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URL: https://www.coursera.org/learn/visual-auditory-perception-sensory-neuroscience-course

⇱ Visual and Auditory Perception: How We See and Hear | Coursera

Visual and Auditory Perception: How We See and Hear

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Visual and Auditory Perception: How We See and Hear

Included with

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Beginner level

Recommended experience

8 hours to complete
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Beginner level

Recommended experience

8 hours to complete
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

  • Analyze how the brain transforms physical stimuli into perceptual experiences.

  • Synthesize knowledge of visual and auditory pathways to explain complex perceptual phenomena.

  • Describe the anatomical structures and neural mechanisms underlying vision and hearing.

  • Evaluate brain activity measurement techniques including EEG, fMRI, and TMS.

Details to know

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Recently updated!

February 2026

Assessments

19 assignments

Taught in English

There are 4 modules in this course

Unlock the Neuroscience Behind Your Senses — From Light Waves to Visual Experience, From Sound Waves to Conscious Hearing!

Discover the remarkable journey of how your brain transforms light and sound into the rich experiences of seeing and hearing. This immersive sensory neuroscience course combines cognitive psychology principles with hands-on demonstrations, including real eye dissections, live EEG recordings, and cutting-edge 3D visualisations. Ever wondered how a simple beam of light becomes a breathtaking sunset in your mind? Or how vibrations in the air transform into your favourite song? The Visual and Auditory Perception course takes you on a fascinating journey through sensory neuroscience, revealing the extraordinary mechanisms that allow your brain to interpret the world around you. This comprehensive course examines sensory information processing from a cognitive psychology perspective, guiding you from basic sensory inputs to complex neural processing. You'll explore how physical stimuli—light entering your eyes and sound entering your ears—undergo remarkable transformations to become conscious perceptual experiences. What Makes This Course Unique: ✅ Real Anatomical Dissections — Watch detailed video footage of eye dissections demonstrating visual system anatomy ✅ Live EEG Recordings — Observe actual brain activity measurements conducted with human participants ✅ Field Experiments — Experience age-related hearing demonstrations including mosquito-tone experiments ✅ Stunning 3D Visualizations — Explore computer-generated graphics illustrating sensory organs in clear, spatial formats ✅ Theory Meets Practice — Bridge neuroscientific principles with real-world applications you can observe in daily life Join thousands of learners discovering how their brains create the experience of seeing and hearing. This comprehensive journey through sensory neuroscience combines rigorous science with engaging demonstrations—accessible to beginners, valuable to professionals.

Explore the remarkable organ that captures light and initiates vision, examining eye anatomy, photoreceptor cells (rods and cones), and how light energy converts into electrical signals the brain can interpret. This module features detailed video footage of real eye dissections demonstrating visual system structures.

What's included

6 videos5 readings5 assignments2 plugins

6 videos•Total 43 minutes
  • Welcome our course!•3 minutes
  • Visual Perception - Functions of the Eyes•7 minutes
  • Practical Examination of Eye Anatomy 1/2•8 minutes
  • Practical Examination of Eye Anatomy 2/2•8 minutes
  • Visual Impairments / Color Perception•9 minutes
  • Peripheral Vision / Blind Spot / Retinal Ganglion Cells•8 minutes
5 readings•Total 50 minutes
  • Course Overview•10 minutes
  • Lecture Outline: Anatomy and Function of Eyes•10 minutes
  • Grading & Logistics•10 minutes
  • Course TA•10 minutes
  • Answer•10 minutes
5 assignments•Total 50 minutes
  • Anatomy and Function of the Eyes•20 minutes
  • Functions of the Eyes•6 minutes
  • Practical Examination of Eye Anatomy•6 minutes
  • Visual Impairments / Color Perception•9 minutes
  • Peripheral Vision / Blind Spot / Retinal Ganglion Cells•9 minutes
2 plugins•Total 30 minutes
  • Learner's Survey•15 minutes
  • Questions and Comments•15 minutes

Follow visual information as it travels from the retina through complex neural pathways to the visual cortex, learning how the brain detects features, recognizes objects, and creates coherent perception from raw sensory data. This module features stunning 3D visualizations of neural pathways and processing centers.

What's included

5 videos1 reading6 assignments

5 videos•Total 25 minutes
  • Processing of Visual Information in the Brain•5 minutes
  • Depth Perception•7 minutes
  • Object Perception•4 minutes
  • Motion Perception•4 minutes
  • Action and Perception Integration•5 minutes
1 reading•Total 10 minutes
  • Lecture Outline: Processing of Visual Information in the Brain•10 minutes
6 assignments•Total 53 minutes
  • Processing of Visual Information in the Brain•20 minutes
  • Processing of Visual Information in the Brain•3 minutes
  • Depth Perception•9 minutes
  • Object Perception•6 minutes
  • Motion Perception•9 minutes
  • Action and Perception Integration•6 minutes

Master the essential tools neuroscientists use to study living brains, exploring three key techniques: EEG for recording electrical activity, fMRI for visualizing brain function, and TMS for non-invasive brain stimulation. This module features live EEG recordings conducted with human participants.

