CHAPTER 2
How Does the Way Students Organize Knowledge Affect Their Learning?
That Didn’t Work Out the Way I Anticipated
For the past 12 years, I’ve taught the introductory Art History course. I present the material using a standard approach. That is, I begin with an introductory description of key terms and concepts, including a discussion of the basic visual elements (line, color, light, form, composition, space). Then, for each of the remaining 40 class sessions, I show slides of important works, progressing chronologically from prehistoric Europe to rather recent pieces. As I go, I identify important features that characterize each piece and point out associations among various movements, schools, and periods. I give a midterm and a final ...
