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Course Syllabus |
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Required Texts |
Fiero, Gloria K. The Humanistic Tradition. Volume II The Early
Modern Age to the Present. Fourth Edition. Boston: McGraw Hill,
2002
Sporre, Dennis J. Perceiving the Arts. An Introduction to the
Humanities (7th ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson
Publishing, 2003. |
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Course Description |
This course introduces students to vital areas of the humanities,
such as history, philosophy, literature, and the visual and
performing arts. Students analyze and evaluate cultural artifacts
(such as paintings, poetry, music, film, and architecture) and
develop connections among these works and their historical and
philosophical contexts. Discussions, writings, oral presentations,
group activities, and visits to cultural venues prepare students for
more advanced inquiry in subsequent courses. |
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Terminal Course Objectives |
Every DeVry course is guided by specific learning objectives,
objectives that serve as the road map to both course instruction and
student learning. These objectives, called Terminal Course
Objectives (TCOs), assist in making the necessary connections
between our society, our culture, and various artistic
manifestations. After completing this course you should be able to
exercise the following skills:
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Given a representation of an artwork (such as a painting, poem,
sonata, or cathedral), analyze the work’s content, form,
materials, meaning, and method of creation to enrich
understanding of and appreciation for that work.
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Given a representation of an artwork (such as a painting, poem,
sonata, or cathedral) and a critical interpretation or statement
of aesthetics, evaluate the artwork against the interpretation
or statement, in order to show differing critical and aesthetic
perspectives on the artwork.
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Given representations of two artworks of similar or differing
disciplines (such as two paintings or a painting and a poem),
compare/contrast their contents, forms, and/or methods of
creation, to identify the scope of the respective disciplines
and to clarify disciplinary differences.
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Given representations of multiple artworks, classify them using
a variety of approaches (by discipline, genre, style, period,
etc.), to demonstrate ability to contextualize the works.
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Given a representation of an artwork and a particular summary of
the time period when the work was produced (such as the Mona
Lisa and a history of the Italian Renaissance), formulate
relationships between the work and its historical context to
augment understanding and appreciation for both the artwork and
the time period.
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Given information about a cultural phenomenon (such as an
artwork, an issue, a trend, or a social/personal value) and
documents describing a philosophical school of thought (such as
theism, enlightenment humanism, existentialism, or French
postmodernism), analyze the relationships between the cultural
phenomenon and the school of thought.
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Given a significant technological advance (such as the printing
press or camera), assess the effects of the technical
breakthrough on culture and art.
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Given documents describing a particular society (such as
classical Greece or Victorian England), evaluate the role and
purpose of one area of the humanities in that society.
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Given a variety of philosophical positions (such as Classical
Humanism, Existentialism, Pragmatism, or Postmodernism) and
specific philosophical issues (such as epistemology, ethics, or
esthetics), critique differences among the positions in regard
to the issue.
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Given a specific social conflict or moral dilemma (such as
euthanasia, abortion, or social welfare), apply a particular
ethical perspective to propose a solution or course of action.
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Course Schedule |
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Week |
TCOs |
Onsite Work |
Online Work |
Homework |
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1
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1
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Introductions
Review of the syllabus and course overview
Orientation to the iOptimize course format
Online course component login and navigation
Topics for discussion:
What is art? Art as abstract notion and art as personal
experience. Personal experiences with art. Definitions of
art. The role of art and artistic expression on a personal
and social level. Possible origins of art, the relation
between art and technology, and uses of the arts.
Q & A |
Read the introductory lecture
Threaded discussions:
Introductions
What is your favorite work of art? Why do you like this
particular work? If you do not like any work of art, pick
one at random. Examine your reaction to the work. After
reading the introductory lecture, analyze your reaction.
How do you explain this reaction?
Research team meetings
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Read: Sporre: Ch. 1 “Introduction. What are the Arts and
How Do We Respond to Them?” (1-18).
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2
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1, 2, 9.
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Review of last week's online work
Topics for discussion:
Meaning in art, literature, and music. Making sense of the
world and making sense of art. Relation between art and
philosophy as two ways of making sense of nature and
culture. Relationship between meaning and enjoyment of
art. Focus on modernist art and poetry. Learn terminology
to discuss visual arts.
Q & A |
Read Lecture 2
Threaded discussions
Compare what Jean Paul Sartre says in the excerpt to what
Plato and Aristotle have to say on the subject.
