ClassInfo

GPH 205 Historical Foundations of Visual Technology

Spring 2012-2013
Class number: 34655
Section number: 621
-
Online Campus
Course homepage: http://ee4.me/205

Summary

This course is a survey of the development, application and meaning of visual technologies in a wide range of world cultures from pre-history to the present. It traces the unique intersection of mathematics and physical culture that marks design science as it has been realized in a variety of human societies. The course includes works of art that emphasize mathematical, geometric and physical elements antecedent to contemporary graphic technology. This course carries Liberal Studies credit in the Understanding the Past learning domain. It belongs to the geographical category of "Intercontinental." Students may not take more than one Understanding the Past course in any given geographical category. The central Understanding the Past learning goal is to help you become literate about the past and the methods used to understand it. DePaul considers that this learning goal is achieved if you are able to demonstrate the following learning outcomes in your written work, exams, and/or contributions to discussions:

1. You have acquired knowledge of prehistoric or historical events, themes, and ideas

2. You can reason through analysis, evaluation, and/or synthesis of a range of primary and secondary source evidence

3. You understand that there are different perspectives on the past, whether those be historical or methodological in nature

4. You can express knowledge and reason effectively in written work.

This syllabus gives you an overall description of the course, required texts, prerequisites, grading scheme, and how the course is organized. This syllabus was last revised March 4, 2013.



Texts

Two printed books are required at a total cost of under $60:

The Story of Art, 16th edition (1995, by E. H. Gombrich,). ISBN 0-7148-3247-2. It's less than $25 new at Amazon.com and well worth the very reasonable cost. Earlier editions may be used but will handicap you with fewer color illustrations.

The History of Visual Technology, 3rd edition, by James Janossy (2012). This workbook is fully multimedia enabled through the use of scannable QR codes making it possible to view all lecture videos using a cell phone or other mobile device! The workbook IS in fact the course and is complete with worksheets to help you do the assignments, all of which are submitted electronically.

See link "B" at the course web site for direct links to the Amazon.com web pages for the books for this course. As a study aid, the course web site provides short URL alias links to the slides on which lectures are based, in downloadable 3-up .pdf form suitable for electronic note-taking or printing.



Grading

Although this course in visual technology is conducted online, it makes essentially no use of Desire2Learn or even of the course web site which is located at URL alias http://piopi.co/205. This is possible because the course is orchestrated via the course workbook, which contains links to all video lectures. Links are provided both as text hyperlinks and Quick Response (QR) codes that give students the ability to access materials using smart cell phones, iPods, iPads, and other tablet computers. Using the workbook you access the videos and other web resources without having to log onto a computer and navigate a menu. This course is divided into five segments named "units". Each unit requires readings and video viewing as indicated in the course e-book and the completion and submission of these assignments:

* a short repeatable online exercise

* a written summary homework assignment supplied as a turnaround document

* a hands-on project.

Exercises are graded automatically and each is a repeatable learning device, not a "quiz". Project work and homework are graded by the instructor upon submission and written feedback is given, after which students have the opportunity to revise and resubmit the work for re-grading and (possibly) higher score. This course does not make use of discussion boards, but frequent communication between the student and the instructor is encouraged in a "mentoring" capacity.

The coursework in units counts for 75% of the course grade. A reflective written assignment (25%) accounts for the remaining 25% producing a course score in a range 0 to 1000. Your course score is divided by 1000 to convert it to a percentage. The letter grade for the course is assigned from that percentage using this scale:

95 and above = A
90-94.9 = A-
87.5-89.9 = B+
83.5-87.4 = B
80-83.4 = B-
77.5-79.9 = C+
73.5-77.4 = C
70-73.4 = C-
67.5-69.9 = D+
60-67.4 = D
less than 60 = F

The repeatable online exercises, project and homework feedback and opportunity to revise and resubmit work provide much more frequent and timely feedback than would a midterm exam so there is no midterm exam in this course. The end of the term is focused on the reflective essay and there is no final exam. A detailed course grade "transcript" with feedback is provided to each student at frequent intervals during the course. Grades are not "curved." Every student can earn an A or any other grade; you are not competing with anyone else in this course. Your grade results entirely from your own efforts judged objectively. Optional extra credit is available in each of the four units of the course. This class is designed to take advantage of modern electronic technology and the web. All work is submitted electronically online. You need to do the reading assignments and video viewing for which links in the course e-book are provided since the exercises, projects, and homework are based on these. Work for each unit is due when that unit ends as indicated in the course workbook. Work aside is accepted late but the maximum that late work can receive is 70% of the credit that it would normally earn. However, each student has a grace period of seven days (total) they can apply any way they wish, if needed, during the term, to avoid a late penalty. In addition, students can re-plan their declared work submission schedule as indicate below.



