Art Appreciation is often a course that undergraduate students take to meet their general education requirements. However, many students have little interest or value of art due to a lack of previous art experiences and often choose the course because they feel it will be relatively easy. This qualitative, naturalistic inquiry focused on students'…

Over the centuries, changes in technology and education have transformed people's attitudes towards the arts, making them more accessible. Bohemianism and modern art in the 18th century challenged the elitist perception of the arts, democratizing access. Digital tools and online resources have further opened doors to creating and experiencing…

Numerous incidents have been reported in recent years wherein a work of art is mistaken as trash. The question is, how have people reached the point in the civilized world where a purported work of art cannot be distinguished from a pile of rubbish or a grid of condensation pipes? The answer to that question lies in the basic assumption of nearly…

The four content areas of discipline based art education (aesthetics, art criticism, art history, and art production) should be addressed in every art education unit planned and taught to students. All four content areas are addressed in the process of formal art criticism therefore every unit/lesson that utilizes a formal art criticism also…

The California Art Education Association (CAEA) has outlined guidelines to help administrators, teachers, and others responsible for determining the acceptable content of visual arts courses offered to meet California's state graduation requirements or entry requirements into a state university. Emphasis for visual arts courses should be on the…

Describes how art history and art criticism in the art curriculum benefit Trainable Mentally Retarded (TMR) students. Shows how these students enjoy looking at and talking about art and maintains that the experience will be successful if the requirements are kept basic. Outlines objectives that incorporate art history and criticism into the TMR…

Examines how discipline based art education (DBAE) has affected the teaching of art to exceptional children. Argues that balance must be maintained between self-expression and academic rigor. Recommends using reproductions of artistic works as visual motivational aids. (KM)

This paper describes The Toledo Museum of Art Early Childhood Program, a program that promotes knowledge and appreciation of art by young children and their families. The program supports the interactionist philosophy of early childhood education, which focuses on developmentally appropriate instruction. In interactionism, the major emphasis is on…

Presents a simulated dialog among an art teacher, a school principal, and a school board member on student evaluation. Discusses issues related to the evaluation of art products as opposed to evaluation of student learning in art history and art criticism. Outlines issues of evaluating student creativity. (CFR)