COMMON COURSE DESCRIPTION

A general introduction to the visual arts designed to create an appreciation of the vocabulary, media, techniques, and purposes of the creative process. Students will critically interpret and evaluate works of art within formal, cultural, and historical contexts.

COURSE RATIONALE

The purpose of Art Appreciation is to provide students with an understanding of the diverse ways in which cultures construct and represent their realities. Through thematic examination of both historical and contemporary art, students will acquire formal analysis skills to describe works of art and techniques of art production. Further building upon formal analysis, students will critically interpret and contextualize visual art forms.  This class fulfills the Creative Arts requirement of the Core Curriculum outline. 

COMMON COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

• Apply art terminology as it specifically relates to works of art.

• Demonstrate knowledge of art elements and principles of design.

• Differentiate between the processes and materials used in the production of various artworks.

• Critically interpret, evaluate, and contextualize works of art

• Demonstrate an understanding of the impact of arts on culture.

DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

• Write meaningful formal and critical analyses of art works.

• Explain how formal and compositional properties express and convey content.

• Recognize and identify differences in styles and art forms.

• Analyze how art reflects diverse perspectives.

GENERAL EDUCATION LEARNING OUTCOMES

• Critical Thinking: Students will gather, analyze, synthesize, evaluate, and apply information.

• Cultural Awareness: Students will compare, contrast, and interpret differences and

   commonalities among peoples, ideas, aesthetic traditions, and cultural practices.

• Written, Oral and Visual Communication: Students will communicate effectively, adapting to

   purpose, structure, audience, and medium.

• Personal Responsibility: Identifying and applying ethical principles and practices.

  demonstrating effective learning, creative thinking, and personal responsibility.

• Interpersonal Skills: Interacting collaboratively to achieve common goals.

• Technology Skills: Using appropriate technology to retrieve, manage, analyze, and present

   information.

PREREQUISITES

College level Reading and Writing Requirements. Students will need strong, college-level reading, writing and study skills to succeed in this course. Students are expected to read approximately 350 pages of eBook/textbook and may be obliged to read outside articles and write essays. Students are expected to observe standard English grammar and spelling rules in writing assignments.

COURSE DELIVERY & BLACKBOARD

This course is asynchronous (meaning it is somewhat flexible and does not meet in person at designated times) although IT DOES FOLLOW A SCHEDULE. Students will use the Blackboard learning management system for content delivery, assignment instructions, submitting assignments, and collaboration. Blackboard may be accessed through ACC’s website. First time users use their student id number (found on fee receipt or student id). All course materials, assignment instructions, announcements, exams, and grades will be delivered through Blackboard. It's imperative for students to know how to, or learn to, use Blackboard to participate in this class. Online classes require excellent time management and study skills to be successful. Students also are encouraged to review the ACC Distance Education General Information.

Students must always ACC student email accounts to contact instructor. Professors are now required to communicate with students using student email accounts (due to FERPA laws on student privacy). Students should check Blackboard ACC email accounts regularly (every 24-48 hours) to keep current on important course information. Go to this site to activate the account and to log in and check email: Follow directions to forward ACC email to another account or to open their ACC email using a POP or IMAP account.

TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT SERVICES

ACC offers Wi-Fi in the parking lot of all campuses so you can have access even outside of business hours. The ACC Help Desk and tech support are available to solve your technical issues and are just a call or email away. Students who submit the Student Technology Access Form and indicate they need help accessing their online learning environment to successfully complete their courses are eligible to check out an ACC iPad for use during the semester. You must be registered for a credit course, Adult Education, or Continuing Education course.

ORIENTATION

Students must complete MANDATORY online orientation the first week of class. Further instructions can be found in Blackboard under the “Orientation” link and in an announcement emailed to you by Instructor. If orientation is not completed by the end of class Week 1, instructor will assume the student may be dropped from the class.

COURSE EVALUATION AND GRADING

FINAL AVERAGES

00.00-59.99 = F; 60.00-69.99 = D; 70.00-79.99 = C; 80.00-89.99 = B; 90.00-99.99 = A

There will be no rounding up at the end of the semester. Please do not rely on total in Blackboard “My Grades” and assume a final average. Grades are not final until all assignments are completed, and they are explicitly stated as final. Contact Instructor should you have questions about your progress or how to average grades.

EXAMS

There will be four exams. They are all open-book and notes but are timed (usually around 1 ½ hours). Each is worth 15% of your final grade, totaling 60%. They will consist of multiple choice, identifications and at least two short essay questions (requiring 1- 3 paragraphs). The last exam is not comprehensive. Exams will be available to take during a 2-day window (falling on Thursdays and Fridays, see course schedule) and will be taken online. Deadlines will be posted and are firm. Students will receive a grade of zero if a test is not taken by the deadline. If students have SAS testing accommodations they may need special instructions, so please notify Instructor first week of class, and provide appropriate documentation. Online students will not take exams in testing center. VERY IMPORTANT: If a student scores under 60 on any examination in this class, please contact Instructor via email (ekeever@austincc.edu) to discuss your progress.