Consider the elements that the three excerpts have in
common. Examine the way in which the three philosophers
conceptualize human nature, will, and moral choice.
Consider the picture by Helen Frankenthaler. What is your
first reaction? In what ways can we make sense of it? What
time period do you think it belongs to? Which of the
principles governing visual arts (described in Sporre) apply
here?
Research team meetings |
Read : Sporre: Ch. 2 "Pictures: Printmaking, and
Photography" (19-51).
Fiero: Ch. 35 “The Quest for Meaning” (886-908).
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3
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3,4,5,6 |
Review of last week’s online work.
Topics for discussion:
The relation between specific works of art and culture as a
whole. Intrinsic and extrinsic meaning (or form and
content/context) and the relationship between them.
Relation between the arts and the sciences. Focus on the
Baroque period. Learn terminology to discuss music.
Q & A |
Read Lecture 3
Threaded discussions
In his Discourse on Method, Descartes speaks about
the arts in the passage quoted. What is Descartes’ idea of
art? What does he value it for? How does his conception
relate to what the ancients (Plato and Aristotle) had to say
about art?
Listen to CD Two Selection 7, Bach,
The Art of the Fugue.
Then write an analysis of the piece describing both its
intrinsic and extrinsic meaning. First, transcribe your
reaction and impressions. How does the piece hang
together? How does this open form of music differ from a
closed one? What characterizes the age of Bach in music and
arts in general? How does the historical context influence
the piece?
Research team meetings |
Read : Sporre: Ch. 4 "Music" (73-98).
Fiero: Ch. 23 “The Scientific revolution and New Learning”
(581-99).
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4
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4, 6, 9, 10. |
Review of last week's online work
Topics for discussion:
Ethical issues and what it means to be human. Works of
literature, film, television, music, or art dealing with
ethical dilemmas. Focus on narrative and realism. Discuss
epistemological issues. Terminology about literature.
Q & A |
Read Lecture 4
Threaded discussions
Compare the passages from John Stuart Mill and Immanuel
Kant. Pay particular attention to the notions of necessity
and contingency. Find one or two examples to illustrate the
difference between their concepts of morality.
Have a look at the passage from ch. 30 of Flaubert’s
Madame Bovary. The passage can be analyzed in many
ways: from the stylistic point of view, from a social point
of view, or from an ethical one. How do all these aspects
work together? What peculiarities of the style indicate the
bourgeois life Emma leads and how does the bourgeois
environment account for her amoral attitude?
Research team meetings |
Read: Sporre: Ch. 10 "Literature" (198-215).
Fiero: Ch. 30 “Industry, Empire and the Realist Style”
(749-85).
Research for 2nd paper
Midterm
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5
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6, 7. |
Review of last week's online work
Topics for discussion:
Identity and Character. Focus on Romanticism and also on
modern quests for identity. Discuss Romantic
representations of the self. Compare to modern
representations of identity. Learn terminology for cinema
Q & A |
Read Lecture 5
Threaded discussions
Have a look at the way Victor Hugo builds up the character
of Jean Valjean. How does the passage reflect romantic
conceptions of self? Use both the lecture on line and
Fiero’s chapter.
Rent and view one of the more recent Frankenstein movies.
Why has Mary Shelley’s work captured the modern
imagination? What identity issues emerge from the story of
the monster?
Research team meetings |
Read: Sporre: Ch. 6 "Cinema" (120-35).
Fiero: 28 “The Romantic Hero” (705-25).
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6
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9, 10 |
Review of last week's online work
Topics for discussion:
The quest for race and gender equality. African American
identity. Feminisms and ethical issues. African American
arts and literature. Feminist art and literature.
Q & A |
Read Lecture 6
Threaded discussions
View Do the Right Thing by Spike Lee. What African
American political issues are illustrated by the film and
how? Do you think Spike Lee does them justice? What is his
view on political matters and how does he express it?
Consider the excerpt from an interview given by French
intellectual Luce Irigaray.
What tensions with the feminist movement become apparent in
her response?
Research team meetings |
Read: Sporre: Ch. 11 "Evaluating Art" (216-21).
Fiero: Ch. 36 “Identity and Liberation” (913-43).
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7
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7, 9 |
Review of last week's online work.
Topics for discussion:
New Forms of art generated by emerging technologies.
Representations of technology in Sci-Fi and film. Technology
and new philosophical trends.
Preparation for next week's Final
Q & A |
Read Lecture 7
Threaded discussions
Have a look at what Heidegger has to say in the excerpt.
