Professor Tashcian is a bit all over the place when it comes to lectures, so it can be hard to take notes. Readings are mandatory as you have weekly summaries.

As a professor and teacher, Helen was wonderful. Very intelligent and eager for class discussions, as well as responsive outside of class. There are lots of readings per week, but most of them you can just scan over or skip completely. The lectures very loosely relate to those readings, if at all. Papers due every week + a long research paper final

I was confused on why people thought this was a heavy workload class. 2 pages each week is very easy and the material we write about is interesting and easy to watch or read. Helen is an amazing professor and proved multiple times that she does care about her students. Reaching her outside of class is very easy and she offers support where she can

Super nice and caring prof, was really understanding about covid, getting sick, and was really nice to everyone. Grading is 1/2 weekly writing assignments (mini papers ~2 pages) and the other half a big research paper (due halfway through the quarter, ~8 pages). Attendance and section and lecture is tracked, and you can't miss more than 5.

Prof. Taschian claims that the class is hard, but it's definitely not that bad. 8 page research paper is worth 50% of your grade, and the other 50% is weekly writing assignments. Reading isn't necessary except for what is required in the writing assignments. Lectures can be boring, but attendance is taken. TAs graded all assignments. No tests.

Art 1A with Professor Taschian was a wonderful experience. Weekly reading assignments, very in-depth and enjoyable lectures, and an 8-page research paper. No final! Very generous in grading, cares for her students and was always open to questions, and took time to prepare you for your paper. Would highly recommend!

For Visual Literacy, there were 9 2-page writing assignment worth 50% of the grade and 1 formal research paper worth the other 50%. The lectures don't relate to the writing assignments so I never paid attention in class. I am a pretty bad writer but still got a decent grade. There are definitely easier classes for the art GE/writing requirement.

prof taschian was super understanding of covid and interacted with everyone who spoke up in class and validated their ideas, creating a great learning environment. however, the lectures didn't really match up with the weekly writing assignments or the 8 pg research paper, making them kind of silly and easy to tune out of.

I took this class winter 2020 to take a GE. She's a fascinating teacher, but the amount of work that you need to do is insane: 2 8-page essays and weekly 1-2 page papers. I'm not interested in contemporary art, but it gave me a sense of understanding of it. You have to go to two museums (one of them being LACMA).

2 papers, each worth 35% and short weekly writing assignments worth 30%. Essays are on an artists and there is no prompt. You may choose to relate it to the readings or not; its up to you. I personally did on one and not the other. I know nothing about art and passed. She offers extra credit to make up for absences and weekly assignments.

I'm not sure why someone with a PhD thinks it makes sense to assign essays that aren't related to the reading, but Helen certainly thinks it makes sense. The structure of the class is nonsensical and the subject matter is complicated. Don't take this class unless you have to. This class has potential, but the professor is awful.

This class was focused on two essays, both with open ended prompts. There is no final which is nice, but your whole grade is based off of two essays that have little to nothing to do with the lectures, summaries of the readings due every week and attendance in both section and lecture. Attendance is mandatory even though we arent tested on it.

The lectures are useless. I don't think I have learnt anything from this class. The TA makes the experiences even worse. Never take this class

Do not take this class. It's waaaaay too hard, especially for a GE requirement. The grading is really hard, you have to write two 8-10 page papers that you won't be ready for, you have to go to class or you miss points, and you have to read long articles and write four summaries a week. This is the first B I've ever gotten in my whole life.

One of the best classes ever that I've taken at UCSB! A real gem.. I don't agree with some of the negative comments below. Grade is dependent on TA however, so make sure you go to office hours and get to know them, get help, and most importantly, show them you care! I found most of the material most intriguing! Also free field trip to LA!

The professor was really chill but lectures were pointless. TA made the class a horrible experience.

Attendance mandatory. Two 8pg papers plus weekly reading summaries, but the LA art museum field trip more than made up for it. She's hilarious, straightforward, and gets on the same level as her students. Very liberal and anti-censorship. Lots of work, but on fascinating subjects- bodily fluids, sexuality, etc. Favorite professor at UCSB by far.

Took attendance at lecture. 2 8pg research papers, had me doing more work than my other classes COMBINED, and I only took this for GE credit! Big mistake on my part. But I like her style, she's zaney, liberal, and likes to be fun. She talks about some interesting stuff, and is willing to help outside class, which is what saved me for the papers.

absolutely bogus class. couldnt be more happy that its over. long lectures with no interest at all. feminist lecturer, so bias.... hated it, grades based on two papers what a joke.

Dr. Taschian is pretty awesome. She's a fun professor and really encourages class discussion. The class itself was kind of tedious. While the material was easy, the reader was like a phone book and you read ALL of it. Each chapter of the reader requires a 1-2 page analysis turned in during section. There are 5-8 readings per week. Yeah...

not a good class

This class is very challenging, but do-able. The topics covered in the class are very eye opening and interesting...there was just a midterm and a final both take home 8-10 page papers that were fairly easy (topics were interesting)...Overall, awesome class && the lecture on advertising was AWESOME!

This class is challenging but extremely eye opening and so interesting. Be prepared to work, you have a summary due every week and a 8-10 page final and midterm paper, but its mostly interesting material. I had never taken an art class, you need no experience to do well!

helen is a psycho. she yells when she talks and us extremely annoying. she doesnt know how to teach and i would have dropped this class is if wasnt required for art majors. class is hell. me and everyone else in that lecture dreads going and pretty much DGAF.