The following suggestions were composed in an effort to make clear to my students the necessity of hard work in any art and design history class. Pay attention to the following, and proceed accordingly.

1. Review the lecture material within two days of each class meeting, and then again before the next class. Review the image list, filling in images and notes missed in class; use the textbooks and the web slide list to help fill in gaps. Consult the "additional resources" section in the side bar of each slide list; for other resources, see the Links page.

2. Faithfully complete your image list every week and maintain your workbook. Since you will be allowed to use your workbook during exams, it stands to reason that a complete and carefully-arranged notebook will help you earn the highest possible scores. Take notes on what you read in the textbooks, and download useful information from linked websites. You will not be allowed to use the textbooks during the exam--only your workbook, and you may not use any slide lists unless they're collected into a workbook and arranged according to the guidelines. Above all, make sure the image lists are complete!!

3. Take notes in class, when reading assigned segments of the textbooks, when watching films or videos, when looking through websites, etc. If you do not make the connection between hand and brain, you will not retain the material nearly as well as if you physically take notes. But take good notes. The quality of your Protokoll will depend largely on the quality of the notes you take during lectures and discussions.

4. Use the website. It has been designed to be simple to navigate. Everything underlined is a link to further information either on the site or elsewhere on the web. Most of my pages are now linked to separate windows.

5. Be sure to read any material you print out, and make appropriate notations in the margins, underline or highlight important passages, etc. This will not only help you learn the information, but it will show me that you have read what you’ve printed out. Place these materials in the appropriate section of your workbook.

6. If you prefer viewing images to reading, make use of the extensive DVD and VHS collection in the Kelley Library. Most of these are between thirty minutes and one hour in length; you can view them in the Library if you don’t have an appropriate machine at home.

7. Write down questions as they occur to you, and either look them up (and write the answers down) or bring them to class for discussion.

8. Whether or not you can draw well is not important. The physical act of trying to sketch something helps you to learn about it. So every time I present a diagram, be able to sketch the basic principles involved. You should be able, for example, to reproduce simple diagrams of the orders of classical architecture or maps of basilicas, central plan churches, and cathedrals in your sleep!

9. Complete all worksheets. As soon as you have information from the lecture that fits in one of the categories on a worksheet, fill it in and find the appropriate examples. This goes for the map worksheet as well. All of these are designed to help you do well on midterm and final exams, by guiding you through connections throughout the course.

10. Finally, don’t just sit there and watch the dog and pony show. Ask questions, take notes, participate in your own learning. If I'm going too fast, tell me, and raise whatever questions you have in mind. One reason I limit the number of slides shown in class is to facilitate discussion–as well as to enable you to actually complete the image lists. So do it.

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