Readings & Videos

Required textbook: Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields, Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, 4th ed. (New York: Thames and Hudson, 2023), ebook

This course includes a number of reading assignments. The required textbook is the interactive ebook listed above. I will not be “teaching the text,” but you will likely find information from Chapter 3 especially useful to supplement the lectures, and I strongly encourage you to fully explore the textbook and the digital resources that accompany it. There will be 4 quizzes on the assigned textbook readings, and questions based on those readings (specifically Chapters 1 and 2) will also be included in the Final Exam. The InQuizitive Exercises that accompany the book are not mandatory, but students are strongly encouraged to complete them to prepare for the quizzes and exams.

In addition to the textbook, four other required readings and/or instructional videos will be assigned and made available on Canvas, all of which will be accompanied by Reflection Assignments (detailed instructions on Canvas). I will also share optional “bonus” materials (articles, websites, videos, etc.) chosen to further enrich your experience with this course.

  Course Delivery and Objectives

This course uses a combination of lectures (PowerPoint with voiceover), readings, and videos, accompanied by quizzes, reflections, and other assignments, all of which have firm deadlines designed to help students avoid procrastination and work at a steady pace, and are posted on Iowa State University’s Canvas platform. For this reason, it is essential that students have regular and reliable internet access. There are also a Midterm Exam and Final Exam. Students should plan to spend at least nine hours per week to achieve the learning outcomes listed below. This is the standard minimum according to federal guidelines, as outlined by the Iowa State University Registrar’s Office. Additionally, students are responsible for reading Announcements posted on Canvas and should check their ISU email at least once a day to be sure they are aware of all news related to our class.

  Main Objectives

This class has five main Course Learning Objectives:

• CLO 1: Students will identify themes in visual culture that illustrate shared concerns among people regardless of when or where they lived, including survival, leadership, death and the afterlife, social construct, spirituality, ideal beauty, and more.
• CLO 2: Students will correctly employ the terms and vocabulary necessary to describe the formal elements of visual culture, relating to line, color, proportion, perspective, etc.
• CLO 3: Students will produce cogent essays comparing the visual culture of different communities in terms of style, materials, content, etc., identifying the most important elements that illustrate shared concerns as well as cultural differences, with an emphasis on “how” and “why.”
• CLO 4: Students will identify and share visual culture items found online and/or in the physical environment that correlate to themes discussed in lectures and readings.
• CLO 5: Students will be able to identify elements of visual culture surrounding them today that they likely had not perceived prior to taking this course.

  Slide PDFS

On Canvas you will find PDFs of the slides for each lecture. These are provided as a useful tool to make the artworks and captions easily accessible when you are completing the Lecture Reflections.

Please note: Publication of these PDFs or any of our course material on online “study” sites such as Chegg, Course Hero, Study Blue, etc., constitutes intellectual theft and is strictly forbidden. If materials show up online, I will no longer provide these PDFs on Canvas and will limit downloadable items.

  Other Assignments

Quizzes and Exams

There are weekly Lecture Quizzes; four (4) quizzes based on the Gateways to Art textbook (Chapters 1 and 2); and Midterm and Final Exams for this class. Questions for each are pulled from test banks, so each quiz or exam is different. All quizzes and exams:

• are completed online through Canvas
• are open-note
• will be available on Canvas for at least 24 hours
• have time limits
• With the exception of the Midterm and Final Exams, each quiz may be taken twice; only the higher score will be counted. NOTE: The quizzes will not be identical.

Formal Analysis

Students will write a short (750 words) Formal Analysis based on a Movie Poster of their choice. You will be asked to consider how the designer used line, color, realism/abstraction, and other elements of design discussed in Chapter 1 and Chapter 2.7 of our textbook, and whether the poster effectively represents the mood, content, etc., of the film it advertises. The poster and film can be from any nation, genre, or year. More detailed instructions are on Canvas.

  Discussion Forums

In order to get to know one another a bit and to share ideas and opinions, we will be making use of the Discussion Forums on Canvas. The first two Discussion Assignments consist of a simple acknowledgment that you have read and understand the Course Policies, Syllabus, and Calendar, and short (approx. 150 words) Icebreaker, in which you introduce yourself and then respond to at least two other introductions by your peers. 

Other discussions will be in the form of four Foraging Expeditions. All students are expected to “forage” for significant articles, news items, blogs, or postings on the Internet that are relevant to the topics discussed in the lectures. Students will be divided into Teams of about a dozen people each, and each team will have its own Forum. Once every three or four weeks (approximately) you should “bring back to camp” some item from the Internet and post it in your Foraging Forum in the form of a link or uploaded image, along with a discussion of how it connects with our lectures or readings. In addition to displaying your own foraged item, you should respond to postings by at least two of your teammates. More detailed instructions are posted on Canvas.[1]

[1] This exercise is shamelessly adapted from Dr. John Cunnally’s Spring 2019 ArtH 292 Syllabus!

  Grading

Assignment weight percentages are distributed as follows:

This course uses +/- grading.

The greatest challenge to achieving a good grade in an online course is procrastination. You may find it helpful to coordinate with fellow students to watch the lectures together at a regular time. This not only creates accountability, but can also help students feel less isolated and make the class more enjoyable. All work must be your own, though. Students may not share answers to quizzes and exams. There is a Discussion Forum open for anyone looking for study partners.

