4.7
stars
237 ratings

Dale Purves

29,872 already enrolled

Offered By

Visual Perception and the Brain

Duke University

About this Course

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Learners will be introduced to the problems that vision faces, using perception as a guide. The course will consider how what we see is generated by the visual system, what the central problem for vision is, and what visual perception indicates about how the brain works. The evidence will be drawn from neuroscience, psychology, the history of vision science and what philosophy has contributed. Although the discussions will be informed by visual system anatomy and physiology, the focus is on perception. We see the physical world in a strange way, and goal is to understand why.

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Approx. 14 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: French, Portuguese (European), Italian, Russian, English, Spanish

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Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Approx. 14 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: French, Portuguese (European), Italian, Russian, English, Spanish

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.62/5 (27 Ratings)

Dale Purves

M.D.

Duke Institute for Brain Sciences

86,236 Learners

2 Courses

Offered by

Duke University

Duke University has about 13,000 undergraduate and graduate students and a world-class faculty helping to expand the frontiers of knowledge. The university has a strong commitment to applying knowledge in service to society, both near its North Carolina campus and around the world.

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating97%(3,214 ratings)

Week

Week 1

4 hours to complete

Background

4 hours to complete

20 videos (Total 131 min), 2 readings, 2 quizzes

20 videos

Course Introduction5m

Background: What We Actually See3m

The Strange Way We See the Physical World (part 1)8m

The Strange Way We See the Physical World (part 2)7m

The Inverse Problem7m

Summary of Topic One2m

Visual Stimuli4m

Making an Image5m

Summary of Topic Two1m

The Eye (part 1)10m

The Eye (part 2)4m

The Retina (part 1)7m

The Retina (Part 2)12m

The Primary Visual Pathway (part 1)10m

The Primary Visual Pathway (part 2)8m

The Visual Cortex (part 1)12m

The Visual Cortex (part 2)11m

The Concept of Receptive Fields4m

Summary of Topic Three2m

Summary of Module One1m

2 readings

About the Course10m

Grading Policy10m

2 practice exercises

Module1, Topic 130m

Module 1, Topics 2-330m

Week

Week 2

3 hours to complete

Seeing Lightness, Darkness and Color

3 hours to complete

17 videos (Total 116 min)

17 videos

Definitions4m

Discrepancies between Luminance and Lightness12m

More Complex Examples as Counter Evidence8m

An Empirical Explanation Based on Accumulated Experience (part 1)7m

An Empirical Explanation Based on Accumulated Experience (part 2)9m

Summary of Topic One2m

Definitions2m

Light and Color8m

How the Retina Initiates Color Vision (part 1)9m

How the Retina Initiates Color Vision (part 2)7m

Why Do We Have Color Vision?3m

Describing Color Perception12m

The Strange Way We See Color10m

An Empirical Answer (part 1)7m

An Empirical Answer (part 2)4m

Topic Summary3m

Module Summary24s

2 practice exercises

Module 2, Topic 130m

Module 2, Topic 230m

Week

Week 3

3 hours to complete

Seeing Space

3 hours to complete

19 videos (Total 129 min)

19 videos

Geometrical “Illusions”13m

The Inverse Problem in Geometry3m

Seeing the Length of Lines5m

An Empirical Explanation of Apparent Line Length (part 1)9m

An Empirical Explanation of Apparent Line Length (part 2)5m

The Perception of Angles5m

An Empirical Explanation8m

Seeing Object Size6m

An Empirical Explanation10m

Topic Summary2m

Definitions1m

Seeing Distance with One Eye12m

Seeing Depth with Two Eyes (Stereopsis, part 1)7m

Seeing Depth with Two Eyes (Stereopsis, part 2)5m

Explaining Stereopsis8m

Random Dot Stereograms and the Correspondence Problem7m

Binocular Fusion (part 1)6m

Binocular Fusion (part 2)7m

Topic Summary1m

2 practice exercises

Module 3, Topic 130m

Module 3, Topic 230m

Week

Week 4

1 hour to complete

Seeing Motion

1 hour to complete

9 videos (Total 55 min)

Reviews

4.7

66 reviews

5 stars
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4 stars
17.15%
3 stars
4.60%
2 stars
1.25%
1 star
1.25%

TOP REVIEWS FROM VISUAL PERCEPTION AND THE BRAIN

by RJApr 19, 2021

It's a good course but I find it so hard to understand the professor's words.

by CYSep 7, 2020

It is such a nice course. The lecturer is so inspiring and 'provocative'. The perception theory was explained in a very novel way.

by CMAug 5, 2020

simply GREAT course. The lecturer explained everything well. Thanks to him!!!

by SKNov 5, 2020

awesome course ..very helpful and full of knowledge

View all reviews

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The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.
Will I receive a transcript from Duke University for completing this course?
No. Completion of a Coursera course does not earn you academic credit from Duke; therefore, Duke is not able to provide you with a university transcript. However, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.

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Visual Perception and the Brain

Visual Perception and the Brain

About this Course