Find out more about The Open University's Art History courses
I am the Chair of the Open Qualifications at The Open University, including the Open Degree and Open Masters, and I was part of the team that developed YXM130. What excited me about the development of the module was the way it allowed learners to take control of their own learning and bring different resources together in a way that was valid, and also meaningful to them.
I live in Wales and, if I was studying the module, I would be interested in looking at aspects of Art History and how it relates to the Welsh context. I’ve always had an interest in Art and History, and in fact have studied Masters in both History and Art History. How a culture interacts with art and, in turn, how that culture is to an extent defined by the art that comes to represent it are fascinating topics.
I think the courses I have selected below could help answer a number of questions and provide areas for further exploration, such as:
- an understanding of Welsh history
- how religion, language and politics shape art
- the nature of cultural heritage
- an appreciation of the techniques and focus of art history
- how different subjects can be brought together in art history
The following courses would be an interesting combination, most are Level 1 although some explore subjects in a bit more depth at Level 2.
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Welsh history and its sources
Learn more to access more details of Welsh history and its sourcesThis free course, Welsh history and its sources, is a teaching and learning resource for anyone interested in Welsh history. It contains study materials, links to some of the most important institutions that contribute to our understanding of the history of Wales, and a pool of resources that can help you understand Welsh history and the way it ...
Level: 1 Introductory
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Aberdulais Falls: a case study in Welsh heritage
Learn more to access more details of Aberdulais Falls: a case study in Welsh heritageThis free course, Aberdulais Falls: a case study in Welsh heritage, looks at the Aberdulais Falls in Wales, and considers the key issues affecting the decision-making of the bodies which are responsible for looking after our heritage. We examine the heritage debates: who decides what should be preserved from the past as our heritage, who is this...
Level: 1 Introductory
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Making sense of art history
Learn more to access more details of Making sense of art historyYou can prepare for this free course, Making sense of art history, by looking around you. It's likely that wherever you are you'll be able to see some images. It's also likely that many of these will be intended to have some sort of effect on you. In the course itself you will be exploring the power of images via a study of contemporary art ...
Level: 1 Introductory
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Art and visual culture: medieval to modern
Learn more to access more details of Art and visual culture: medieval to modernWhat is art? What is visual culture? How have they changed through history? This free course, Art and visual culture: medieval to modern, explores the fundamental issues raised by the study of western art and visual culture over the last millennium. It moves from discussing the role of the artist and the functions of art during the medieval and ...
Level: 2 Intermediate
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The ethics of cultural heritage
Learn more to access more details of The ethics of cultural heritageThis free course, The ethics of cultural heritage, provides the basic theory behind the protection of cultural property in war zones and is presented in three parts: the protection of cultural property; the legal basis for that protection; and accounts of proportionality (that is, on deciding whether or not there is a feasible alternative to ...
Level: 2 Intermediate
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Methodism in Wales, 1730–1850
Learn more to access more details of Methodism in Wales, 1730–1850In this free course, Methodism in Wales, 1730–1850, you will learn about a neglected strand of Welsh history and identity. By the mid-nineteenth century, Calvinistic Methodism had become the most popular religious denomination in Wales and a mainstay of Welsh national identity. Where did this new form of religion come from? Why did it become so ...
Level: 2 Intermediate
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Introducing philosophy
Learn more to access more details of Introducing philosophyEver wondered what it would be like to study philosophy? This free course, Introducing philosophy, will introduce you to the teaching methods employed and the types of activities and assignments you would be asked to undertake should you wish to study philosophy and the human situation.
Level: 1 Introductory
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Introducing the philosophy of religion
Learn more to access more details of Introducing the philosophy of religionIn this free course, Introducing the philosophy of religion, Timothy Chappell, Professor of Philosophy, asks what the words 'God' and 'religion' mean, and what it means to ask philosophical questions about them.
Level: 2 Intermediate
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Heritage case studies: Scotland
Learn more to access more details of Heritage case studies: ScotlandThe heritage traditions of Scotland are unique in comparison to the rest of Britain. This free course, Heritage case studies: Scotland, uses two case studies to demonstrate how heritage sites have helped to forge the Scottish national identity and history.
Level: 1 Introductory
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Studying the arts and humanities
Learn more to access more details of Studying the arts and humanitiesThis free course is an introduction to studying the arts and humanities. It takes you through a series of exercises designed to develop your approach to study and learning at a distance and improve your confidence as an independent learner.
Level: 1 Introductory
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Picturing the family
Learn more to access more details of Picturing the familyBesides being simple mementos, family photographs can offer insights into the past. This free course, Picturing the family, looks at some of the ways photographs can reveal, and sometimes conceal, important information about the past. It teaches the skills and provides some of the knowledge needed to interpret such pictorial sources.
Level: 1 Introductory
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Contemporary Wales
Learn more to access more details of Contemporary WalesThis free course provides an accessible and lively social science account of contemporary Wales. It introduces key aspects of the economy, society, politics and culture of Wales, providing a wealth of up-to-date evidence that is organised around core social science concepts and theories, to help you make sense of a changing nation.
Level: 1 Introductory
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Understanding devolution in Wales
Learn more to access more details of Understanding devolution in WalesThis free course charts the transformation of the Welsh devolution settlement in the 20 years following the referendum on devolution in 1997. You will consider how an Assembly with minimal public support and limited law-making powers became a Parliament with the power to set taxes. You will explore some of the biggest challenges facing ...
Level: 1 Introductory
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Croeso: Beginners' Welsh
Learn more to access more details of Croeso: Beginners' WelshThis free course, Croeso: Beginners' Welsh, is taken from Croeso, a beginners' language module that concentrates on Welsh as a tool for communication, but it also provides some insights into Welsh societies and cultures through printed and audio materials. It will be of interest to all those who want to improve their language skills in order to ...
Level: 1 Introductory
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What is heritage?
Learn more to access more details of What is heritage?What is heritage? This free course will introduce you to the concept of heritage and its critical study, exploring the role of heritage in both past and contemporary societies.
Level: 1 Introductory
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National identity in Britain and Ireland, 1780–1840
Learn more to access more details of National identity in Britain and Ireland, 1780–1840What is a ‘nation’? What is a ‘state’? Where have these ideas come from and how have they developed over time? This free course, National identity in Britain and Ireland, 1780-1840, explores how the United Kingdom of Britain and Ireland was formed. It then moves to analyse the distinctions between the terms ‘nation’ and ‘state’. Finally, it ...
Level: 2 Intermediate
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An introduction to material culture
Learn more to access more details of An introduction to material cultureThis free course, An introduction to material culture, introduces the study of material culture. It asks why we should study things and outlines some basic approaches to studying objects.
Level: 1 Introductory
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