ARTH 1001 - Introduction to Art History and Visual Culture

North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2016

As a product of human hands and minds, art is an enduring form of creative expression and symbolic communication that changes in meaning and status by engaging the intellect and emotions of the viewer across time and place. This course comparatively explores art and visual culture from the varied social functions of images and objects in the Italian Renaissance to global practices of original and reproductive digitalisation, politicisation, and bodily performance in the twenty-first century. Major art historical approaches used to shed light on the making and viewing of past and present forms of visual expression and cultural production are introduced. Students engage with a range of contexts that inform works of art, including the relationship between art and its methods of production and preservation, its engagement with society and installation in museum settings, and the different ways in which viewers respond to art and interpret the meanings and messages it conveys. The development of foundation visual literacy skills empowers students with life-transforming tools for interrogating and curating knowledge using authentic images and objects actively in the space of the modern art museum and gallery and virtually by employing visual technologies.

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Course Details

Course Code	ARTH 1001
Course	Introduction to Art History and Visual Culture
Coordinating Unit	Art History
Term	Semester 1
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	3
Contact	Up to 3 hours per week
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	Y
Assessment	Seminar participation 10%, Online revision module quizzes 15%, Exhibition review (1000 words) 25%, Research essay plan (500 words) 10%, Research essay (2000 words) 40%

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Dr Lisa Mansfield

Email: lisa.mansfield@adelaide.edu.au

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

Course Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this course students will be able to:

1	Demonstrate knowledge of major art historical methods and theories used for analysing forms and functions of art.
2	Interpret and contextualise past (old) and present (new) images and objects.
3	Evaluate and synthesise scholarly perspectives.
4	Formulate, conceptualise, and articulate informed and independent judgments, arguments and conclusions persuasively, creatively and theoretically.
5	Critically read and review the politics of display cultures in museum and gallery collections and exhibitions.
6	Use appropriate learning technologies and research tools with competence.
7	Work in a self-directed manner independently and cooperatively in collaborative problem solving tasks and small group discussions.
8	Manage and organise workloads to complete required readings and meet deadlines for assignments.
9	Understand the complexities of human creativity and diversity in local and global societies and cultures.

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Deep discipline knowledge informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1 accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)	1, 2, 5
Critical thinking and problem solving steeped in research methods and rigor based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment	2, 3, 4, 5, 7
Teamwork and communication skills developed from, with, and via the SGDE honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning	3, 4, 5, 7, 9
Career and leadership readiness technology savvy professional and, where relevant, fully accredited forward thinking and well informed tested and validated by work based experiences	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9
Intercultural and ethical competency adept at operating in other cultures comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges	1, 5, 8
Self-awareness and emotional intelligence a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate	7, 8, 9

Learning Resources

Required Resources

All required resources including prescribed readings for seminar workshops will be available on MyUni or downloadable online by searching the Barr Smith Library catalogue. Students will receive hands-on training in searching for required resources online early in the course.

Recommended Resources

Recommended texts:

Arnold, Dana. Art History: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2004.

Freeland, Cynthia. But Is It Art? An Introduction to Art Theory. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.

Johnson, Geraldine. Renaissance Art: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2005. [Barr Smith Library e-book].

Online Learning

MyUni will be used extensively for all prescribed and recommended course materials and external resources, including announcements, discussion boards, lecture recordings, and image databases.

Essential course information including the lecture and seminar schedule, assessment task instructions, and prescribed course
readings, will be available in a course handbook (pdf) on MyUni in the week before semester starts.

Pre-recorded lectures and online activities will also be posted on MyUni one week in advance throughout the semester.
Learning & Teaching Activities

Learning & Teaching Modes

Weekly face-to-face contact in live lectures, skill-building workshops, and content-based seminars are supplemented with pre-recorded lectures and online learning activities, including module revision quizzes to enhance student engagement
with the core concepts of the course as active participants. Each face-to-face lecture will pose at least one key question for
independent reflection, small group discussion and collaborative problem solving in the 2-hour seminar workshops. Art and visual culture as a universal form of human creative expression and communication provides a foundation for creating a stimulating, inclusive and supportive course culture.

The first module introduces course content in the lectures and equips students with basic skills of critical looking, thinking, and reading, referencing, planning, different types of art historical writing, research approaches, and assessment planning in face-to-face workshops. The second and third modules concentrate on art and visual culture content in old (Italian Renaissance) and
new (contemporary) western cultural and historical contexts complemented by seminar case studies for small group discussion and analysis. Assessed revision quizzes will conclude each content module.

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

Lectures: 12 hours
Seminars: 24 hours
Reading: 42
Research: 42
Assignment preparation: 18
Online activities: 18

TOTAL: 156 hours per semester

Learning Activities Summary

The course comprises three core modules:

Module 1 (weeks 1-4)
Introduction to art and visual culture: methods for studying images and objects; interpretative contexts for old and new images and objects; museum and gallery display cultures; how to write about art.

Module 2 (weeks 5-8)
Italian Renaissance art, society and culture.

Module 3 (weeks 9-12)
Contemporary art in a global world.

Specific Course Requirements

Students will be required to conduct independent and small group research tasks and learning activities in the Art Gallery of South Australia and online via MyUni.

Small Group Discovery Experience

Small group discovery experiences are embedded in all workshops and seminars for the course over 10 weeks. Seminars will accommodate up to 30 students over 2 hours and incorporate small group problem solving tasks based on the weekly lecture question, prescribed readings and responses to pre-recorded online activities in direct engagement with the course coordinator

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

Assessment Task	Task Type	Due	Weighting	Learning Outcome
Seminar participation	Formative and Summative	5-12	10%	1, 2, 3, 7, 8
Online module revision quizzes	Formative and Summative	Week 4, 8, 12	15%	2, 6, 7, 8
Exhibition review	Summative	To be advised	25% (1000 words)	4, 5
Research essay plan	Formative and summative	To be advised	10% (500 words)	6, 7
Research essay	Summative	To be advised	40% (2000 words)	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Assessment Related Requirements

This course has a minimum hurdle requirement of 80% attendance at seminar workshops.

Assessment Detail

Seminar workshops
Participation (10%): Students engage in small group discussion, reflection, analysis and collaborative problem solving on key case studies.

Online Revision Module Quizzes (10%):
Students will be required to complete an online revision quiz at the end of each of the three modules comprising multiple choice and short answer responses.

1000 word Exhibition Review (20%):
Students will be required to write a critical review of the old and new thematic hang of the Melrose Wing in the Art Gallery of South Australia.

1000 word Research Essay Plan (20%):
Students will be required to submit a starter bibliography, image list, and summary statement of key scholarly arguments pertinent to a set essay question on Italian Renaissance or contemporary art and visual culture.

2000 word research essay (40%):
Students will be required to write a 2000 word research essay on a set question focused on Italian Renaissance or contemporary art and visual culture.

Submission

The two major assessment tasks (exhibition review and research essay) must be submitted as word documents on Turnitin.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

Student Feedback

The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
Fraud Awareness

Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.

Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator