Unlike the classical Greek and Roman periods or the ever-popular Renaissance, Zaho finds the medieval period to be one of the least understood and least taught eras of art and architecture, creating a gap in the art history curriculum she hopes to fill. With this course, Zaho seeks to shed light on the period鈥檚 many overlooked yet fascinating characteristics and even end some common misconceptions.

鈥淢y banner is to remind people that the Middle Ages, or the medieval art period, were not dark,鈥� Zaho says. 鈥淭hey were not lost. They were not forgotten. Instead, they were examples of incredible craftsmanship, and it was quite colorful. 鈥楧ark Ages鈥� is just such a misnomer. There鈥檚 nothing dark about the Middle Ages.鈥�

As the medieval art period coincides with the rise of the codex and the replacement of the traditional scroll, students learn about and work with illuminated manuscripts, ornate texts decorated with elaborate marginalia. As most illuminated manuscripts of the Middle Ages are inaccessible due to age or restrictions 鈥� such as the Vatican Virgil, a 400 CE illuminated manuscript owned by the Vatican with highly restricted access 鈥� students instead work with manuscript facsimiles, highly detailed, exact replicas.

鈥淢anuscript facilities are usually made in Germany or Switzerland 鈥� in a sense, for access,鈥� explains Zaho. 鈥淪o, if you鈥檙e a scholar, you may not be able to make it to the Vatican and you may never get clearance to see the Vatican Virgil, but you can get your hands on an illuminated manuscript facsimile that was made in the 1970s that, at the moment in time, recreates exactly what the Vatican Virgil looked like, meaning if the pages have been cut down or if things are missing, the manuscript facsimile recreates exactly that.鈥�

ARH4200 students have the opportunity to view and handle facsimiles of the illuminated manuscripts they鈥檝e learned about in class.

鈥淔or my students, it鈥檚 one thing to talk about manuscript facsimiles, but it鈥檚 another thing to go to the library, to see the pieces in person, to see an actual 15th century folio, to see what velum really looks like in person and how the ink sits on top,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hat, for me, is part of active learning. It鈥檚 all well and good in the classroom, but any opportunity I can get to make it real and tangible, I will take.鈥�

Sam Sonken, a student in the class, details his experience working with these precious materials.

鈥淭he variety of manuscript facsimiles Special Collections has is very extensive,鈥� Sonken says. 聽鈥淏ecause of this, I could find a text that stood out to me, the Ashmole Bestiary, and I was able to explore the entire text, cover to cover, together with a few other like-minded students. There is a unique value to viewing the authentic manuscripts in addition to the facsimiles. Though they were too delicate to handle, seeing a real manuscript communicates something of the effort, value and cultural significance any original manuscript has.鈥�

These educational opportunities are the work of 麻豆原创 Libraries Special Collections and University Archives. In 2008, when Zaho was serving as the library representative for the College of Arts and Humanities, she and the then-head of collections allocated funds toward the acquisition of additional manuscript facsimiles. Through the dedicated work of Special Collections and University Archives, 麻豆原创 Libraries has now acquired more than 120 manuscript collections. These materials have aided a variety of disciplines, such as book binding, renaissance studies, Texts and Technology, and illustration.

鈥淎t 麻豆原创, we have, I think, what is probably the best illuminated manuscript collection in the state. We have a couple examples of original 14th and 15th century leaves, or folios, from antiphonals and a very early printed Bible from the early 16th century,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e are very fortunate to have a collaborative partner in Special Collections and University Archives, headed by David Benjamin. The book conservator, Christopher Saclolo 鈥�09, was one of my students and he took this medieval art class. We had a great full circle moment. I鈥檓 really proud of what we have here at 麻豆原创 and anytime I can incorporate the resources of 麻豆原创鈥檚 Special Collections and University Archives into my teaching, it鈥檚 a win-win for everybody.鈥�

Read more about 麻豆原创 Libraries Special Collections and University Archives .

The higher education center was founded in 1999 by Carol A. Twigg with the goal of using technology-based, learner-centered principles to improve student-learning outcomes while reducing instructional costs. NCAT鈥檚 website will now be managed by 麻豆原创鈥檚 and additional resources will be housed in the university鈥檚 . These items will be uploaded through the end of 2019 and anyone looking to access them may do so through the online .

鈥淚鈥檝e admired all the work 麻豆原创 has done in online learning and the steps it has taken to advance their programs.鈥� 鈥� Carol Twigg, NCAT founder

鈥淚 am extremely pleased to partner with the 麻豆原创 to ensure that NCAT鈥檚 resources will continue to be available to the higher education community,鈥� says聽Twigg. 鈥淚鈥檝e admired all the work 麻豆原创 has done in online learning and the steps it has taken to advance their programs. It was a combination of feeling like 麻豆原创 was a right fit with NCAT鈥檚 mission, our long-term relationship and the university鈥檚 stability in leadership that led this decision.鈥�

From its founding to 2018, NCAT provided consultations and resources, such as case studies and how-to guides, to universities and colleges that sought to provide more effective learning at lower cost. In 1996, 麻豆原创 offered its first online classes and began working with NCAT shortly after that 鈥� making the partnership one of the longest the organization has had.

NCAT worked with 麻豆原创 to redesign its American National Government course to replace two-thirds of lecture time with web-based, modular learning. In the 2000s, the organization helped 麻豆原创 redesign its College Algebra course to introduce the MyMathLab software and a requirement for students to complete three hours in the on-campus lab each week. These courses still utilize these methods to this day.

鈥溌槎乖� is a pioneer in pursuing these models of adaptive and active learning,鈥� says Joel Hartman, vice president for Information Technologies and Resources, and chief information officer for 麻豆原创.

鈥淚t has become our honor and responsibility to continue to host the materials as an archival tribute to the work that Carol, her colleagues and NCAT created 鈥� and also, honoring our long-standing relationship between 麻豆原创 and NCAT, as an educational leader,鈥� says Joel Hartman, vice president for Information Technologies and Resources, and chief information officer for 麻豆原创.

With its partner colleges and universities, NCAT redesigned 253 courses across four national and six state/system-wide programs that enroll 250,000 students annually. Of the 156 completed projects by the organization, 72 percent improved student learning outcomes, with 153 projects reducing their costs by an average of 34 percent.

This year, U.S. News & World Report聽ranked 麻豆原创 among the top 15 best undergraduate online programs. In the current academic year, 麻豆原创 will deliver over 47 percent of all credit hours offered at the university through fully online and blended learning courses. By 2021, at least half of 麻豆原创鈥檚 credit hours are expected to be delivered online.

麻豆原创 is now moving toward incorporating more adaptive, or personalized, learning outside the classroom with in-class active learning methods to increase student learning outcomes and success.

鈥溌槎乖� is a pioneer in pursuing these models of adaptive and active learning,鈥� Hartman says. 鈥淭he goal in all [our learning methods] is to meet the individual needs of students, to promote high-quality teaching and improve student learning outcomes.鈥