Course Development Strategies
The "Backward
Design" process used for our sample course: Introduction to Visual
Literacy.
1. Identify Desired Results
2. Determine Acceptable Evidence
3. Plan Learning Experience and Instruction
Sample Syllabus
Identify Desired Results
The process of begins
with the instructor thinking about three levels of desired results: "enduring
understanding", "important to know or do", and "worth
being familiar with."
Enduring Understanding
Become cognizant of the visual work around them; learn that visual culture
is a part of their lives ? it effects them and they can effect it.
Be able to decode visual culture that they previously may have just
absorbed without thinking about it.
That they can and should learn more about topics that interests them ? to
go below the surface.
Be able to respect and try to understand cultures different than their
own.
Important to Know or Do
Be able to research.
Be able to write intelligently on a chosen topic.
Be able to have basic understanding of common theories, even if they
don¡t master the jargon.
Be able to define terms common to the study of visual culture.
Be able to collaborate with classmates.
Worth Being Familiar With
The language of a variety of visual culture, from Àhigh” art to Àlow” art,
subcultures, TV/film media, na‚ve art, advertising.
Read analysis of these.
Research and discover the wide scope of documents that can relate to
an aspect of visual culture.
FIltering these general ideas:
Filter 1
To what extent does the idea, topic, or process represent a Àbig idea” having
enduring value beyond the classroom?
Citizens should be active participants in the shaping of their culture.
Filter 2
To what extent does the idea, topic or process reside at the heart of the discipline?
Education should result in an engaged citizen, no matter their place in society.
Filter 3
To what extend does the idea, topic, or process
require uncoverage?
People are often inured to what they encounter every day. Exercises to demonstrate
to them their own skills in decoding culture require research into examples
of how this is done, after which they demonstrate their own ability to decode.
Filter 4
To what extent does the idea, topic, or process
offer potential for engaging students?
Our society is dominated by visual culture. By bridging between popular culture
and less available aspects we can engage students in discovery of these less
available aspects. They will enjoy rediscovering their own culture.
Determine
Acceptable Evidence 
Course Objectives Paired with Standard
Objectives were refined from the
notes above. The Standards were then consulted to find those appropriate
to each objective.
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Demonstrate active participation in the classroom learning community
by initiating discussion, presenting own ideas, and responding
to questions.
|
Standard
1.1.a
Standard 3.6.a |
| Demonstrate ability to use information
resources by doing library, Internet, and field research for written
and creative assignments. |
Encompasses all five standards.
For creative work in particular:
Standard
4.1.c
Standard
4.1.d
|
| Learn the vocabulary of visual literacy
and culture and apply it appropriately by defining terms, and using
it to study and describe objects and images from our visual culture. |
Standard 3.3.a
|
| Demonstrate an understanding of the
use of theories to study images and their contextual meanings by
using them to analyze their own visual culture and paraphrasing
and distinguishing between theories and critiques from the texts. |
Standard
3.3.a
Standard
3.3.b
Standard
3.4.c
Standard
3.4.f
Standard
3.5.a
|
| Understand the historical
shifts in the dynamics of visual culture in the 20th century and
be able to outline and summarize these in written assignments. |
Standard
3.1.b
Standard
5.2.f
|
| Successfully collaborate with fellow
students in developing and presenting creative research projects. |
Standard
1.1.a
Standard
4.1.b
Standard
4.3.c
Standard
4.3.d
|
| Show respect for cultures different
than their own through class discussion and writing. |
Standard
3.5.a |
As can be seen in this matrix, the course emphasizes the skills articulated
in Standard
Three:The information literate student evaluates information and
its sources critically and incorporates selected information into his
or her knowledge base and value system.
Plan Learning Experience and Instruction
In-class sessions will be of a combination of slide lecture and discussion.
Assessment
will take the form of wriitten assignments, creative assigments, very
brief weekly vocabulary quizzes, and midterm / final exams that
use a short-answer / essay format.
Sample Assignments
Visual
Description
This is the first assignment for the class. Students are asked to visually
describe an object. This may be a fine art object or a pop culture object.
This same object will be the subject of a research paper later in the course
(this aspect on addressed here).
Primary IL Objectives addressed:
Standard
1.1.e
Standard
1.2.f
Standard
2.3.d
Bricolage/Montage/Collage - "The Flyer"
This assignment comes after lecture/discussion on the history of montage in
public discourse (dada and punk in particular). Students are asked to produce
their own flyer on a socio-political topic of their choice. They may use
a computer in the production of their flyer, but the final piece must be "xeroxable"
Primary IL Objectives addressed:
Standard
1.1.f
Standard
4.1.c
Standard
4.1.d
Standard
5.1.c
Sample Syllabus
This sample does not include the specifics of a real course, such as
course number, professor's contact information, schedule, etc.
Introduction to Visual Culture
Lower Division - 200 level
Prerequisite: Completion of the University's Writing Requirement
Course Description
Our culture is becoming more & more saturated with visual media every day.
The dividing lines between fine art, pop culture, and science are becoming
blurred, as are the definitions of local, regional, and global culture. The
purpose of this class is to assist students in learning the process of decoding
the visual culture that surrounds them. Through this process they will become
active participants in their culture rather than just passive consumers. This
class will be looking at fine art, indigenous art, advertising, and more; students
will enounter both the familiar and the unfamiliar. This course will also introduce
Information Literacy Standards to the students as part of the course objectives
and assignments.
Course Objectives
At the completion of
this course students should be able to:
Demonstrate active participation in the classroom learning community
by initiating discussion, presenting own ideas, and responding to questions.
Learn the vocabulary of visual literacy and culture and apply it appropriately
by defining terms, and using it to study and describe objects and images
from our visual culture.
Demonstrate ability to use information resources by doing library, internet,
and field research for written and creative assignments.
Demonstrate an understanding of the use of theories to study images
and their contextual meanings by using them to analyze their own visual
culture and paraphrasing and distinguishing between theories and critiques
from the texts.
Understand the historical shifts in the dynamics of visual culture in
the 20th century and be able to outline and summarize these in written
assignments.
Successfully collaborate with fellow students in developing and presenting
creative research projects.
Show respect for cultures different than their own through class discussion
and writing.
Required Text
"Practices of Looking: an introduction to visual culture". Marita Sturken and
Lisa Cartwright
Course Format
For the most part class time will consist of slide lectures and discussion.
Each class session will start out with a couple of minutes of freewriting
on a topic related to the course (these may be collected on occassion, but
you are not graded on content). As you can seen in the course objectives
participation in discussion is expected.
Course Requirements
Attendance: Needless to say, missing class will seriously effect your
ability to get a good grade.
Bricolage/Collage/Montage: The Flyer: A creative project that will
be presented in class.
Visual
Description: A written visual description 2-3 pages in length.
Research Paper: a deeper exploration of the subject of your visual
description, five pages in length.
"Mapping the Scene": a collaborative project, creative with a brief
written summary, presented in class.
Midterm: Short answer and essay.
Final: Short answer and essay.
Quizzes: These will be very brief weekly quizzes focusing on terms used in
the text.
Good writing is an essential element of this class. The Writing Center
is here to assist you, so please avail yourselves of it. Plagiarism will
not be tolerated, and if it is detected you will fail the course. We
will discuss the definition of plagarism in class.
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