David Marshall Projects
Rashi Inquiry Learning Environment Art History Module: Giorgione's Tempest
2007: Art History graduate students working on an inquiry-based-learning exercise: creating a concept map of an essay interpreting Giorgione's Tempest
This is a slide show of an art history module. The module is designed
to be given as a homework assignment in an art history course.
The software supports students in looking closely at a painting, performing
visual analysis, reading and analyzing scholarly essays.
Given in this sequence of slides is a set of snapshots of a student using the
Rashi inquiry learning environment to explore an issue in art history.
The slides show a student gathering data from papers written about a painting,
looking at the painting with a viewing tool, collecting information, building
arguments for the different hypotheses, and finally generating a report which
can be turned in for grading. A coach may be enabled which can help a
student build arguments and collect information.
In the snapshot below, the student logs in and receives the statement of the problem. They are asked to study the painting "The Tempest" by the early 16th century Italian painter Giorgione. The painting has perplexed art historians for centuries because they aren't sure how to interpret it. That has not stopped them from publishing many theories on the painting's subject. These theories are often quite complex in that they require a thorough knowledge of Italian culture (art, literature, politics, history, philosophy, society). Because there is so little real evidence about the painting's motivations and origins, no theory seems to have been accepted.
The student is asked to read several publications that promote different theories. Additionally, the student can scour the web and view the painting in great detail and also see an infrared radiograph of the work. The students job is to fully understand the different theories and demonstrate this understanding by representing the arguments in Rashi's argument editor. The student is encouraged to explore the painting on his/her own and to comment on the different theories. Ultimately the student is asked to select the theory that they find most believeable.