What's included

4 videos1 reading5 assignments

4 videos•Total 40 minutes
  • Methods for Measuring Brain Activity in Humans•11 minutes
  • EEG Demonstration: How the brain responds to the visual stimulus.•11 minutes
  • MEG/fMRI/NIRS•8 minutes
  • Methods for Brain Stimulation•10 minutes
1 reading•Total 10 minutes
  • Lecture Outline: Methods for Measuring Brain Activity and Brain Stimulation•10 minutes
5 assignments•Total 50 minutes
  • Methods for Measuring Brain Activity and Methods for Brain Stimulation•20 minutes
  • Methods for Measuring Brain Activity in Humans•9 minutes
  • EEG Demonstration: How the brain responds to the visual stimulus.•3 minutes
  • MEG/fMRI/NIRS•12 minutes
  • Methods for Brain Stimulation•6 minutes

Discover how air vibrations transform into conscious hearing by exploring auditory anatomy from outer ear to cochlea, tracing neural pathways to the auditory cortex, and understanding age-related changes in hearing capabilities. This module features age-related hearing demonstrations including mosquito-tone field experiments.

What's included

5 videos2 readings3 assignments1 plugin

5 videos•Total 35 minutes
  • Auditory Perception•8 minutes
  • Demonstration: Mosquito Sounds (Difference in Age)•7 minutes
  • Mosquito Sounds in Daily Life•9 minutes
  • Auditory Nerve Fibers Journey to Auditory Cortex •9 minutes
  • Course Summary•2 minutes
2 readings•Total 20 minutes
  • Lecture Outline: Auditory Perception•10 minutes
  • Recommended Book•10 minutes
3 assignments•Total 44 minutes
  • Auditory Perception•20 minutes
  • Auditory Perception•9 minutes
  • Auditory Nerve Fibers Journey to Auditory Cortex •15 minutes
1 plugin•Total 15 minutes
  • Post-Course Survey•15 minutes

Instructor

The University of Tokyo
1 Course•526 learners

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Frequently asked questions

Visual and auditory perception refers to the brain's remarkable ability to transform physical stimuli—light waves and sound waves—into meaningful conscious experiences. This course explores how neural pathways process sensory information, converting raw inputs into the sights and sounds we perceive.

This course reveals how our brains transform physical stimuli into meaningful perceptions. Understanding these processes is crucial for fields ranging from psychology and neuroscience to medicine and technology design.

Understanding sensory neuroscience develops valuable skills in neurology, electrophysiology, medical imaging, and psychology—applicable across healthcare, research, biomedical engineering, and technology sectors.

You'll be able to explain neural mechanisms behind vision and hearing, interpret brain activity data, understand the basis of common sensory impairments, and apply neuroscience principles to real-world perceptual phenomena.

The course is ideal for students in neuroscience, psychology, and cognitive science; healthcare professionals; and anyone fascinated by brain function and sensory perception.

Absolutely! Healthcare professionals will gain valuable insights into sensory system function, brain measurement techniques, and neural processing—knowledge directly applicable to patient care and clinical practice.

The course consists of four modules totalling approximately 4-5 hours of video content, plus additional time for assignments and self-assessment activities.

No specific prerequisites are required, though basic knowledge of biology and brain structure is helpful. The course is designed to be accessible to beginners while still engaging for those with prior knowledge.

No! This beginner-level course requires no prior neuroscience experience. While basic understanding of biology and human anatomy is helpful, it's not required. We build your knowledge progressively from foundational concepts.

Our course uniquely combines real anatomical dissections, live EEG recordings with human participants, age-related hearing field experiments, and stunning 3D visualizations. This hands-on approach bridges theory with observable demonstrations.

Topics include sensation vs. perception, anatomy of sensory organs, photoreceptors and hair cells, neural pathways, brain imaging techniques, perceptual phenomena, and the neuroscience of visual and auditory processing.

You'll learn about EEG (electroencephalography), fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging), and TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) through real demonstrations and expert explanations.

Our course features computer-generated three-dimensional graphics illustrating sensory organs and neural pathways in clear, spatial formats—making complex anatomical structures easy to understand and remember.

The course features expert lectures, real dissection footage, EEG demonstrations, 3D visualizations, and interactive assessments that create an engaging, multimedia learning experience.

To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. 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.

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.

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.

Financial aid available,