ART 110 01: Introduction to the Visual Arts

Nicole Derenne is a Teaching Associate Professor in the Department of Art and Design at the University of North Dakota (UND). Derenne began teaching at UND in 2003 and teaches art history classes using learner-centered teaching methodologies and high-impact practices through in-person, blended, hybrid, hyflex, and asynchronous modalities. Derenne teaches Essential Studies and advanced courses and serves as a faculty mentor to students in the Honors program and A&S 499. She teaches Introduction to the Visual Arts, Introduction to the Fine Arts, Ancient to Medieval Art History, Renaissance to Postmodern Art History, and topical advanced art history classes. Topics for advanced art history include Renaissance and Baroque, 18th & 19th century Art, 20th & 21st Century Art, Feminist Art History, Non-Western Traditions, Art of Africa, Cubism and its Inheritance, and History of Graphic Design. 

In the Department of Art & Design, Derenne serves on the Budget & Personnel and Scholarship Committees, the Assessment Task Group, and as Library Liaison. Derenne serves on the Strategic Planning, Scholarship, and Program Review Committees within the College of Arts and Sciences. Within the University, Derenne serves as Chair-elect of the Essential Studies Committee and is a UND Representative on the North Dakota General Education Council. She also serves as a member of the Senate Budget Committee. Derenne is a faculty mentor in the Alice T. Clark Program, is Women and Gender Studies faculty, and collaborates with Geriatrics faculty on an Art and Aging initiative.

Outside UND, Derenne serves as Commissioner on the City of Grand Forks Historic Preservation Commission and President of the Grand Forks Public Library Foundation. Additionally, Derenne served as Executive Director of the North Valley Arts Council, Director of the Public Arts Commission, and Vice-President of ArtWise.

Derenne holds a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Alverno College, a Master of Arts in Art History from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, and a Master of Public Administration from the University of North Dakota. Derenne is currently in the Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Practice Program in Higher Education at UND. 

In this course, you will learn to think critically about Western art while learning strategies that will help you achieve academic success. Some students may pursue additional studies in art, but for others, this may be the only art course taken. Whichever path you choose, this course will open stories from the past through objects created by men and women from many cultures. You may want to visit the sites of the magnificent buildings you have studied as well as the objects – familiar and new – housed in museums. These visits will continue to enrich your life.

The lectures, textbook, and coursework all reinforce each other. By listening to lectures, reading the textbook, and completing assignments, you will learn new study techniques, be challenged to think creatively and critically and discover ways to improve your academic skills. Throughout the summer semester, we will explore strategies typically used by successful students, and you will be encouraged to try them out and see what works best for you.

This is an Essential Studies Humanities course, and as such involves the investigation and interpretation of human behavior and affairs, culture, thought, language, literature, text, and symbols.

• ES courses in the humanities take as their primary goal the analysis of language, history, culture, text, society, formal structures, and artistic work.
• ES courses in the humanities may help students develop facility with language.

This course addresses the Essential Studies learning goal of Critical Inquiry & Analysis. This means it will focus on collecting and analyzing information to reach conclusions based on evidence.

More specifically, inquiry should be thought of as a systematic process of exploring issues, objects, or works through the collection and analysis of evidence that results in informed conclusions or judgments. Analysis is the process of breaking complex topics or issues into parts to gain a better understanding. You should expect to focus on these intellectual skills as part of this course.

This class uses two free online textbooks. The first book, published by Lumen Learning, is based on Christopher Gildow's Art Appreciation and developed by Wendy Riley from Columbia Basin College with contributing work from Lumen Learning. The textbook can be accessed at: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/masteryart1/

The second book is Sachant, Pamela; Blood, Peggy; LeMieux, Jeffery; and Tekippe, Rita, "Introduction to Art: Design, Context, and Meaning" (2016). Fine Arts Open Textbooks. Book 3. http://oer.galileo.usg.edu/arts-textbooks/3. 

All reading assignments are linked in the weekly folders.

You will use Microsoft Word to complete assignments (files created using Pages in Apple can be saved as a Word file before submitting). Students are expected to use their official UND email in the course. Visit the Office 365 Email webpage for information on your UND email and how to download/install a free version of Microsoft Office. For technical assistance, please contact UND Technical Support at 701.777.2222. Visit the University Information Technologies (UIT) website for their hours, help documents and other resources.