Tips for Success

• For all quizzes and other assignments, read the instructions and questions carefully. Reading them aloud can make a real difference!
• When taking notes during the lectures, focus on information that relates most closely to the theme (death and the afterlife, leaders and deities, etc.). Don’t worry about copying information written on the slide.
• For Lecture Quizzes, on another tab, open the corresponding Lecture PDF(s) for easy access to caption information or terms. You may consult these slides easily while taking the quizzes!
• Review each quiz carefully before submitting it, and when necessary, check your spelling.
• For all other assignments, review the instructions once more before turning in your work, to be sure that you have done what is actually required.
• If you are confused about anything, reach out to your TA or to me! 

  Learning Resources 

If you want help improving your study habits or writing skills, taking notes, overcoming stress, or beating procrastination, check out the Academic Success Center, (515) 294-6624. There are online tools available; you can also work with someone one-on-one to help reach your goals. 

      On Inclusiveness and Wellbeing

Class rosters are provided to the instructor with the student's legal name. I will gladly honor your request to address you by an alternate name or gender pronoun. Please advise me of this preference early in the semester so that I may make appropriate changes to my records. 

Students are responsible for living the tenants established in ISU's Principles of Community: respect, purpose, cooperation, richness of diversity, freedom from discriminations, and the honest and respectful expression of ideas. Visit ISU's Principles of Community website. 

Iowa State University is committed to proactively facilitating the well-being of all students. We welcome and encourage students to contact the following on-campus services for assistance regarding their physical, intellectual, occupational, spiritual, environmental, financial, social, and/or emotional needs: 

• Student Wellness call (515) 294-1099 or via website ISU: Student Wellness.
• Thielen Student Health Center call (515) 294-5801 (24/7 Medical Advice) or via website ISU: Thielen Student Health Center.
• Student Counseling Services call (515) 294-5056 or via website ISU: Student Counseling Services.
• Recreation Services call (515) 294-4980 or via website ISU: Recreation Services. 

Links to an external site.

  Emergency Awareness

• Call 911 in case of emergency. Report suspicious activity or objects to ISU Police at (515) 294-4428.
• During a campus emergency, go to Iowa State University website for additional information. 
• Classroom management emergencies:
  • Call ISU Police for immediate health/safety classroom concerns at (515) 294-4428
  • For other concerns regarding classroom manager, contact the instructor and/or chair of the academic department for guidance. 
• Know the following information posted in your building Emergency Map:
  • Locate the evacuation routes.
  • Locate the severe weather shelter areas
• Keep your contact information up-to-date in the ISU Alert
• Additional emergency information is available at ISU: Student Emergency and Safety Information.
• ISU PD Facebook
• ISU Twitter
• To be better prepared during an act of violence on campus and understand the principles of A-D-D (Avoid Deny Defend), please attend Violent Incident Response Training (VIRT). 

Recommended ISU Syllabus Statements

Academic Honesty

The class will follow Iowa State University’s policy on academic misconduct (5.1 in the Student Code of Conduct). Students are responsible for adhering to university policy and the expectations in the course syllabus and on coursework and exams, and for following directions given by faculty, instructors, and Testing Center regulations related to coursework, assessments, and exams. Anyone suspected of academic misconduct will be reported to the Office of Student Conduct in the Dean of Students Office. Information about academic integrity and the value of completing academic work honestly can be found in the Iowa State University Academic Integrity Tutorial.

Accessibility Statement

Iowa State University is committed to advancing equity, access, and inclusion for students with disabilities. Promoting these values entails providing reasonable accommodations where barriers exist to students’ full participation in higher education. Students in need of accommodations or who experience accessibility-related barriers to learning should work with Student Accessibility Services (SAS) to identify resources and support available to them. Staff at SAS collaborate with students and campus partners to coordinate accommodations and to further the academic excellence of students with disabilities. Information about SAS is available online at www.sas.dso.iastate.edu, by email at accessibility@iastate.edu, or by phone at 515-294-7220.

Discrimination and Harassment

Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, ethnicity, religion, national origin, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. Veteran. Inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies may be directed to Office of Equal Opportunity, 3410 Beardshear Hall, 515 Morrill Road, Ames, Iowa 50011, Tel. 515-294-7612,  Hotline 515-294-1222, email eooffice@iastate.edu

Mental Health and Wellbeing Resources

Iowa State University is committed to proactively facilitating all students’ well-being. Resources available on the ISU Student Health and Wellness website.  (https://www.cyclonehealth.iastate.edu)  

Prep Week

This class follows the Iowa State University Prep Week policy as noted in section 10.6.4 of the Faculty Handbook.

Religious Accommodation

Iowa State University welcomes diversity of religious beliefs and practices, recognizing the contributions differing experiences and viewpoints can bring to the community. There may be times when an academic requirement conflicts with religious observances and practices. If that happens, students may request a reasonable accommodation for religious practices. In all cases, you must put your request in writing. The instructor will review the situation in an effort to provide a reasonable accommodation when possible to do so without fundamentally altering a course. For students, you should first discuss the conflict and your requested accommodation with your professor at the earliest possible time. You or your instructor may also seek assistance from the Dean of Students Office at 515-294-1020 or the Office of Equal Opportunity at 515-294-7612.

Contact Information For Academic Issues

If you are experiencing, or have experienced, a problem with any of the above statements, email academicissues@iastate.edu

(Important note to faculty: The email address for contact information is monitored and answered through the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost)