Syllabus for ART-100

A WORLD OF ART

COURSE DESCRIPTION

A World of Art is an art appreciation course that covers the sweep of Western art from its earliest sources to its most recent developments. The course covers a range of media that have defined visual art over time: painting and sculpture; architecture and decorative arts; photography and drawing; mixed media; and assemblage and installation art. This course demonstrates ways that the visual arts have echoed the human experience across the ages. A key theme is the way that art reflects both continuity with previous tradition and transformation as artists continually create something new. Course content is drawn from the Teaching Company's "Art Across the Ages" course by Professor Ori Z. Soltes.

COURSE TOPICS

Continuity and transformation in art
Paleolithic art
Art and religion
Greek art
Hellenistic art
Etruscan art
Roman art
Judaean and Jewish art
Christian art
Medieval art
Romanesque and Gothic art
Islamic art
Renaissance art
The Reformation and Counter-Reformation
Mannerism
The Baroque
Romanticism
Impressionism
Realism
Fauvism
Cubism
Surrealism
Figuration and abstraction
Sculpture
Terminology
Artists as representative of various periods

COURSE OBJECTIVES

After completing this course, you should be able to:

Explain the tension between continuity and transformation in the history of art.
Discuss ways that visual art echoes human experience.
Differentiate between different periods and styles of art.
Examine the interplay between art and the areas of religion, politics, and culture.
Discuss varying styles of representation and abstraction.
Examine the emergence of artistic self preoccupation.
Demonstrate appreciation of various types of visual art.

COURSE MATERIAL

You will need the following materials to complete your coursework. Some course materials may be free, open source, or available from other providers. You can access free or open-source materials by clicking the links provided below or in the module details documents. To purchase course materials, please visit the University's textbook supplier.

Art Across the Ages (The Great Courses Series) by Dr. Ori Z. Soltes, Georgetown University. 48 half-hour videos streamed for you within the course.

COURSE STRUCTURE

A World of Art is a three-credit online course, consisting of eleven modules. Modules include an overview, topics, learning objectives, study materials, and activities. Module titles are listed below.

Module 1: Introduction and Early Greek Art
Course objectives covered in this module: 1, 3, 4

Module 2: Classical Greek and Early Christian Art
Course objectives covered in this module: 1, 3, 4

Module 3: Christian, Islamic, and Jewish Art
Course objectives covered in this module: 1, 2, 3, 4

Module 4: The Early Renaissance
Course objectives covered in this module: 1, 2, 3, 7

Module 5: The High Renaissance
Course objectives covered in this module: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Module 6: The North and the Reformation
Course objectives covered in this module: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7

Module 7: The Counter-Reformation
Course objectives covered in this module: 3, 7

Module 8: Revolution and Romanticism
Course objectives covered in this module: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Module 9: Realism and the End of the Nineteenth Century
Course objectives covered in this module: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Module 10: The Twentieth Century
Course objectives covered in this module: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Module 11: Modern Art
Course objectives covered in this module: 1, 3

ASSESSMENT METHODS

For your formal work in the course, you are required to participate in online discussion forums, complete written assignments, and complete a final project. See below for details.

Consult the Course Calendar for assignment due dates.

Promoting Originality

One or more of your course activities may utilize a tool designed to promote original work and evaluate your submissions for plagiarism. More information about this tool is available in this document.

Discussion Forums

You are required to participate in eleven graded discussion forums as well as an ungraded Introductions Forum. The online discussions are on a variety of topics associated with the course modules.

Located within the Evaluation Rubrics section of the course Web site is the online discussion forum rubric used to aid in the grading of all online discussions.

Written Assignments

You are required to complete ten written assignments. The written assignments are on a variety of topics associated with the course modules.

Located within the Evaluation Rubrics folder on the course Web site is the written assignment rubric used to aid in the grading of all written assignments.

Final Project

There is no midterm or final examination in this course. A paper of 2500 to 3000 words acts as your final assessment and is worth 20 percent of your grade. You may begin work on this paper at any time during the course, but you must submit it by the last day of the semester.

The final paper will allow you to demonstrate your mastery of course objectives and concepts.

A full description of the paper is provided within the course.

Located within the Evaluation Rubrics folder on the course Web site is the final paper rubric used to aid in the grading of the final project.

GRADING AND EVALUATION

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

Discussion forums (11)—20 percent
Written assignments (10)—60 percent
Final project—20 percent

All activities will receive a numerical grade of 0–100. You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted. Your final grade in the course will be a letter grade. Letter grade equivalents for numerical grades are as follows:

A	=	93–100	C+	=	78–79
A–	=	90–92	C	=	73–77
B+	=	88–89	C–	=	70–72
B	=	83–87	D	=	60–69
B–	=	80–82	F	=	Below 60

To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of C or better (for an area of study course) or D or better (for a course not in your area of study), based on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings, etc.).

STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

First Steps to Success

To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:

Read carefully the entire Syllabus, making sure that all aspects of the course are clear to you and that you have all the materials required for the course.

Take time to read the entire Online Student Handbook. The Handbook answers many questions about how to proceed through the course and how to get the most from your educational experience at Thomas Edison State University.

Familiarize yourself with the learning management systems environment—how to navigate it and what the various course areas contain. If you know what to expect as you navigate the course, you can better pace yourself and complete the work on time.

If you are not familiar with Web-based learning be sure to review the processes for posting responses online and submitting assignments before class begins.

Study Tips

Consider the following study tips for success:

To stay on track throughout the course, begin each week by consulting the Course Calendar. The Calendar provides an overview of the course and indicates due dates for submitting assignments, posting discussions, and scheduling and taking examinations.

Check Announcements regularly for new course information.

ACADEMIC POLICIES

To ensure success in all your academic endeavors and coursework at Thomas Edison State University, familiarize yourself with all administrative and academic policies including those related to academic integrity, course late submissions, course extensions, and grading policies.

For more, see: