Class Discussion Questions & Activities

1) Class acitivity: Take the Perception Test (Activity 3B in the Sadler and Tucker chapter). Did you get

all the questions correct? Why/why not? What impact did the idea of taking a “test” have on how you

answered the questions? What other factors were there in how you answered the questions?

2) Class discussion: Read Case study 1.5 on page 19 of the textbook (or see the extract) and in

groups answer the discussion questions that follow

3) Class discussion and Portfolio Exercise: Form groups and discuss the Tuohy article “The

Runaway Brain”. Write up your answers to include in your portfolio.

a. Summarise the arguments Tuohy is making about the impact of information overload on the

ways our brains work. Refer to information in the Lester (2003) and Sadler and Tucker (1981)

readings.

a. Do you think modern communication technologies such as mobile phones, email and the

internet might impact on our perceptual faculties? Has the advent of modern technologies such

as SMS, Facebook and Twitter have impacted our ability to read longer, more difficult texts?

Give examples from your group’s experiences.