ARTH 7001OL - Introduction to Art History and Visual Culture

Online - Semester 1 - 2021

This core course introduces key concepts and principal methods and theories in the history of art used for the study of Italian Renaissance art and Contemporary art today. Topics to be considered include the changing definition of art, works of art as material objects, works of art in social, cultural, and political contexts, and display practices of museum and galleries. The course will not only enhance your enjoyment and understanding of art and visual culture for pleasure, but also develop foundation skills in writing and researching art history.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code ARTH 7001OL
    Course Introduction to Art History and Visual Culture
    Coordinating Unit Art History
    Term Semester 1
    Level Postgraduate Coursework
    Location/s Online
    Units 6
    Contact Up to 3 hours per week online with option to attend lecture
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange N
    Restrictions Available to GCertArtHist, GDipArtHist, MA(StArtHist) & MA(CuratMuseumSt) students only
    Assessment Participation (online discussion forum) 10%, Visual Analysis 25%, Academic Source Review 25%, Research Essay 40%
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Dr Lisa Mansfield

    Course Timetable

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

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    On completion of this course students will be able to:

    1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of major issues and ideas in Italian Renaissance and contemporary art.
    2 Analyse and interpret Italian Renaissance and contemporary images and objects. 
    3 Identify credible academic sources for evaluation and synthesis to form logical arguments.
    4 Communicate clearly and persuasively in writing and speaking.
    5 Use discipline-specific digital technologies and research tools.
    6 Work independently and cooperatively in problem solving tasks and small group discussions.
    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, 5
    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, 6
    Career and leadership readiness
    • technology savvy
    • professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
    • forward thinking and well informed
    • tested and validated by work based experiences
    1-6
    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, 4, 6
    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
    4, 6
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    Prescribed weekly readings will be available as an electronic reading list on MyUni.
    Recommended Resources
    There is no prescribed text for the course. The following books are useful for background reading:

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

    Johnson, Geraldine A. Renaissance Art: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2005. [BSL eBook]

    Stallabrass, Julian. Contemporary Art: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2006. [BSL eBook]*

    Stallabrass, Julian. Art Incorporated: The Story of Contemporary Art. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2004. [BSL eBook]*

    *Same content is covered in both books.
    Online Learning
    MyUni

    Announcements

    Discussion forum (prescribed questions and weekly discussion)

    Structured learning activities

    Text and image powerpoints

    Lecture recordings

    Assessment task instructions

    Turnitin (assessment task submission and plagiarism tool)

    External internet resources (museum and gallery websites; image databases; podcasts)

    BSL subject guides
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    This course is conducted online using MyUni for flexible self-directed learning (no attendance is required for lectures or tutorials held on campus). The course is supplemented with a diverse range of extracurricular enrichment that changes from year-to-year pending available resources and relevant to course content from one-off gallery or museum visits in Adelaide to external podcasts.
    Workload

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

    Structured Online Learning Total Hours 
    1 x 1-hour lecture recording per week 12 hours 
    2 hours online learning activities per week 24 hours 
    36 hours per semester
    Self-Directed Learning  Total Hours
    8 hours reading per week 96 hours 
    8 hours research per week 96 hours 
    7 hours assignment preparation per week 84 hours 
    276 hours per semester
    TOTAL WORKLOAD 312 HOURS PER SEMESTER
    Learning Activities Summary
    Module 1 (weeks 1-4)
    Introduction to art history and visual culture

    Module 2 (weeks 5-8)
    Introduction to contemporary art 

    Module 3 (weeks 9-12)
    Introduction to Italian Renaissance art
  • Assessment

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

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

    Assessment Summary
    Assessment Task Task Type Due Weighting Learning Outcome
    Online Learning Activities Formative and Summative

    During semester

    10% 1, 2, 4, 5, 6
    Visual Analysis Formative and Summative During semester 25% 1, 2, 3, 5, 6
    Journal Article Review Formative and Summative During semester 25% 3, 4, 6
    Research Essay Formative and Summative After semester 40% 1-6

    Assessment Related Requirements
    Students must submit the Research Essay (40%) to pass the course.
    Assessment Detail
    Assessment Task Description
    Online Learning Activities Students will be required to complete a variety of online learning activities based on weekly topics in Module 1 and Module 2 (equivalent of 1,000 words).
    Visual Analysis Students will be required to write a visual analysis (1,000 words) of one Italian Renaissance or one contemporary work of art from a prescribed list.
    Journal Article Review Students will be required to write a critical review (1,000 words) of one peer-reviewed journal article.
    Research Essay Students will be required to write a research essay (3,000 words) based on a prescribed question.
    Submission
    Assessment tasks must be submitted using Turnitin on MyUni by midnight of the due date.
    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
  • Fraud Awareness

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