medicine, in which we examine sleep from the level of cellular functioning up to sleep at the society level. Topics addressed include the neurochemistry of sleep, circadian biology, the history of sleep, normal sleep physiology, sleep across the lifespan, diagnostic sleep testing, sleep deprivation, sleep disorders, sex differences in sleep, the effect of sleep disruption on society, and dreams. Students will develop analytical skills by critically reading and discussing primary literature about various sleep topics.

Prerequisite: NSCI 201/BCSC 240. Third- and fourth-year students only.
Credit hours: 4

Course Objectives

Students who complete this course successfully will be able to:

  1. Recognize the underlying neurophysiologic mechanisms of normal sleep and wakefulness.
  2. Describe the different stages of sleep, circadian rhythmicity, and how sleep changes across the lifespan.
  3. Discuss common sleep disorders, their evaluations/testing, and their treatments.
  4. Explain the benefits of sleep and the consequences of inadequate or disordered sleep.
  5. Illustrate the impact of sleep on society through discussion of current news articles.
  6. Implement tools to assess sleep in yourself and others.
  7. Critically and systematically analyze the primary sleep literature.
  8. Formulate a presentation on a sleep topic of your interest.
  9. Design a sleep outreach project to promote sleep health in the community.
  10. Assess the presentations of your peers and provide constructive feedback.

Required Texts & Readings

There is no required textbook. All required readings are journal articles that will be electronically-available and posted on Blackboard. It is expected that students will complete the required readings (for class and for journal club) before class.

Other Recommended Reading

If you are interested in supplemental reading:

Sleep Science, 1st edition. Hawley Montgomery-Downs. ISBN: 978-0190923259. This is available at UR Library Course Reserves (online).

Course Work

Course learning activities provide opportunities for interaction with classmates and the professor and support active learning. The course learning activities are specifically designed to help students achieve the course learning objectives. Activities include:

  1. Class Discussions
  2. Quizzes
  3. Journal Clubs
  4. Discussion Boards
  5. Papers
  6. Presentations
  7. Peer Feedback

Major Assignments

  1. Journal Club: This will be an opportunity to read the primary literature for various sleep topics and learn how to systematically and critically evaluate scientific research papers. Please use the Journal Club worksheet when you are presenting. We will review this at our first Journal Club (no student presenter, but all expected to fill out the Journal Club worksheet). At all subsequent Journal Clubs, students will each present one paper on the date assigned. All students are expected to read every paper prior to class. Papers will be added the week prior to Journal Club.
  2. Sleep Diary Reflection Paper: A 1-2 page reflection paper (about 400-500 words) based upon your completed sleep diary. In this reflection paper:
    • Summarize your sleep diary/graph findings: what did you observe, what patterns do you notice, was there variability throughout the week, what interfered or helped your sleep?
    • Calculate your sleep efficiency and interpret this: what does this suggest about your sleep?
    • Take the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (on Blackboard), interpret your score on this scale in relation to what you found from graphing your sleep diaries, does it make sense? Why or why not?
    • Discuss your feelings about tracking your sleep. Were there any surprises? How does this compare to your thoughts about your sleep prior to tracking with these sleep diaries?
    • Discuss changes you would recommend to yourself to possibly improve your sleep quality and duration. How would you expect these changes to affect your sleep patterns/quality and why?
  3. Sleep Questionnaire Paper: A 3-4 page paper (about 1000 words) evaluating your chosen participant based upon at least 5 sleep questionnaires. In this Sleep Questionnaire paper:
    • Give a brief summary of your participant and aspects of their sleep you want to evaluate and/or potential sleep concerns you want to further explore
    • Explain your reasoning for choosing the 5 questionnaires that you did to help with your evaluation
    • Report the results of the 5 questionnaires
    • Interpret the results of the 5 questionnaires and how they fit together to form an assessment of the participant's sleep
    • Give your final assessment of your participant based upon the questionnaires, and include what next steps you would recommend, including further testing, treatment, or counseling (e.g. what advice you would give them)
  4. Quizzes: There are eight brief quizzes about course content on Blackboard. You may use class materials to help you answer the questions. This is an individual quiz, which should not be taken with others.
  5. Final Sleep Topic Presentation: Each student will give a mini-lecture on their chosen sleep topic with the opportunity to answer questions at the end of the presentation. This presentation should include:
    • Learning objectives for the talk
    • Reason for pursuing this topic
    • Background on the topic and the specific question(s) you are addressing
    • Underlying neurologic mechanisms
    • Relevant findings from the literature
    • A cohesive presentation of the key points
    • References
  6. Final Sleep Outreach Project Paper: A 4-5 page (about 1500 words) grant proposal for a community sleep health award. This paper will outline in detail (who, what, when, where, why, how) a proposed community-level sleep project/initiative. Think: something within sleep you are passionate about that can affect the larger community outside of college campuses, as well as the population on which you are most looking to make an impact. Be sure to include how you plan to implement this project, the literature that supports it, what you expect the impact to be, and possible barriers you may encounter.

