Unit 1

Title of Unit: Introduction to Executive Function

Course Content:

• Define Executive Function (EF)
• Role of prefrontal cortex in development of Executive Function (EF)
• Nature & Scope of Executive Function (EF) in everyday functioning

Suggested Teaching & Learning Methodology: Interactive lecture, watching videos & role playing

Suggested Hours: 1.5 hrs.

Unit 2

Title of Unit: Implications of strong Executive Function on mental health and life outcomes

Course Content:

• Examples of strong vs. weak executive function
• Relevance and impact of strong Executive Function (EF) on productivity, relationships and self-regulation over lifespan
• Mental wellness vs. mental illness and Executive Function

Suggested Teaching & Learning Methodology: Interactive lecture, watching videos & role playing

Suggested Hours: 1.5 hrs.

Unit 3

Title of Unit: Emotional Regulation and its relationship to Hot & Cool Executive Function

Course Content:

• Nature and scope of Hot & Cool Executive Function and its relationships with social-emotional regulation
• Relevance of pro-social emotions including patience, forgiveness, empathy and compassion
• Context-dependent EF demand shift and role of emotional regulation during emotionally charged situations

Suggested Teaching & Learning Methodology: Interactive lecture, watching videos & role playing

Suggested Hours: 1.5 hrs.

Unit 4

Title of Unit: Self-Directed Problem Solving (Mental Flexibility, Perspective Taking and Theory of Mind) and its relationship to Hot & Cool EF

Course Content:

• Impacts of Executive Function on coping and adapting during four types of transitions
• Empathize, identify needs to achieve common goals, strengthen adaptive flexibility, and increase awareness about social responsibility

Suggested Teaching & Learning Methodology: Interactive lecture, watching videos & role playing

Suggested Hours: 1.5 hrs.

Unit 5

Title of Unit: Cognitive Distortion, Implicit Bias and Executive Function

Course Content:

• Nature of cognitive distortions and development of mental framing
• Implicit bias, personal blind spots and barriers to self-regulation
• Evidence-based effective Executive Function strategies to manage implicit bias

Suggested Teaching & Learning Methodology: Interactive lecture, watching videos & role playing

Suggested Hours: 1.5 hrs.

Unit 6

Title of Unit: Social-Pragmatic Skills and Effective Communication

Course Content:

• Four parts to verbal and written communication
• Verbal vs. non-verbal communication
• Social application of skills and its impact on interpersonal meaning making

Suggested Teaching & Learning Methodology: Interactive lecture, watching videos & role playing

Suggested Hours: 1.5 hrs.

Unit 7

Title of Unit: Difficult Conversations and Ineffective Communication

Course Content:

• Framework of Assertive Communication and three ineffective communication styles
• Impact of nonverbal communication versus verbal communication and use emotional intelligence in the workplace
• Cultural and linguistic factors that shape difficult conversations
• Evidence-based strategies that improve skills during difficult conversations

Suggested Teaching & Learning Methodology: Interactive lecture, watching videos & role playing

Suggested Hours: 1.5 hrs.

Unit 8

Title of Unit: Role of Culture in Self-Regulation and its relationship to Executive Function

Course Content:

• Tight and loose cultures
• Role of culture in social regulation
• Role of linguistic and cultural diversity in meeting social and emotional requirements

Suggested Teaching & Learning Methodology: Interactive lecture, watching videos & role playing

Suggested Hours: 1.5 hrs.

Unit 9

Title of Unit: Inverting the Burden – Case Studies Approach (1)

Course Content:

Part I:

Integrative tools and methods that promote the transfer and generalization of social-emotional, cognitive, and executive function skills beyond the clinical setting into everyday situations

Suggested Teaching & Learning Methodology: Interactive lecture, watching videos & role playing

Suggested Hours: 1.5 hrs.

Unit 10

Title of Unit: Implications of strong Executive Function on mental health and life outcomes

Course Content:

Part II:

Integrative tools and methods that promote the transfer and generalization of social-emotional, cognitive, and executive function skills beyond the clinical setting into everyday situations

Suggested Teaching & Learning Methodology: Interactive lecture, watching videos & role playing

Suggested Hours: 1.5 hrs.

‘Leading with Executive Function’ is a course offered in the Ph. D. in Cognitive Sciences & Technology, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham.

Unlocking the Secrets to Self-Directed Problem-Solving, Flexible Perspective Taking and Effective Communication for Personal and Interpersonal Success Over a Lifespan.