Prerequisites

View the video promo for this course at http://ee4.me/course205. The only prerequisite for this course is that you can access videos such as that using a desktop, laptop, smart cell phone, iPad, iPod, or other tablet computer. This course supports all of these devices. If you don't have convenient internet access on one of these types of devices, you may not have what you need in terms of infrastructure to attempt a fully online course!


Online work replaces paper-based work

This class is structured to take advantage of modern electronic technology. All work is submitted electronically online as indicated in the course e-book accessible via the course web site accessed via URL alias piopi.co/205. You need to do the reading assignments in the assigned texts as well as in the e-book that you can download from the course web site. The repeatable online exercises are based on these readings and the videos provided. The online exercise for each of the first four units is part of your coursework. You can do each unit exercise any number of times during the entire term. These online exercises have replaced much of the paper-based homework and quizzes that were formerly part of this course.



Flexible (individual) coursework scheduling

Online courses need not be constrained to have each student proceed at the same pace. The timespans for each segment of the course shown below are just my suggestions. In this course each students decides, within some simple guidelines, on the date they will commit to complete each of the five units of the course. The schedule is declared using the Confirmation of Participation form you download from the course web site and complete and return. You can adjust this schedule without penalty as your own circumstances dictate during the first seven weeks of the term (10-week quarter) or first 3 weeks of the 5-week summer term.


Unit 1: Prehistory, the ancients, and Rome to 600 AD.
The Story of Art, introduction and chapters 1 through 5; Workbook chapter 1
Video viewings and assignments as indicated in the course workbook.

Unit2: The Middle Ages 600 AD to 1300 AD.
The Story of Art, chapters 6 through 11; Workbook chapter 2
Video viewings and assignments as indicated in the course workbook

Unit 3: Renaissance and Reformation 1300 AD to 1650 AD
The Story of Art, chapters 12 through 18; Workbook chapter 3
Video viewings and assignments as indicated in the course workbook

Unit 4: Baroque and beyond 1650 AD to 1900 AD;
The Story of Art, chapters 19 through 25; Workbook chapter 4
Video viewings and assignments as indicated in the course workbook

Reflective essay.
The course workbook provides complete information about the unique creative writing reflective essay in chapter 5.

School policies:

Changes to Syllabus

This syllabus is subject to change as necessary during the quarter. If a change occurs, it will be thoroughly addressed during class, posted under Announcements in D2L and sent via email.

Online Course Evaluations

Evaluations are a way for students to provide valuable feedback regarding their instructor and the course. Detailed feedback will enable the instructor to continuously tailor teaching methods and course content to meet the learning goals of the course and the academic needs of the students. They are a requirement of the course and are key to continue to provide you with the highest quality of teaching. The evaluations are anonymous; the instructor and administration do not track who entered what responses. A program is used to check if the student completed the evaluations, but the evaluation is completely separate from the student’s identity. Since 100% participation is our goal, students are sent periodic reminders over three weeks. Students do not receive reminders once they complete the evaluation. Students complete the evaluation online in CampusConnect.

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism

This course will be subject to the university's academic integrity policy. More information can be found at http://academicintegrity.depaul.edu/ If you have any questions be sure to consult with your professor.

All students are expected to abide by the University's Academic Integrity Policy which prohibits cheating and other misconduct in student coursework. Publicly sharing or posting online any prior or current materials from this course (including exam questions or answers), is considered to be providing unauthorized assistance prohibited by the policy. Both students who share/post and students who access or use such materials are considered to be cheating under the Policy and will be subject to sanctions for violations of Academic Integrity.

Academic Policies

All students are required to manage their class schedules each term in accordance with the deadlines for enrolling and withdrawing as indicated in the University Academic Calendar. Information on enrollment, withdrawal, grading and incompletes can be found at http://www.cdm.depaul.edu/Current%20Students/Pages/PoliciesandProcedures.aspx.

Students with Disabilities

Students who feel they may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the instructor privately to discuss their specific needs. All discussions will remain confidential.
To ensure that you receive the most appropriate accommodation based on your needs, contact the instructor as early as possible in the quarter (preferably within the first week of class), and make sure that you have contacted the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) at:
Lewis Center 1420, 25 East Jackson Blvd.
Phone number: (312)362-8002
Fax: (312)362-6544
TTY: (773)325.7296