Art 105 Syllabus
Welcome to Art 105: Art in World Culture, 8-week version, offered by the Extended
Learning Institute of Northern Virginia Community College. Be sure to read all parts of this
SYLLABUS carefully - it contains all of the information you need to successfully complete this
course.*
There are no course prerequisites for this class. If you are concerned about the minimum
technical skills needed to be successful in this course, check out Smarter Measure at
http://nvcc.smartermeasure.com or the Blackboard Tutorials button on the main menu.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: In this course, you will be assigned textbook readings in
Gardner's Art Through the Ages: A Concise Global History, Third Edition (required for the
course, see Textbook and Learning Tools below). You will also view videos and work with the
interactive learning tools on the companion website Arts CourseMate through Cengage Learning
(recommended but not required for the course, info also in Textbook and Learning Tools). The
textbook and website use the "paradigm" method, in which a few selected art works serve as key
examples to illustrate the major stylistic developments and periods. Through these tools, we'll
also explore formal characteristics, iconography and historical, religious and social factors that
contribute to artistic expression all over the world and throughout history.
The weekly assignments will help you to explore the ideas and artists discussed in
the textbook. Each assignment will require a textbook reading, a website exercise and a short
quiz. The assignments are designed to help you prepare for the four exams (2 take-at-home
and 2 proctored). You'll have the opportunity to take advantage of our proximity to the
outstanding museums and monuments in the Washington, D.C. area (or in your own town or city
if you live outside this area), when you complete the Scavenger Hunt Museum Paper
Assignment. You'll find many works by the artists discussed in the textbook and you'll
recognize the architectural styles we'll study. There are three opportunities to earn extra credit
points on our Discussion Board.
NOTE: Regrettably due to time constraints, by starting with Greece, the course
passes over the rich cultural contributions of the Prehistoric, Egyptian and
Mesopotamian civilizations. I would encourage you to read the beginning chapter in
your textbook for your further enrichment and enjoyment.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND OBJECTIVES: This course is designed as a general
introduction to art history and will serve you well if you would like to know more about and
appreciate the art and architecture around you, travel in the USA or abroad, or visit museums.
You will learn by reading your assigned textbook chapters, exploring the companion website,
and completing twenty (20) required short quizzes and taking two (2) at-home exams and
two (2) proctored exams. These 2 exams will be taken at one of NVCC's or sister campus
testing centers or, if you live or will be traveling outside the DC metro area, you may secure a
proctor through ELI or take the exam online through ProctorU (see Exams and Exam Passes
below). You must pass these 2 proctored exams in order to pass the course. You will also
complete the Scavenger Hunt Museum Paper Assignment, designed to assess your ability to
synthesize all of the concepts this course attempts to cover.
If you successfully complete this course, you will be able to:





Identify a sampling of the artists and works of art that are considered to represent the
greatest achievements in world art and architecture.
Distinguish styles of painting, sculpture and architecture in major world cultures.
Compare and contrast representative examples of art.
Identify materials and techniques in art and architecture.
Discuss and analyze historical, social and political factors that have influenced art.
COURSE PROGRESS: Research shows that distance learning students are most successful
when they start their course work on time and make steady progress. This is the 8-week version
of Art 105 and therefore it is an intense course - the material covered in the regular 16-week
course has not been diminished, but you will cover it in half the time. Under ASSIGNMENTS
you will find the weekly schedule with due dates specific to your particular session of Art 105.
The quizzes and exams are available all semester and you are encouraged to work
ahead. Remember that the schedule is designed to keep you on track and maximize your success
on the four exams. Do not attempt to take more than one exam at the same time, or on the last
day of enrollment.
It is your responsibility to be aware of all Critical Dates for your session of Art 105. You are
required to complete at least one (1) assignment (Letter of Introduction on the Discussion
Board) by the First Assignment Due Date, and quizzes #1 through #8 must be completed by
the Last Withdrawal Date (see Assignments or Announcements for your exact critical dates)
in order to avoid being administratively withdrawn from the course.
Upon completion of the course you are asked to fill out a short online COURSE EVALUATION
(see the link under Announcements). This provides both ELI and your instructor with valuable
feedback which we use to improve the course.
To get started, read through each section of this SYLLABUS carefully. Then click the
ASSIGNMENTS button in the upper left hand corner menu and begin completing them. Check
the ANNOUNCEMENTS and the DISCUSSION BOARD to read any new posts every time
you log on. Check your Student Email frequently as this is how I communicate with you. Feel
free to contact me (see Faculty Information) if you have questions or problems. Good luck
and I hope you enjoy the course.
*Instructor reserves the right to make changes to this Syllabus - you will be notified via
Announcement if any changes are made.
Course Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites for this course, however if this is your first experience with an art
history course or if you have never taken a fine art or art appreciation course before, I highly
recommend that you read the Introduction: What is Art History? in our textbook, Gardner's
Art Through the Ages: A Concise Global History, Third Edition. This chapter will
familiarize you with the approaches, methodologies and jargon of art history, and the formal
characteristics of a work of art: color, line, composition, etc.
