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ARA Art Appreciation and Human Development
Instructor
Mary Erickson, Professor in the School of Art at Arizona State University, developed and authored this course. See Credits for many others who contributed to its development. Your instructor may be Dr. Erickson or another faculty member, a faculty associate, or a graduate teaching associate.
Communication with Your Instructor
Your instructor will periodically post announcements to the course web site. You may view the posted announcements by clicking on the announcements link that is located on the main page. You should check for new announcements each time you visit the course web site. You may also email your instructor if you have any questions that pertain to course content. It is a good idea to include ARA 311 in the subject line of your email message so it can more easily be identified if mistakenly caught in a SPAM filter. Generally, you can expect a reply to questions within 24 hours from Monday through Friday. Please do not assume that your instructor is as readily available on weekends. You may contact your instructor with regular course content related questions via the following course email address: [e-mail] Do not email your course instructor questions related to the technical workings of the course website, (e.g. sound files, forms, etc...) Instead use the help link, which is located on the blue course menu buttons panel to contact technical support for this course. The technical support people will help you with your problem. If you have not requested help from the technical support department, any assignments that are emailed to your instructor may not be considered for grading due to technical difficulties.
Requirements
CLASS TEXT BOOKS: The required textbook is Chicano Art for Our Millennium Collected Works from the Arizona State University Community by Gary D. Keller, Mary Erickson, and Pat Villeneuve. Purchase your text at the ASU. bookstore. Or you may order it through the ASU bookstore or Amazon.com. TECHNICAL MINIMUMS: Because this course is entirely delivered via the Internet, you are responsible for making sure that the computer you use to access all course materials meets or exceeds the specified computer minimum qualifications as listed on the course web site. Also, due to the high media content of this course, you will be required to set up and configure a media player that will consistently play the mp3 files delivered via the course web site. Please note: You are highly encouraged not to enroll, or to drop immediately, if you do not have computer experience, or if you are not willing or prepared to assume the added responsibility of a computer-based course. Necessary required skills include downloading mp3s, surfing the net, conferring via email, and other intermediate computer knowledge. HIGH-SPEED CONNECTION NOTE: Although you can complete much of this course with a dial-up modem, a high-speed connection is strongly advised, when possible. Due to the nature of the course the site is very image intensive. Each page contains at least 4-6 high quality images
2 that may be slow to download on a slower connection. Where possible thumbnails have been provided to allow for the student to choose to download the larger image. Each unit contains one or more audio lecture components. These require an audio card and mp3 playing software. Unit Six is especially demanding of fast access. Plan to complete the online activities for that unit using a fast connection. If you do not have your own, you will need to schedule time on campus, at a library, with a friend, or at an Internet Cafe. The interactive exercises in Unit Six require the Flash plug-in be installed on your browser. Most browsers come with the Flash plugin pre-installed, however if your browser does not have it, you will need to download and install it on your system to run the interactive exercises. You can download the Flash plug-in for your browser at: http://www.macromedia.com/software/flash/ Time Expectations The Arizona Board of Regents has established an expectation of nine hours of work per week for a three-credit course during the fall or spring semester. During the abbreviated five-week summer session, that expectation translates to 25.2 hours per week. When assigned activities require less time, use remaining time to work ahead on major projects. Deadlines All quizzes, participation assignments, and major assignments are due before 11:30 PM Mountain Standard Time on their assigned due dates. Submitting Written Work Except when otherwise indicated, write in complete sentences and, for longer assignments, in paragraph form. Compose your work in a word processing program like Word or Works; proofread for clarity and grammatical mistakes; check spelling; use quotation marks to set off sentences or phrases of others include complete bibliographical references. Be sure to credit your source(s). See ASU policy for academic dishonesty and the section about plagiarism below. Cite not only the Web address but also the author or organization responsible for Internet references. Copy and paste your text into the Submit Boxes within the course assignment. Be sure to submit only the appropriate text in each box. You will not earn credit for text submitted in an inappropriate box. Plagiarism at Arizona State University Violations of academic integrity include, but are not limited to, cheating, fabrication, tampering, plagiarism, or facilitating such activities. Students that submit work that is not their own by either taking the work of others and presenting it as their own or neglect to make proper citations will receive an "F" for the assignment.
Courses Objectives:
In this course you will: 1) Reflect on the bases of your own art judgments. 2) Select an artwork and explain why it is developmentally appropriate for a target group. 3) Write a comprehensive description of an artwork. 4) Interpret an artwork. 5) Introduce an artwork and art ideas to a target audience. 6) Use developmental theories to analyze effectiveness of interaction with target group
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Grading
You can earn up to 1000 points in this course. Participation Activities There are six participation activities: two in Unit One and one each in Units Two, Three, Twelve, and Thirteen. You will earn 10 points for each fully completed and correctly participation activity. Quizzes There are16 five-item quizzes starting in Unit Two. Each quiz carries 15 possible points, three points per correct answer. Major Projects You can earn up to150 points each for the Proposal and Detailed Description assignments. You can earn up to 200 points each for the Contextual Interpretation and Target Group Analysis and Application assignments. See each assignment for weighting of points per section of the assignment. Final Grade Calculation 980-1000 = A+ 930-979 = A 900-929 = A870-899 = B+ 830-869 = B 800-829 = B770-799 = C+ 700-769 = C 600-699 = D 0-599 = E Withdrawal and Incompletes Deadlines for withdrawing from a course are listed under Academic Calendar on the ASU website. Incompletes are reserved for extreme situations. For example, the student has completed most of the work and falls ill or is injured towards the end of the semester.
