Art History, Open Educational Resources (OERs), and Social Justice-Oriented Pedagogy: Adaptations to Introductory World Art History Survey Courses

Abstract

This essay considers the social justice benefits of adopting OERs in an introductory art history survey course. Following the events of the COVID-19 pandemic, instructors have needed to reevaluate pedagogical approaches and teaching materials. Coupled with this present need to foster accessible and flexible courses, for decades art historians have observed the overrepresentation of white Western art and subsequent marginalization of global art in survey textbooks. Centering the need for a social justice-oriented pedagogy that recognizes global contributions to art history, I first reflect on the potential to adapt open educational resources (OERs) to disrupt status quo narratives that privilege Western art. Second, I discuss my adaptation of the open access textbook Boundless Art History by Lumen Learning in which I reformat the material to examine artwork across the globe in timeframe units. Finally, I conclude by reviewing student responses to a Google Forms survey about their experiences with OERs and positing additional benefits and further developments for open access course materials within introductory art history survey courses.