If you are concerned about the minimum technical skills needed to be successful in this course,
check out Smarter Measure at http://nvcc.smartermeasure.com or the Blackboard Tutorials
button on the main menu.
Course Objectives
If you successfully complete this course, you will be able to:





Identify a sampling of the artists and works of art that are considered to represent the
greatest achievements in world art and architecture.
Distinguish styles of painting, sculpture and architecture in major world cultures.
Compare and contrast representative examples of art.
Identify materials and techniques in art and architecture.
Discuss and analyze historical, social and political factors that have influenced art.
Required Textbook
The REQUIRED textbook for this course is:
Kleiner, Fred S. Gardner's Art Through the Ages: A Concise
Global History, Third Edition. Wadsworth, Cengage
Learning: 2013.
ISBN: 9781111840723 Recommended package with paperback
print text, eBook and companion website access
ISBN: 9781111840747 Companion website access and eBook
(no print text)
ISBN: 9781111840730 Paperback print text only
If you purchase or rent a used print textbook, you can purchase access to the website
separately if you wish; access to the companion website is recommended but not
required.
In the past, the Alexandria campus bookstore has served ELI students, both in-person
and through their online store. Starting in the Spring 2013 semester, however, ELI no
longer posts its course sections on Alexandria’s bookstore website, and now its own
site. This site can be found via http://nvcceli.bncollege.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/BNCBHomePage?storeId=65233&catalogId=1000
1&langId=-1
Students can still get their textbooks in-person at the physical Alexandria campus
bookstore, but all information and online ordering for courses starting with the
Spring 2013 semester will be through the ELI bookstore link given above.
New Textbook Rental Option:
There is a new textbook rental program available through Barnes and Noble
(www.barnesandnoble.com) - you can rent a textbook for up to 55% less than the cost of a new
book. You can write in and highlight in the book, just as you would a purchased one. This
program is not available for all courses, so be sure to check it out ELI Campus Bookstore link
below. You must have a credit card to secure the rental and all books must be returned by the
end of a regular, on-campus semester, so 3rd session ELI students would not want to do
this. Digital books are another option, but again, availability is limited and based on publisher
availability (not in the College's control). Digital books can be 40-50% cheaper than a new
textbook. Go to the bookstore link above and look up your course to see if your textbook can be
rented or downloaded!
Recommended Companion Website
As used textbooks become available (this was a brand new edition for Fall
2012 courses), you will find that they will NOT come with an access code to Arts
CourseMate, the companion website. You can purchase an access code through
the publisher's website. The standalone price is approx. $105.00 (because you
also get access to the complete Ebook). Access to Arts CourseMate is not
required, but highly recommended.
Attached here are a video and a PDF file with step-by-step instructions on how to
register and use your access code to Arts CourseMate. You will be prompted to enter
a Course Key once you've registered. This is a special code for your particular
session of Art 105 and you will find it under Assignments, Week 1 and also under
Announcements.
Here is additional registration info from Cengage:
"To help your students access CourseMate and enroll in your course, point them to
http://poweron.cengage.com/magellan/TechSupport/ProductHelp.aspx?prodrowid=1SXF0LJ. Once there, students should click the "Downloads" tab, should then click the
"Student Registration and Enrollment Clickpath" tab, and, finally, should click the
"Download File" link. Once they open the CourseMate product from their “My
Home” dashboard they can then enter this Course Key once to complete their
enrollment."
If you have problems using CourseMate, please contact their Technical Support. You can contact
them online or by phone. Online chat is available 24 hours a day, 7 days
per week and is the fastest way to get the help you need.
Phone
1.800.354.9706 Option 5, then Option 2
M-Th, 8:30 am - 9:00 pm EST
F, 8:30 am - 6:00 pm EST
Chat Online
http://poweron.cengage.com/magellan/TechSupport/login.aspx
Select “CourseMate”
Overview of Assignments
Research shows that students are most successful with distance education when they start their
course work on time and make steady progress. To help you do this, please follow the timeline
below. Base the weeks on your specific enrollment dates (ELI enrollment dates do not
necessarily correspond to campus enrollment dates). You should receive a Quick Start
Syllabus in the mail, which will confirm your registration in this course and contain your
specific critical dates. If you do not receive the Quick Start Syllabus within 10 days after the
course is scheduled to begin, contact ELI Registration immediately at (703)-323-3368. Buy your
textbook and start your course on time. Expect to spend approximately 4-5 hours per week on
each assignment (including reading the textbook, working on the companion website, and taking
the required quiz). See Assignments for the due dates specific to your session of Art 105
Week Assignments
Critical Dates and Requirements
Letter of
1
Introduction,
Chaps. 2 & 3
Chaps. 4 & 5, First Assignment Due Date 1
Instructions for Students who have not completed
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
6
6
7
7
Scavenger Hunt at least one (1) assignment (Letter
Museum Paper of Introduction) will
be administratively deleted from the
course as never attending with no
refund.
Exam 1 (takeat-home)
Chaps. 6 & 7,
Extra Credit
Opportunity #1
Chaps. 8 & 9
Chaps. 10 & 11 .
Exam 2
.
(proctored)
.
Last Withdrawal Date - This is your
last chance to withdraw yourself
from the course with no grade
penalty and no tuition
refund. Students who have not
completed at least eight (8) quizzes
Chaps. 12 & 13,
are not making satisfactory
Extra Credit
progress and will be
Opportunity #2
administratively withdrawn from
the course with no refund and no
grade penalty (W). he Introductory
Letter) are not making satisfactory
progress and will
be administratively withdrawn
without tuition refund. You will
receive a grade of W.
Chaps. 14 & 15
Chap. 16
.
Exam 3 (take.
at-home)
Scavenger Hunt
Museum Paper .
Due
Chaps. 17 & 18,
Extra Credit
.
Opportunity #3
Chap. 19
.All work must be completed by the
End of Enrollment date.
7
8
Chaps. 20 & 21
Exam 4
End of Enrollment: all work must
(proctored) and be completed by this date.
Course
Evaluation
Course Grading
Your course grade will be determined by your scores on 20 quizzes (10 pts. each), 2 take-athome exams (50 pts. each), 2 proctored exams (150 pts. each), and a Scavenger Hunt
Museum Paper (200 pts.). The Letter of Introduction is graded Complete/Incomplete and
has no point value. The 2 proctored exams must be passed in order to pass the course as they
comprise 50% of your grade. There are also 3 optional opportunities to earn extra credit on the
Discussion Forum, 15 pts. each, for a total of 45 possible extra credit points.*
You can view all of your grades under the Tools button on the main menu, click on My
Grades. Quizzes and Exams will be available throughout the course session. Quizzes and
exams are graded automatically and immediately via Blackboard. There will be no penalty for
exams taken past the due date, with the exception of the final exam which must be taken
before the End of Enrollment date. You should bear in mind that the schedule was designed to
optimize your success on the exams and take them as close to the scheduled date as possible. If
you miss a due date for an exam, you should contact me and plan on completing the exam as
soon as possible. When I receive your paper, I try to grade and return feedback to you within a
week.
There are a total of 800 possible points for the required work in the course (plus any earned
optional extra credit):
Assignment
Points Each
Total Possible Points
Letter of Introduction
0
Complete/Incomplete
20 Quizzes on Chaps. 2 - 21 (25% of total points)
10
200
50
150
100
300
200
200
Take-at-home Exams 1 and 3
Proctored Exams 2 and 4
(Exams comprise 50% of total points)
Scavenger Hunt Museum Paper (25% of total points)
Total possible points (*plus any extra credit)
800
Your course grade will be based on the following scale. You can compute your own final course
grade percentage, it is a simple calculation: take your total points and divide by 800
(total possible points for required assignments) to get the percentage.
Grade Points
Percent
A
720-800 90-100%
B
640-719 80-89%
C
560-639 70-79%
D
480-559 60-69%
F
0-479
0-59%
IMPORTANT NOTES:
If you do not submit at least one (1) assignment (Letter of Introduction) by the First Assignment
Due Date, you will be administratively deleted from the course.
If you have not submitted quizzes #2 through #8 by the Last Withdrawal Date, you will be
administratively withdrawn from the course with no refund. You will receive a grade of W. If
you meet these requirements and choose to remain in the course past the Last Withdrawal Date,
you will receive a final grade based upon work submitted. If you are receiving financial aid,
course withdrawal or a grade of F may impact your status. Please contact the Financial Aid
Office for further information.
If you are making progress in the course but the End of Enrollment Date is near and
documentable extenuating circumstances are preventing you from completing all of the course
requirements, you may request a grade of I (for Incomplete). See the information on requesting
an Incomplete below. If there are extenuating circumstances preventing you from meeting any
of the deadlines or completing your requirements for the course, contact your instructor ASAP.
Proctored Exam Passes
There are four (4) exams in this course. Exam 1 and Exam 3 are take-at-home exams. Exam 2
and Exam 4 are password-protected, proctored exams. You will take them at a campus testing
center or a learning lab with a proctor. You also have the option of taking the exams at home
through ProctorU; see information below. If you are off-campus or out of the area, you will
request a proctor through ELI (see Proctor Request Form below). If you are enrolled at a
sister VCCS campus, you will take the exams at your campus testing center/learning lab (see Off
Campus Student Testing Information below).
Print the Exam Pass page (click on this link) and cut off the appropriate pass for the exam you
want to take. Testing Centers will not allow you to take an exam without the proper exam pass
and your Student ID.
My exams are available all session long, so you can take them early if you choose. I cannot stress
how much I HIGHLY recommend sticking to the schedule and due dates as closely as possible.
Students who do well in this course adhere to the schedule under Assignments and take their
exams on time. The schedule was designed to optimize your success on the exams, which
account for over half of your grade in this course (400 of the total possible 700 points are from
exam scores).