Year of Introduction: 2022

Course Description:

Individuals who are engaged in their life with purpose and meaning are likely to demonstrate skills such as goal-directed persistence, future-focused intentions, self-motivation and strong interpersonal communication to change the course of personal and collective outcomes. The underlying skill set that supports and promotes such self-sufficiency, care and clarity is referred to as Executive Function that results from mature pre-frontal cortex and ranges from mental capacity to sustain attention, organize thoughts/ideas, prioritize actions, manage set-back, approach life flexibly, problem solve diligently, and think about the big-picture, in and beyond the current moment.

As we present social solutions for empowerment to the under-served communities and its members so that they become fully prepared to deal with ongoing challenges and overcome unrelenting circumstantial roadblocks, well cultivating Executive Function skills (demonstrated by the providers as well as the clients) can facilitate dynamic habit mastery, critical problem solving, perspective taking and long-term satisfactory self-management. More than knowing, doing what you know and doing when that doing is really hard to do is made possible by Executive Function and teaching these skills is the key that unlocks the personal and interpersonal success throughout the lifespan.

Learning Objectives:

This course is designed to present the neuroscience of Executive Function, cognitive psychology of effective communication and evidence-based strategies to improve these abilities directly and explicitly so that professionals can cultivate the necessary self-awareness and critical thinking skills essential to help themselves and others to self-discover, strategize and self-monitor for learning and life.

Pedagogy: 

• Participation in pre-post self-assessment
• Written summaries on Lessons Learned and three personal and profession practical applications on each lesson
• Case report and
• Video submission of role playing

Learner Outcomes:

Participants will be successfully able to

• Demonstrate understanding of nature and scope of Executive Function and its implications for positive life outcomes with self, co-workers, patients, caregivers/families and communities
• Formulate practical ways to manage dysregulated and unaware individuals effectively and productively through reflection through effective communication and social-emotional acumen
• Practice applying the model of effective self-regulation and Executive Function for self, co-workers, patients, caregivers/families and communities throughout a variety of exercises and case studies
• Recognize the impact of nonverbal communication versus verbal communication and identify techniques to transform difficult conversations into opportunities for improvement and relationship building
• Demonstrate understanding of how to advocate effectively, actively listen and communicate understanding and empathy.

Course Outcome:

Participants will be successfully able to:

CO1: Demonstrate understanding of nature and scope of Executive Function and its implications for positive life outcomes with self, co-workers, patients, caregivers/families and communities.

Formulate practical ways to manage dysregulated and unaware individuals effectively and productively through reflection through effective communication and social emotional acumen

Practice applying the model of effective self-regulation and Executive Function for self, co-workers, patients, caregivers/families and communities throughout a variety of exercises and case studies

CO2: Recognize the impact of nonverbal communication versus verbal communication and identify techniques to transform difficult conversations into opportunities for improvement and relationship building

Demonstrate understanding of how to advocate effectively, actively listen and communicate understanding and empathy.

Evaluation Pattern:

• Participation in pre-post self-assessment
• Written summaries on Lessons Learned and three personal and profession practical applications on each lesson
• Case report and
• Video submission of role playing

Employability:

By taking this course, participants will be successfully able to

• Utilize the understanding of the framework of Executive Function to improve patient care, community-relationship building and personal insights
• Conceptualize effective conflict resolution using Theory of Mind concepts to elicit cooperation
• Teach clients and families how best to speak on behalf of themselves to advocate effectively, and utilize resources created for them with great insight and
• Develop personal self-reflection practice to elevate emotional bandwidth to handle stress and burnout

Technical Requirements

• Zoom link for classes
• SurveyMonkey links for pre and post assessment surveys
• Moodle platform (Such as www.schoology.com) to upload class assignments and for students to submit their work, videos and comment on others’ submissions

• Sucheta’s Podcast “Full Prefrontal: Exposing the mysteries of Executive Function”
  • Relevant episodes will be assigned based on the topic of each session
  • (Note: Subscribe to Sucheta’s Podcast Full PreFrontal: Exposing the mysteries of Executive Function)
• Webinars Series by Sucheta Kamath
  • Relevant webinar will be assigned based on the topic of each session
• Textbooks used in the course:
  1. Executive Function in Education, Second Edition: From Theory to Practice Second Edition by Lynn Meltzer (Editor)
  2. Thinking fast and slow by Daniel Kahneman
  3. The Invisible Gorilla: How Our Intuitions Deceive Us by Christopher Chabriss