Bear in mind, this was written before the existence of
computers. In what way can language become like a machine?
What are the consequences of the possible transformation of
language into a machine? What kind of fears is Heidegger
haunted by? What science fiction works develop similar
ideas?
The boundary between process and product, and between
theater and visual arts, has become blurred in the last
fifty years. What roles might modern film, television, and
computers have played in these developments?
Research team meetings |
Read : Fiero: Ch. 38 “Image and Sound in the Information
Age” (957-86).
Term
Paper due
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8 |
Course summary |
Research team presentations and/or Exam.
The Final |
Threaded discussion
Q & A postings |
Final Exam |
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Grading Policy |
There are 4 ways in which students can earn grade points in this
class:
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Gradable |
Weighting |
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Threaded
Discussion |
25% |
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Research
Project |
25% |
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Midterm
Exam |
25% |
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Final
Exam |
25% |
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Totals |
100% |
Based upon the percentage of points that each student earns, grades
are allocated as follows:
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Letter Grade |
Percentage |
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A |
90 to 100% |
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B |
80 to 89% |
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C |
70 to 79% |
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D |
60 to 69% |
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F |
Below 60% |
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Course Policies and Procedures |
LATE AND MISSED WORK COURSE POLICY
It is the policy of this Professor not to accept late work or assist
students in making up missed work. In an accelerated, compressed
8-week course, students must prepare in advance of the start of the
class to arrive to EACH class on time and to not miss any class.
The only exception to this policy is that the Professor will accept
a written, verifiable medical excuse from a health care professional
for a specified period of lateness or absence and shall then reserve
the right to examine each student situation, on a case-by-case
basis, in order to decide if the given student is eligible to
complete specially assigned work created by the Professor. The
Professor always will strive to be fair to students, but students,
must also seriously commit themselves to our brief 8-week class
expectations.
ONLINE THREADED DISCUSSION BEHAVIOR GUIDELINES
While participating in our two threaded discussions each week, it is
expected that all students will abide by the common rules of decency
listed below in order to maintain a professional online learning
environment. The threaded discussions ARE NOT LIKE A CHAT ROOM
DISCUSSION.
1. Always try to talk in warm, friendly tone, open to the ideas of
others.
2. Do not dominate or try to lead any discussion.
3. Listen to the others in a discussion by carefully reading and
reflecting on their input before responding back to them.
4. Do not solely respond to the Professor's remarks, but also
respond/initiate discussion with the other students.
5. Always speak respectfully to the other discussion participants,
avoiding using any profanity, inappropriate, offensive, and
derogatory language. Also, do not use slang or cyber talk
vocabulary.
6. Always bring in weekly lecture and reading content materials,
avoiding frequent personal opinion statements.
7. Bring into the discussion real-life examples that are relevant
and helpful to the discussion, especially examples from the business
world.
8. Reserve all questions for the separate Questions and Answers
section of each week's Threaded Discussion area.
9. Actively display a healthy sense of humor!!
THE WEEKLY GRADING STANDARDS USED TO EVALUATE THE TDAS
The Threaded Discussion Assignment is a major online component of
the iOptimize shell. The TDA is a weekly asynchronous virtual
classroom discussion aimed at promoting understanding of the major
concepts and principles underlying the complex relationships of the
course. Students should plan to participate in the discussion(s)
for approximately two hours each week (this time does not include
homework for the onsite meetings).
The Professor will lead these discussions, asking questions,
promoting thought, and providing feedback to the students. In turn,
each student is expected to respond to the instructor’s questions
and to respond to the entries of the other students in the class.
Opinions are welcome; however, the entries as well as the discussion
itself must focus on the weekly lecture(s) and weekly readings.
Thus each student
must
refer to specifics of the lectures and the readings each week as
well as analyze and synthesize material from previous readings and
lectures.
The Threaded Discussion will be weighted between 15%-20% of the
total course grade.
Each week the student will be graded on his/her contribution(s) in
the Threaded Discussions using the TDA Grading Criteria. Each entry
is worth a maximum of five points based on the following three
categories.
Grading the Threaded Discussion Assignment
Frequency
– At a minimum, each student
must
participate 3 days per week, every other day, spread out from the
beginning to the end of each week. The more a student participates,
the more points the student is able to earn. The points for
frequency in the discussion can range from 0-2 points (0 for no
participation and 2 points maximum for the 3 or more days).
Volume
– (The number of posts per Thread) For each Thread in a TDA, a
minimum of three postings
must
be made by each student per week. These postings cannot be
completely directed only to the professor; the postings must also
respond to the entries and comments of the other students in the
class in the virtual classroom discussion. The more entries the
student posts during the three days the more points the student can
earn. The student may earn 0 – 2 points for each entry.
Quality
– It is expected that each student will bring content from the
weekly lectures and weekly readings during each TDA (adding value
including personal examples, new analysis, important questions,
tying posts together, references to reading, responding to the
instructor and/or the questions). While personal opinions may be
interjected, the emphasis of each discussion is the course content.
A student can earn from 0-1 point for the quality of the discussion
entries.
Therefore, a student can earn a total of 15 points (maximum) per
Threaded Discussion Assignment/Topic if they meet the criteria for
Threaded Discussion. If there are two Threaded Discussions per week
the student would be able to earn 30 points (maximum) in the Threads
for the Week.
You will get 5 points for the Introduction Thread in Week One.
Therefore the total maximum for week 1 will be 20 point. The
Wrap-Up Thread for each week is NOT a graded component.
RESEARCH TEAM MEMBERS PARTICIPATION POLICY
Every research team member must fully contribute to the planning and
writing of the research report, and each team member must orally
summarize a part of the report during the team presentation. If any
team member fails to meet any of these expectations, the team must
contact the Professor and discuss the situation. The Professor then
reserves the right to drop a given member from a team, with the
student in question being eligible to no research report or
presentation grade points. In most cases, teams can resolve their
own internal problems, and rarely do students fail to meet the
expectations, but, no team should experience any ill effects from a
team member who does not perform. |
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School Policies |
A) Academic and Professional Conduct
Ensuring academic integrity is an educational objective DeVry takes
very seriously. The School's Academic Policy is printed in the
catalog, and the following explanations may be helpful in
interpreting what are considered to be violations of the policy.
Students have a responsibility to maintain both the academic and
professional integrity of the School and to meet the highest
standards of academic and professional conduct. Students are
expected to do their own work on examinations, class preparation and
assignments and to conduct themselves professionally when
interacting with fellow students, faculty and staff. Students must
also make equitable contributions to both the quality and quantity
of work performed on group projects.
Academic and/or professional misconduct is subject to disciplinary
action including course failure, probation or dismissal. Academic
dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating on
examinations, plagiarism, bribery, falsification of student records
and improper attempts to influence Instructors or School officials.
Examinations:
Using notes, looking at another student's test paper, or providing
another student with answers during an examination are violations of
the policy.
Course Assignments/Projects:
Unless a course assignment is specifically designated as a
group/team assignment, collaborating with another student in
completing assignments intended to be completed independently or
submitting another student's work as your own are violations of the
policy.
Research Reports:
To use another person's ideas, words, expressions, or findings in
your writing without acknowledging the source is to plagiarize. A
writer who does not give appropriate credit when quoting, or even
paraphrasing, another's writing is guilty of plagiarism and in
violation of the Academic Policy.
The policies and procedures set forth in the DeVry Handbook will be
the guide for standards of conduct, including cheating, plagiarism,
grading and other policies.
Students should adhere to the same types of conduct for cheating,
plagiarism, etc. that are followed in the traditional classroom.
Students should be familiar with the consequences of cheating,
plagiarism, or rules infractions as set out in the DeVry Handbook.
B) Computer Virus Disclaimer
“Students have a responsibility to maintain both the academic and
professional integrity of the School, and to meet the highest
standards of academic and professional conduct." Any intentional,
willful or reckless transferring of viruses, as the result of an
email message or attachment will be considered professional
misconduct. Professional misconduct is subject to disciplinary
action including being placed on probation, failing a graded course
component, failing a course, or being dismissed from the School.
DeVry will not be liable to any affected student for any indirect,
special, incidental or consequential damages that may occur as a
result of this type of misconduct by any person.
Faculty and DeVry staff have a responsibility to maintain both the
academic and professional integrity of the School, and to meet the
highest standards of academic and professional conduct. Any
intentional, willful or reckless transferring of viruses, as the
result of an email message or attachment will be considered
professional misconduct. Professional misconduct is subject to
disciplinary action. DeVry will not be liable to any affected person
or organization for any indirect, special, incidental or
consequential damages that may occur as a result of this type of
misconduct by any person.
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