LEARNING MODULES

There are 4 Learning Modules for this course. Learning Modules parallel assigned reading in Course Schedule and will not be posted in advance of when material is scheduled. Modules folders will include videos on each chapter topic, video links to enhance student understanding of topics, artworks, and terminology, as well as an Exam Study Guide. After completing Chapter reading, students are encouraged to view instructor videos and take notes on important artists, artworks, architectural sites, locations, styles, terms, concepts, and information covered in them. Printing Study Guides and having them on hand while watching the lectures may be a learning benefit.

PAPER

Instructions for your paper will appear in Blackboard. Student papers uploaded to Blackboard using SafeAssign. The paper assignment (counting 20% of your final grade) is an exercise in formal analysis and interpretation of art. It is designed to help you hone your skills in looking at, thinking about, contextualizing, and writing about art. Students are required to observe an art object in person at a gallery or museum (instructor will provide venue suggestions) and report on their findings using appropriate terminology and techniques. Topic approval is also required in advance of due date.

PLAGIARISM

No credit will be given for papers or any work with plagiarized passages, and further disciplinary action may be taken if professor sees fit.

DISCUSSION BOARD

There will be a prompt to introduce yourself in the Discussion Board feature of Blackboard (part of your course orientation) as well as an “Open Forum” where students may ask questions about the material, study advice, and anything art related and receive answers from the instructor and fellow classmates. Additionally, in the Discussion Board (“Discussions”), there are short essay and response assignments, totaling 20% of your grade (10% each).) The lowest of the three Discussion Board Assignment grades will be dropped.

Please try to be courteous and respectful to other students in the class Discussion Board and remember because the Board is still considered an academic setting, writing rules in grammar, syntax, capitalization, and punctuation still apply.

REQUIRED TEXTBOOK                                                                                           

Reading assignments are required, outlined in the course syllabus, and begin the first week of class. Lectures will parallel textbook readings. The current textbook is Living with Art Mark Getlein; 12th edition ISBN13: 978-1259916755.

This class offers First Day enrollment, a program in which students have online eBook (ISBN:  2818000134773) access from day one of the semester, through your Blackboard account. A fee will be added to tuition fees for those enrolled in this section, to cover the electronic textbook, provided at a discounted rate from the ACC Bookstore. To locate your electronic textbook, click on “Course Materials” link in your Blackboard Menu (to the left of your screen on opening course page).

You can opt-out of First Day within the LMS using the Course Materials link. Opt-out requests must be received prior to the official reporting date for a full refund. For more information see ACC's First Day page. Here’s a link to the McGraw Hill website with all formats supported by Getlein. In addition to eBook -textbook readings, students will be expected to read all announcements, assignment hand-outs, instructions, and review materials posted on Blackboard.

ATTENDANCE POLICY 

None; although instructor advises students check course Blackboard site every 24-48 hours. Additionally, instructor will monitor Blackboard traffic for the purposes of determining student progress, participation, ability to complete assignments and if a student is found lacking, whether to withdraw a student from class. Online participation is critical to success in this course. If a student has missed assignments or not checked into Blackboard for over 2 weeks, they will be dropped.

GAI POLICY

GAI (generative artificial intelligence) tools like ChatGPT only may be used for preliminary research or brainstorming and not to complete or aid in the wording of written assignments. Writing assignments in which students rely too heavily on AI, are invariably too generalized and full of meaningless, lazy words that read like filler. At worst, these could be considered plagiarism, at best they lack originality, a recognizably independent voice, and an authoritative tone. Like making visual art, writing is an individually creative activity, a craft that should be developed over time, therefore it is important to show focused formal analysis and critical thinking in your writing and write everything in your own words.

WITHDRAWAL

It is the responsibility of each student to ensure that his or her name is removed from the rolls should they decide to withdraw from the class. The instructor does, however, reserve the right to drop a student should he or she feel it is necessary.  If a student decides to withdraw, he or she should also verify that the withdrawal is recorded before the Final Withdrawal Date which can be found in ACC’s academic calendar online.

Students are responsible for understanding the impact that withdrawal from a course may have on their financial aid, veterans’ benefits, and international student status. Per state law, students enrolling for the first time in Fall 2007 or later at any public Texas college or university may not withdraw (receive a W) from more than six courses during their undergraduate college education. Some exemptions for good cause could allow a student to withdraw from a course without having it count toward this limit. Students are strongly encouraged to meet with an advisor when making decisions about course selection, course loads, and course withdrawals.

MISSED EXAMS & LATE WORK POLICIES

Deadlines and due dates are strictly observed. Students are responsible for knowing and abiding by the deadlines established in the course schedule. While regular announcements about upcoming deadlines will be sent, it is especially important for online learning students to be able to meet deadlines independently. A student will receive a grade of zero if an exam or assignment is not completed by the established deadline. If you test positive for Covid or another serious illness, medical documentation must be provided immediately when requesting a deadline extension.

INCOMPLETES                                                                                                              

An incomplete (grade of "I") will only be given due to extenuating circumstances and is left to the instructor’s discretion.  If a grade of I is given, the remaining course work must be completed by a date set by the student and professor.  A grade of I also requires completion and submission of the Incomplete Grade form, to be signed by the faculty member and student if possible and submitted to the department chair.