Discussion Board Participation

In preparation for the Final Sleep Topic Presentation, there will be a discussion section in which we will share ideas and ask questions to improve these presentations, as well as to better understand sleep topics and readings under study. Your MINIMUM participation is three posts per discussion board prompt (one initial post and at least two responses to classmates' posts). I anticipate that you will be compelled to respond much more frequently than this. In addition, your postings to the discussion should be contributed over the duration of the module, not within the same brief session, to receive the maximum score.

  1. Discussion Board for Sleep Topic Final Presentation:
    1. The first post is an initial sleep topic idea based on course readings, lectures, activities, and interest. Classmates will respond with suggestions and other feedback.
    2. The second post is a literature review on at least three primary literature sources for their topic. Classmates will reply to this post with feedback on appropriateness of chosen studies to support the topic, recommendations for additional areas to include evidence, and other thoughts.
  2. Sleep in the Media: Each student will post one current news article, podcast, etc. related to sleep over the first half of the semester, along with a brief description of why they chose the media item, their thoughts, etc. Classmates will review these posts and respond weekly to one of the four posts (total of one submission and five responses) with how the submission fits in with what we are learning in class, anything interesting to note, etc.

Peer Feedback

Class members will provide feedback for six class members’ Sleep Topic Final Presentations.

Class Participation

Students are expected to attend all class sessions as this includes interactive discussion. If there is a conflict, please speak to the course instructor in advance to make alternate arrangements. Each absence from class will result in a one-point deduction from the Participation grade. All class interactions are expected to be respectful and supportive of an inclusive learning environment. Class members are also encouraged to ask questions in the class discussion board (“Ask a Question”) and respond to each other with meaningful replies to maximize their Participation score.

Questionnaires

There will be a questionnaire prior to the course start and at the end of the course. This includes questions on course content as well as course organization. This is graded for completion, not for accuracy. Please take this questionnaire individually and do not look up answers to questions. The pre-course questionnaire will help me to get to know you better. The post-course questionnaire will help improve the course for future years. This is anonymous and reviewed after grades are submitted.

Course Grading

Grading Policy

Assignments will be graded out of a certain number of points, which are equivalent to the percentage weight of the assignment. For example, the Sleep Questionnaire Paper is worth 10% of the total grade and will be graded out of 10 points. Major assignments will have an accompanying rubric for grading. Students should expect to receive feedback/grades on their assignments within 3 weeks after the due date.

Activity: Percentage (%)

  • Questionnaires
    • Pre-Course: 2
    • Post-Course: 2
  • Academic Honesty Attestation: 1
  • Quizzes (total of 8): 8
  • Journal Club: 4
  • Discussion Board
    • Sleep in the Media: 2
    • Peer Feedback to Sleep in the Media x5: 5
    • Sleep Topic Proposal: 1
    • Peer Feedback to Sleep Topic Proposal: 2
    • Sleep Topic Literature Review: 3
    • Peer Feedback to Sleep Topic Literature Review: 2
  • Papers
    • Sleep Diary Reflection: 5
    • Sleep Questionnaire: 10
    • Final Sleep Outreach Project: 15
  • Presentations
    • Sleep Topic Final: 20
  • Peer Feedback on Final Presentations: 6
  • Participation: 12

Total: 100

Final Letter Grades:

  • A 93-100%
  • A- 90-<93%
  • B+ 87-<90%
  • B 83-<87%
  • B- 80-<83%
  • C+ 77-<80%
  • C 73-<77%
  • C- 70-<73%
  • D 65-<70%
  • E <65%

Course Expectations and Information for Students

This is an upper undergraduate level course; therefore, students are expected to complete the readings, attend all class sessions, think/write critically, and actively participate in class.

All students are expected to do well in the course and the instructor will strive to help them achieve. The instructor also expects the students to be autonomous and "active" learners.

Students should also strive to help each other as best they can. The instructor expects everyone to be kind and courteous to each other and to ask questions, not only to the instructor, but also to fellow classmates. This class will really lend itself to student collaboration and "co-construction" of knowledge. The instructor expects that students will take advantage of that. In addition, the instructor expects the work students submit in this course to be their own. This is consistent with the University of Rochester policy on Academic Honesty.

