Syllabus for ART-167

HISTORY OF WESTERN ART II


COURSE DESCRIPTION

History of Western Art II is a survey of Western art and architecture from the 1600s to the present. Students will learn about the artists, architects, and social, political, and historical events and figures that formed the history of European and American art and architecture of this period.  Various trends and art periods, from Baroque through Pop art, are examined and discussed. The great masterworks, from “Night Watch” to the “Guernica,” are studied and compared.  This course is an excellent introduction to modern art and a good complement to the History of Western Art I (ART-166).

COURSE OBJECTIVES

After completing this course,  you should be able to:

  1. Identify and discuss works of art that represent the greatest achievements of Western civilization and define the Western visual tradition from 1600 CE to the present.
  2. Identify key periods or movements and summarize their essential visual features.
  3. Identify important artists and political figures and associate them with their works.
  4. Discuss the social, political, and historical events that influenced art history.
  5. Discuss the technological advances that influenced art history.
  6. Compare and contrast artists, styles, and techniques.
  7. Analyze the qualities that distinguish the great works, artists, and styles.

COURSE MATERIALS

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.

COURSE STRUCTURE

History of Western Art II is a three-credit online course, consisting of six modules. Modules include learning objectives, study materials, and activities. Module titles are listed below.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

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

History of Western Art II has six  graded online discussions, each focusing on a different subject. There is also an ungraded but required Introductions Forum Module 1.

Communication among fellow students and with the mentor is a critical component of online learning. Participation in online discussions involves two distinct assignments: an initial response to a posted question (discussion thread) and subsequent comments on classmates' responses. Meaningful participation is relevant to the content, adds value, and advances the discussion. Comments such as "I agree" and "ditto" are not considered value-adding participation. Therefore, when you agree or disagree with a classmate, the reading, or your mentor, state and support your agreement or disagreement. You will be evaluated on the quality and quantity of your participation. Responses and comments should be properly proofread and edited, professional, and respectful.

Written Assignments

History of Western Art II has six written assignments.

All of these written assignments have three parts; Written Assignments 4 and 5 also have a 4th part. In part 1, you are asked to define terms. You will find these terms in the textbook chapter readings and glossary and in the Study Guide. Identify each term before you give the definition. In part 2 you are required to answer the one essay question. Copy out the question before giving the answer. In part 3 you must select two essay questions to answer. Indicate the number of each question you choose to answer and copy out the question before giving your answer.

In part 4, which is part of Written Assignments 4 and 5, you are asked to submit preliminary work associated with your final project due at the end of the semester. You can get specific information about these preliminary project submissions in the appropriate written assignment as well as in the Final Project section of the course Web site.

Your assignments should be typed, double-spaced, with a minimum of two pages for each essay answer.

Take the time to read through the written assignment questions before you begin each module. Your answers to the assignment questions should be well developed and convey your understanding of the course materials. Do not copy the answers word-for-word; they must be in your own words. However, when it will strengthen your answer, you may quote or paraphrase relevant facts, ideas, and theories from your course reading materials; be sure to cite these references in an appropriate manner by using footnotes or endnotes.

Prepare your written assignments using whatever word processing program you have on your computer. Include your name at the top of the paper, as well as the course name and code and the semester and year in which you are enrolled.

Before submitting your first assignment, check with your mentor to determine whether your word processing software is compatible with your mentor's software. If so, you can submit your work as you prepared it. If not, save your assignment as a rich-text (.rtf) file, using the Save As command of your software program. Rich text retains basic formatting and can be read by any other word processing program.

Midterm Examination

You are required to take a proctored midterm examination.

For the midterm, you are required to use the University's Online Proctor Service (OPS). Please refer to the "Examinations and Proctors" section of the Online Student Handbook (see General Information area of the course Web site) for further information about scheduling and taking online exams and for all exam policies and procedures. You are strongly advised to schedule your exam within the first week of the semester.

The midterm exam is a closed-book, proctored online exam. It consists of multiple-choice questions, definitions, and essay questions. It covers all material assigned in Modules 1, 2, and 3 of the course and is two hours in duration. You will not be allowed to have any material with you.

Online exams are administered through the course Web site. Consult the Course Calendar for the official dates of exam weeks.

Statement about Cheating

You are on your honor not to cheat during an exam. Cheating means:

If there is evidence that you have cheated or plagiarized in an exam, the exam will be declared invalid, and you will fail the course.

Final Project

You are required to produce a final project in the form of a term paper that is due at the end of the semester. The final project will be worth 20 percent of your final grade for the course.

The term paper that you must produce involves comparing and contrasting any two artists featured in your textbook, any two art periods described in your textbook, or any two particular pieces of artwork.

Please note that in addition to submitting the final project term paper, you must make two preliminary submissions containing information about your project. For specific information about these two preliminary steps, see the Final Project section of the course Web site. This section of the Web site will also provide details about the final paper.

For details regarding the due date see the Course Calendar.

Final Project Expectations and Grading

When producing your final project term paper, you should always keep in mind what criteria your mentor will use to grade your work and what expectations he/she will have.

  1. Writing—quality of written work. You will be assessed on how well you present your work ,including how logically you develop your thesis, how well you articulate your position, and how well you support it. You will also be judged on your grammar, spelling, etc.

  1. Research—quality and depth of research. The quality and depth of your research will be reflected by your choice of sources you use to build and support your thesis together with how well you utilize them to formulate your own critical opinions. Be selective; just because something appears in print or on the Internet does not mean it is a reputable source.

  1. Thesis proven—quality of thesis and how it is supported throughout the paper. In essence, your thesis is your opinion on the topic you have chosen to research, and you will be judged on how well you can convince others that your opinion is valid. In this case your ability to argue your opinion in writing and support your argument(s) with reputable supporting material that reflects quality and depth of research will determine how convincing your thesis will be.

  1. Use of terms—demonstrated mastery of course terminology. One way to demonstrate that you have mastered a particular subject is the ability to use correctly any specialized terminology associated with it. Conversely, the improper use of specific terms will reflect a lack of mastery that will make readers question your knowledge and detract from your work.

  1. Comparison and contrast—quality and depth of comparison/contrast points. The main point of your term paper is to compare and contrast two subjects and your grade will be determined largely on how well you do this. You will be judged not only on how well you can point out the similarities and differences between the two subjects, but also on how much insight into these subjects you can demonstrate through original and well-articulated arguments supported by well-researched and reputable sources.


GRADING AND EVALUATION

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

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:

Study Tips

Consider the following study tips for success:

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:

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