History of Art and Architecture

mondloch@uoregon.edu | 541-346-2068

Courses: ARH 354

In my courses you will:

• Make connections to lived experiences and real-world challenges.
• Explore new perspectives.

I was invited into the Teaching Academy because:

• I was a member of the Working Group on Active Teaching and Learning.

In what ways are you working to make your teaching inclusive?

I aim to help students see their own interests and concerns as connected to those of the course, especially as this pertains to issues of identity and pluralism. Because a lot of contemporary art is explicitly concerned with identity and representation, it makes for lively discussions around those important issues. We also read newspaper articles and discuss other current events that address the social and political ramifications of visual art in everyday life.

What do you do in terms of professional engagement with the teaching and learning culture on campus or nationally?

I'm a member of the national committee on diversity practices for the College Art Association. This national leadership is important to my pedagogy and mentorship practices at UO, but also helps keep me up-to-date with pressing international debates in the field. I read a lot about teaching and learning in the Chronicle of Higher Education and follow developments in the contemplative education movement as well.

In what ways was your teaching in this course research-led—informed by research on how students learn and inflected by UO's research mission?

I articulate specific goals for student learning in my classes. Assignments build upon and reinforce each other so that students have several opportunities to improve their skills, and I always encourage students to engage the course with the “big picture”—the role of art in contemporary life—in mind, rather than merely memorizing artwork identifications for exams. I use discussion boards a lot for both private and group discussion about current events related to the course, which also allows me to solicit feedback from students. I often pick discussion topics based on student interest and/or to focus on breaking news. Media technologies are important in all of my classes—both learning to use new tools, and, equally important, learning to think critically about them.

What are you reading right now?

Richard Schusterman's Thinking Through the Body: Essays in Somaesthetics.

What is your favorite TED Talk or podcast?

One of my favorite TED talks (which I assign in ARH 354) is Thelma Golden's “How Art Gives Shape to Cultural Change.”