For online discussions, you will need to post comments that are substantive. Substantive comments, for our purposes, are those that add insight, probe more deeply, challenge (intellectually), and generally help us learn. It is also helpful to post comments that are "social" in nature. So, while, "I agree" is not a substantive comment, it is a useful response in that it helps us know that we are being "heard". But you will need to post substantive comments to "get credit" for discussions. I also encourage you to edit before you post. This course is an upper undergraduate course; it is expected that you will carefully read and edit your work prior to sending it. It can be helpful to compose using a word processor to prevent cosmetic errors; this way you can concentrate on demonstrating your highest quality writing.

  1. ATTENDANCE POLICY
    Attendance is expected given the discussion-based nature of the course. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of class. Unexcused absences will result in a deduction in your participation grade and could result in missing information tested in quizzes. If you will not be able to make class due to a valid reason, please email me BEFORE class. If a Journal Club session is missed, please submit a completed Journal Club Worksheet (deadline for this will be discussed on a case-by-case basis). Please reach out to me in class or by email if you have any questions on this policy.
  2. PENALTIES FOR LATE WORK and REQUESTS FOR EXTENSIONS
    All assignments must be uploaded to Blackboard by 5pm on the due date. Late assignments will be accepted 24 hours past the due date (by 5pm the day after the due date), but will automatically lose 50% of possible points. Assignments past this time will not be accepted and will not receive any credit. Extensions may be granted in extenuating circumstances only if requested prior to the assignment deadline and approved by the instructor. Please review the course schedule of activities at the beginning of the semester so accommodations can be made if necessary.
  3. FINAL PRESENTATION
    The final presentation should clearly and effectively present your topic. Use slides to help convey the information you are sharing. Avoid wordy slides and do NOT read from your slides. Include references on the slides and a list of the references at the end. Make sure to complete your presentations within the allotted time.
  4. TECHNOLOGY POLICIES
    Laptops and tablets may be used in class to take notes or review journal articles. If non-class related activities are occurring on these devices, then the instructor will ask you to put them away. Cell phone use is not permitted during class. The University strictly prohibits the use of University online resources or facilities, including Blackboard, for the purpose of harassment of any individual or for the posting of any material that is scandalous, libelous, offensive or otherwise against the University’s policies. You are encouraged to follow appropriate online etiquette, and be kind, thoughtful, and supportive of your classmates.
  5. ACADEMIC HONESTY POLICY
    At Rochester, we are committed to academic excellence, which depends on academic honesty. Academic honesty means being truthful in our academic pursuits, maintaining ownership of our own work, and acknowledging our debt to the work of others. All assignments and activities associated with this course--including, but not limited to, collaboration, citation, and use of outside resources--must be performed in accordance with the University of Rochester's Academic Honesty Policy. Please review the Academic Honesty Policy online.

Resources for Students

  1. ACCESSIBILITY ACCOMODATIONS: The University of Rochester respects and welcomes students of all backgrounds and abilities. The University employs professional staff committed to assisting students with disabilities in the classroom, residence halls, libraries, and elsewhere on campus.
    In the event you encounter any barrier(s) to full participation in this course due to the impact of a disability, please contact the Office of Disability Resources. The access coordinators in the Office of Disability Resources can meet with you to discuss the barriers you are experiencing and explain the eligibility process for establishing academic accommodations.
    It is a personal decision to disclose the existence of a disability and to request an accommodation. A decision not to disclose will be respected. Students who request an accommodation must provide appropriate documentation to the Disability Coordinator. The University remains flexible regarding the types of reasonable accommodations that can be made. Students with disabilities are invited to offer suggestions for accommodations.
    Equal Opportunity at University of Rochester
    Disability Resources for Students
    You can reach the Office of Disability Resources at: disability@rochester.edu; (585) 276-5075; Taylor Hall.
    Services and reasonable accommodations are also available to students with DACA or undocumented status, to students facing mental health issues, other personal situations, and to students with other kinds of learning needs. Please feel free to let me know if there are circumstances affecting your ability to participate in class or your full participation in this course.
    Undocumented/DACA Student Support Contacts
  2. UR CARE Services: If you need any additional help, or are concerned about another student please visit UR CARE Network. You may also self-refer.
  3. ACADEMIC SUPPORT SERVICES: Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning
  4. WRITING ASSISTANCE: Writing and Speaking Center
  5. TITLE IX: All members of the University community have the right to learn and work in a safe environment free from all forms of harassment, including harassment on the basis of sex or gender. Students who have been subjected to sexual harassment, including sexual assault, dating/domestic violence or stalking, have the right to receive academic, housing, transportation or other accommodations, to receive counseling and health services and to make a report about such behavior to the University and to law enforcement. For more information please visit the website or contact the Title IX coordinator.

Disclaimer

The instructor reserves the right to make modifications to this information throughout the semester.