Visual Literacy
This community will introduce you to ways of understanding visual images in a variety of contexts, including art, photography, film, and performing arts. You will learn about aesthetics, as well as the production aspects of visual images; discover intuitive dimensions of seeing; and analyze the influence of culture on visual symbols and communication. Through the student service component of this community, you will participate in Washington, D.C., to make a positive difference that extends far beyond the AU campus. Throughout the semester, your work will be featured on the professor’s Web site of student work, and by the end of the semester, you will create a portfolio piece that draws on one or more of the visual media studied. You will showcase your final portfolio project; other examples of your work, such as photography, visual design, short films or videos; and analysis of visual literacy experiences from throughout the city on a Web site of your own creation. Your analysis will include your artistic statement of vision, growth, and reflection.
To sign up for this Learning Community, ask your Academic Advisor to register you for COMM-105-001LC and IDIS-001-002.
By the end of this Visual Literacy course students create a portfolio piece that draws on one or more visual media studied and connects to our Service Learning experience with SCAA, (Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association).Students showcase their final portfolio project and other examples of their work including photography, visual design, short films/videos as well as analysis of visual literacy experiences from throughout Washington, D.C. on a web blog of each student's own creation. Students support their portfolio with a strong analysis, which includes an artistic statement of vision, growth and reflection.
In addition, the entire class works collaboratively to detail their community based service learning project with SCAA, (Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association) through visual images and video which will be featured on a class designed website and may be selected with permission of the students to be featured regionally or nationally with SCAA. During the previous years that I've taught this course with a service learning component the student work has made a positive impact beyond the walls of American University and has been featured on the other organizations websites. Students are able to feature this course work experience on their resumes.