Access and Log in Information

This course was developed and will be facilitated utilizing Blackboard. To get started with the course, please go to: http://blackboard.UND.edu and log in with your NDUS.Identifier, Username and Password. If you do not know your NDUS Identifier or have forgotten your password, please visit Your NDUS Account page on the UIT website.

Course Overview and How to Proceed Each Week

The course content is organized into 16 weeks. Each week contains assigned readings, assignments due that week, recorded lectures, and any additional resources. On the left side course menu in Blackboard there is a “Weekly Assignments, Readings, and Lecture Recordings” tab. Here you will find all the required readings, videos, and assignments/activities for the week. An overview of each week can be found on Blackboard under the Course Calendar tab. All lectures will be recorded and posted on Blackboard under the respective folder for each week. Recordings will be available via Yuja. 

Resources

Many services are available to UND students such as writing assistance from the UND Writing Center, free online tutoring from Smarthinking, and more. Visit the Student Resources page for more information. Students also have access to the UND Student Resource Site via Blackboard. It is recommended that you become familiar with the tools and tutorials within the site to better equip you in navigating the course.

Course Requirements/Expectations

Insert the course requirements/expectations. An example is posted below.

1. The student will review the syllabus and course schedule posted in Blackboard.
2. The student will access and follow all course instructions found in the weekly area of the Blackboard course.
3. The student will participate in any lecture or discussion sessions on campus or online as provided and as part of this course.
4. The student will complete and submit assignments, exams, quizzes, etc. by the dated noted and in the manner described in Blackboard and on the course schedule. We will use Central Standard Time for due dates and times.
5. The student will participate fully and in a timely manner to get the benefit of learning from instructor and/or peers.

Instructor Responsibilities and Feedback

Insert responsibilities students can expect the instructor to meet. Example provided below.

• The instructor will provide feedback on all assignments and group activities by Wednesday of the following week.
• The instructor will be available during appointed Office Hours to answer questions, provide feedback, and offer advice.

Announcements

Announcements will be posted on Blackboard every Monday. Be sure to check the class announcements regularly, as they will contain important information about class assignments and other class matters.

Email

You are encouraged to post your questions about the course in the FAQs discussion board forum in the Blackboard site or raise them in class if held synchronously or on campus. The Blackboard discussion board is an open forum in which you and your classmates are encouraged to answer each other’s questions. But, if you need to contact me directly, check the Faculty tab in Blackboard or the syllabus for my contact information. I will respond back to you within 48 hours during the week or weekend.

Discussion Forums, Blogs, & Wikis

These tools are an excellent way for you to engage with the course material and with your peers. Each week we will have at least one of these tools for you to participate in. You are expected to read all assigned discussion boards, blog posts, and/or wiki pages and provide thoughtful contributions.

Course Etiquette

When participating in class (online or in person) it is important to interact with your peers in an appropriate manner. Always use professional language (no netspeak) in your postings and emails. Please be respectful of your classmates at all times even if you disagree with their ideas.

Assessments

In this course, your learning will be assessed in the following ways:

Introduction Discussion Board and Questionnaire

Introduce yourself to your classmates on the Introduction Discussion Board. Include your name, something about yourself, and a photo, and then respond to two classmates’ posts. Next, please introduce yourself to me by completing the questionnaire. This confidential document lets me know more about you and your expectations for the course.

Exams

There will be four non-cumulative, take-home, multiple-choice exams. The material covered in the exams will come from lectures, assigned readings, and class discussions. Exam dates are listed on the course calendar. All exams must be submitted by 11:59 on the respective due date. The exams are open-book, can be taken twice, and remain open for at least one week. Make-up exams are not allowed – no exceptions.

Visual Analysis Assignments

Two assignments are designed to help students put the vocabulary, concepts, and cultural information into practice. Detailed instructions can be found in the assignment guidelines posted on Blackboard. Unless otherwise noted, assignments are graded using the following criteria: 1) completeness (all questions are addressed); 2) the thoughtfulness of the response, as evidenced by the levels of insight and reflection; 3) support provided for the student’s observations and conclusions; and 4) the extent to which relevant course content (from the class and the text) is integrated into responses. Late submissions will not be accepted.

