Art History
Overview
E-Learning inquiry systems are applicable to a wide range of subjects. Here, the RASHI Inquiry Tutor is used to help students study art history and discover, for themselves, possible interpretations of the meaning of a particular work of art and the information about the life of he artist.
In this example, students log in and receive the statement of the problem. They are asked to study the painting "The Tempest" by the 16th century Italian painter Giorgione. The painting has perplexed art historians for centuries because they aren't sure how to interpret it. There is very little documentation about the painting, it is a groundbreaking work in the sense that figures are placed in a landscape with the landscape playing a dominant role.
Giorgione is known for his ambiguous subjects but this painting is surely one of the most mysterious. The student is asked to read several publications that promote different theories. Additionally, the student can view the painting in great detail and also see an infraredreflectograph of the work. The students job is to fully understand the different theories and demonstrate this understanding by representing the arguments in the Inquiry Tutor's argument editor. The student is encourage to explore the painting on his own and to comment on the different theories.
The Inquiry Tutor instructs the student to:
- Look at the painting carefully
- Read the historical documentation regarding the painting available in the Inquiry Tutor library
- Construct arguments for the various interpretations disused and add their own interpretations
- Rate the interpretations and generate a report with the Inquiry Tutor report tool
- Analyze the various interpretations according to their strengths and weaknesses
| Click on the image at the right to see how this example appears in the Inquiry Tutor module. |  |