High-Level Plan

Providing an overview of the Introduction to Art course

Course Overview

​Introduction to Art is a general education course that will help you gain appreciation into the arts by looking into the reasons we make art, how we make art, the role art plays in cultural and historical contexts, and how art can be used as a communication tool for social and political issues. The skills you develop from learning the vocabulary of art and the ways of looking at art will help you interpret works and situations beyond taste (like or dislike), consider various viewpoints before making a judgment, and analyze situations and artifacts in other disciplines. These skills will also get you to see art all around you.

The course is designed to be a general education online program delivered through an LMS for any learner looking to familiarize herself or himself with art. While geared towards first- and second-year higher education learners, high school seniors and art lovers are welcomed to take the course.

The course features 4 lessons to be completed over the course of 8 weeks. Through a combination of readings, videos, and studio projects, you will apply visual language to formally and contextually analyze works of art. Activities and assignments will suit both VAK and generational learning styles. Formal and contextual analytical skills will not only help you respond to art, but will also help across the curriculum and your career.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, upon completion of readings, discussions, videos, and written assignments, you will create an exhibition proposal to demonstrate the analytical and critical skills you gained. You should readily be able to accomplish the following:

• Accurately apply visual language in formal analyses of works of art.

• Examine techniques, media and materials used by artists that allow them to create their individual styles through identification and analyses.

• Summarize main characteristics and examples of major artistic movements and styles in written comparisons and written or oral analyses.

• Evaluate the functions, contexts, representation, and communicative nature of art (social, spiritual, political, etc.) in written comparisons and exhibition proposal/presentation.

Objectives for Lesson 1: By the end of lesson one, upon completion of readings, discussions, videos, and studio projects, you should be able to accomplish the following:

• Examine the values and importance of studying art by citing at least 3 reasons for studying it.

• Accurately apply at least 3 elements and all principles of art and design through hands-on application.

• Deconstruct works of art using elements and principles of art and Feldman’s method by applying Feldman’s method and correctly using at least 3 different elements and principles in your analysis.

Content Structure

For a more readable version, click on this link:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/tgnsoo71gf1d3ft/OSU_M1Assign_ContentStructure.pdf?dl=0

​Course Schedule