Worksheets

Worksheets are posted online for each lecture topic. In addition, the worksheets serve as a study guide for the exams. All worksheets will be submitted in class on the due date; late submissions will not be accepted. The lowest two worksheet scores will be dropped at the end of the semester.

Self-assessments

Students will receive credit for submitting three self-assessments – one at the beginning, one in the middle, and one at the end of the semester. In the self-assessments, students will document their learning goals and progress toward achieving them and reflect upon their learning experiences, time management strategies, etc. By reflecting on learning, students can pinpoint academic skills that need attention and develop a plan to work on those skills. Late submissions will not be accepted – no exceptions. Assignments include:

Lectures

Lectures will be available online for students to listen to by Sunday at midnight each week. Students are expected to listen to the lecture and complete weekly reading assignments.

Optional Coursework: Extra Credit

Students can complete two extra credit activities for up to five points of extra credit each. Extra credit points will be added to the score of the term paper at the end of the semester. Extra credit opportunities can be found on Blackboard. Extra credit will not be accepted after the date of the final exam period.

Students can also earn extra credit by participating in a study group (organized and led by students) for the exams. To be considered a study group, students must register their group with the instructor at least one week before the exam. Each student must submit a completed self-assessment with the exam on Blackboard by the due date of the exam. Late submissions are not accepted. Registered groups receive additional points on exams based on the following: if the group averages an A, all members receive five points on their exam grades. If the average grade is a B, all members receive four points; if the average grade is a C, all members receive three points. No additional points are awarded if the group averages a grade lower than a C. Please see the instructor if you would like to form or join a study group but do not know students in the class well enough to organize one. Study groups must be registered for at least one class period before the exam. All students in the study group must submit the required reflective essay to receive extra credit points.

Grading Breakdown

Grades are based on the points earned by the end of the semester from the coursework listed below. Grades are not weighted.

Coursework                                                   Possible Points

Exams                                                             280 points

Introductions, Questionnaire                            20 points

Visual Analysis Assignments                            40 points

Worksheets                                                     255 points

Self-Assessments                                           30 points

Total                                                               625 possible points       

Final Grade Scale

Final grades are determined by the percentage of points earned from all possible points. The final grade is rounded up if it is within 0.3 percentage points of the next grade level. Final grades will be determined as follows:

> 89.5% A

79.5-89.4% B

69.5-79.5% C

59.5-69.4% D

< 59.4% F

The section below contains examples of course policies you may wish to include in your course, such as late work, class participation, netiquette, technology statements, etc.  You may fully edit this section to add and/or remove policies about your course.

Assignment Policy

All assignments are posted on Blackboard, and all due dates are listed on the Blackboard calendar. Except for the fourth exam, assignments are due on the Sunday of the week they are assigned. Any changes to due dates will be reflected on the Blackboard calendar and posted on Blackboard as an announcement. 

Late Work

If you’re having trouble keeping up in this class, please let me know as soon as possible so I can do what I can to help. Due dates are important insofar as they help you spread out your workload and help us keep the behind-the-scenes aspects of the course as organized as possible. However, late work may be accepted for extenuating circumstances, so please reach out if you know you will need more time or are having trouble keeping up. 

Please note: You do not need to disclose or perform trauma when asking for an extension; you just need to let us know (very broadly) that you need help, and we will do what we can to get you back on track in the course.

Class Participation

Students are required to log in regularly to the online class site. Students must also participate in all class activities, such as discussion boards, blogs, and wikis. In addition, students are expected to attend on-campus or synchronous classes, etc.

Incompletes

Students are expected to complete all requirements for a course during the time frame of the course. However, for reasons beyond a student’s control and upon request by the student or on behalf of the student, the instructor may assign an incomplete grade when there is reasonable certainty the student will complete the course without retaking it. The mark “I,” Incomplete, will be assigned only to the student who has been in attendance and has done satisfactory work up to a time within four weeks of the close of the semester, including the examination period, and whose work is incomplete for reasons satisfactory to their instructor. More information regarding UND’s Incomplete policy can be found on The Grading System webpage.

Resolution of Problems

If you have a problem, you should speak to your instructor first. If the problem continues to be unresolved, go to the department chair and next to the college dean. Should the problem persist, you have the right to go to the provost next and then to the president.