Learning Objectives
- Guide students to evaluate art and culture as an expression of political and social change, asking specifically: How can we better understand the major events that took place in Germany from the late 19th into the first half of the 20th centuries through art?;
- Demonstrate a correlation between uses of material and social or political change, asking the question: How do not only subject, but also form, medium, and raw material reflect a specific historical and cultural condition?;
- Introduce instructional material that foregrounds the use of primary sources as a means of visual and cultural analysis;
- Assess outcomes through a combination of analytical and expository essays, as well as critical thinking through reflective writing and class discussion.
The History of Art and Visual Culture has identified four program learning outcomes (PLO) for its B.A. program. Students will perform on an intermediate level for:
PLO 1: Breadth of Cultural Knowledge
Students will be able to demonstrate an appreciation for, and foundation in, visual studies grounded in a range of historical, social, cultural, and ideological perspectives.
PLO 2: Critical Thinking
Students will be able to apply critical thinking skills that will enable them to analyze and solve problems through observation, experience, reflection, interpretation, analysis, evaluation, and/or explanation of visual, material, and historical cultural forms and values. Students will demonstrate critical thinking skills through oral and/or written communication.
PLO 3: Research Proficiency
Students will be able to formulate research questions that expand their knowledge of art and visual culture. Students will be able to apply research methods to answer these questions by consulting the current literature and developing independent results through archival, library, or field research.
PLO 4: Written Communication
Students will be able to present clear visual and historical analysis and interpretation in writing. Students will be able to demonstrate standard writing conventions in visual studies appropriate to purpose and context.