Interrelated Activities
Your Artwork and Target Group Proposal (assignment #1) sets the foundation for the remaining three assignments in the course. Your instructor will contact you if your proposal is NOT approved, for example, if you choose an artwork from the Do-Not-Choose list or if a classmate submits the same artwork before you do. Once your instructor approves your choice of artwork you will investigate a number of aspects of that artwork as well as how you and your proposed target respond to it. One section of the Proposal (assignment #1) asks you to find and quote an art expert who shares your judgment that the work youve chosen is worthy of the extensive investigation you, and ultimately members of your target group will perform. Your Detailed Description and Contextual Interpretation (assignments #2 & 3) will broaden your understanding of your approved artwork and will also enrich your knowledge base for your Target Group Analysis and Application (assignment #4).
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Course Overview
Unit One: Introduction Unit One Part A orients you to the structure of the course and to your textbook, Chicano Art for Our Millennium. Unit One Part B asks you to think about how you judge art (Objective #1 ) Unit Two: What is Art and What Makes it Good? Unit Two Part A introduces the distinction between preferences and judgments (Objective #1). Unit Two Part B offers a broad overview of art definitions and art forms. Unit Three: Research on Art Viewpoints -- Artwork and Target Group Proposal due Unit Three Part A introduces Erickson and Clovers Viewpoints Theory of Art Understanding and asks you to apply it to more fully understand your own response to art #1 (Objective ). Unit Two Part B asks you to apply the Viewpoints theory to help you better understand a particular target group (Objective #2 ). Part B asks you to identify a key artwork to investigate and a target group to whom you propose to develop a plan to introduce the artwork. Your instructor will contact you if your proposal is not approved for example, if the artwork is on the Do-Not-Choose list or if a classmate has submitted the same artwork before you did. Unit Four: Physically Making and Caring for Art Unit Four Part A introduces a strategy for inquiring about art that distinguishes questions of fact from questions that call for conclusions. In addition, Part A introduces a key question about the technical features of an artwork: What tools, materials, and process did the artist use? Learning how to describe the technical features of an artwork is one important part of learning how to describe an artwork (Objective #3 ). You will need this skill to complete your Detailed Description assignment. Unit Four Part B introduces a second key question about caring for artworks: How is the artwork exhibited and protected from harm? Unit Five: Reproductions and Subject Matter Unit Five Part A introduces a key question about reproductions: How is the reproduction different from the original artwork? Unit Five Part B introduces a key question about subject matter: What people, places, and things does the artwork show? Part B also distinguishes subject matter from content or meaning. Learning how to describe any subject matter depicted in an artwork is an important part of learning how to describe an artwork (Objective #3 ). You will need this skill to complete your Detailed Description assignment. Unit Six: Visual and Tactile Features and How They Are Organized NOTE: You will need a fast connection to the Internet to complete this weeks work. Unit Six Part A introduces a key question about sensory elements: What visual and tactile features did the artist use?
5 Unit Six Part B introduces principles that describe how sensory elements are organized within an artwork. Learning how to analyze the formal organization of an artwork is an important part of learning how to describe an artwork (Objective #3 ). You will need this skill to complete your Detailed Description assignment. Unit Seven: Universal and Cultural Art Achievement -- Detailed Description due Unit Seven Part A asks you to complete a Detailed Description of the artwork you proposed and were approved to investigate. Unit Part B returns to developmental issues that affect how people understand and appreciate art (Objective #2 ). Part B introduces David Henry Feldmans Developmental Theory, especially his distinction between universal skills achieved by virtually all human beings and more specific achievements passed on within cultures. In addition part B applies Feldmans distinction between universal and cultural achievements to achievements in making and understanding art. You will need an understanding of developmental theory as the basis for your Target Group Analysis and Application assignment (Objectives #5 and 6). Unit Eight: Contextual Facts Unit Eight Part A focuses on two key questions that can affect what artists care about and how they work: What is the background and life experience of the artist? and What are the natural and built environments like where the artwork was made? Unit Eight Part B introduces two more key questions about function and culture: What do people think, believe, or do in the culture in which the artwork is made? and What does the artwork do? Facts about artists lives and the context in which they work are important evidence to help support an interpretation of the meaning or significance of an artwork (Objective #4). You will need to investigate contextual facts in order to build the foundations for your own Contextual Interpretation of the artwork you are investigating. Unit Nine: Artworlds and Advanced Art Achievement Unit Nine Part A introduces a key question about the culture within a general culture that specializes in making and understanding art, that is, the artworld: What art training, traditions, movements, and expectations surround the artist? An understanding of the artworld in which an artist works and in which her/his artwork is received is essential to the development of a persuasive contextual interpretation (Objective #4). You will need information about the artists artworld to incorporate into your Contextual Interpretation. Unit Nine Part B applies Feldmans more advanced levels of achievement to achievements in art. Part B also introduces other developmental theories that can guide the design of a plan targeted for a particular group. You will apply and investigate at least one developmental theory (in additional to Erickson-Clover and Feldman) to guide the design of your Target Group Analysis and Application assignment (Objectives #5 and 6). Unit Ten: Interpretation Unit Ten Part A introduces key questions about the viewpoints of non art specialists within a culture and about personal viewpoints: How is the artwork understood within the culture in
6 which it is made? and How do individuals personal experiences affect how they understand the artwork? Unit Ten Part B introduces key questions about the artists viewpoint or intention and the viewpoints of art speci...