Contact: Maridith Geuder
From Degas to Van Gogh, classic art works will merge next month with the latest in distance-learning technology during a new Mississippi State art department course.
The university's first online art appreciation class will be offered July 9-Aug. 3 during the second summer school term. The interactive production taught by lecturer Richard Sewell will use Internet-delivered photos, video footage, sound files, lectures, and discussions.
Coordinated by the Division of Continuing Education, the three-credit-hour course also will include discussions of the Majesty of Spain exhibit now on display at the Mississippi Arts Pavilion. Persons desiring to enroll must have an electronic mail account.
"This isn't strictly a chronological history of art," Sewell said. "We want to teach students what art is about, why to appreciate it and how to discuss their opinions about it."
To prepare for his virtual experience, Sewell, who also has taught the course in a traditional classroom setting, said he became a student himself. "An online training course I took gave me some great ideas and I'm excited about teaching the material this way for the first time," he added.
Sewell said students may log on to the class web site daily for work assignments and group discussions. Short audio lectures with visual aids can be accessed at any time and as many times as needed.
"This approach allows students to review material at their peak learning times," he explained. "They can listen to the lecture 20 times at 3 a.m. if need be."
At the course's end, even the final exam will be completed via computer.
For more information on the course, contact Vicki Brown at (662) 325-3806 or www.msstate.edu/dept/ced.