Category: Art History
Art history class named a Student Choice favorite
March 26, 2026 Written by Department of Art History Staff
Innovative course brings ancient China to life with digital tools and "time travel"
ARTH233: Art and Architecture in China, taught by Vimalin Rujivacharakul, has been recognized by the CANVAS Course Student Choice Recognition Program for its positive impact on students鈥 learning experience.
Taught for the first time as an asynchronous course in fall 2025, ARTH233鈥檚 development was supported by 91原创 Library鈥檚 Open and Affordable Teaching Materials (OATM) grant, which allowed Rujivacharakul to collaborate with Kelly Cross, the course instructional designer, to develop the course鈥檚 asynchronous platform.
Students who nominated the course highlighted the careful design of the course site, the professor鈥檚 methodical teaching, and the CANVAS site鈥檚 clarity and step-by-step instructions.
鈥淎rt and Architecture in China鈥 studies the archaeology and history of art and architecture in China from the Neolithic period to the Tang dynasty. Benefiting from rich materials from this period in Chinese history, Rujivacharakul engages students in the exploration of a variety of myths and research questions, from the Neolithic cult of dragons to the search for the first dynasty, a Shang-dynasty love story and its female warrior queen, the First Emperor鈥檚 terra cotta warriors, and Han dynasty jade suits.
Students examined the accidental discovery of Shang-dynasty oracle bones and the mystery of the alien-looking sculptures of Sanxingdui, while trekking their way through the Google Arts & Culture project that maps the Great Wall with help from local volunteers in China. Students also researched the transcultural formation of Buddhist art and architecture along the Silk Road and the cosmopolitan capital of the Tang dynasty.
They explored different perspectives on Chinese history by taking up various roles and positions, from junior UNESCO ambassadors writing nominations for UNESCO World Heritage sites to time travelers and avatars of historical figures.
The course encourages a rigorous commitment to scholarship. As Rujivacharakul said: 鈥淭his course is not for the faint of heart鈥攕tudents committed to working are those who have the most fun.鈥
There were graded writing exercises weekly in the first half of the semester and weekly open-book quizzes in the latter half. In addition to the final exam, students submitted two reports on role-playing games, which included such roles as the Shang king, queen and high priests as well as merchants, monks, artists, warlords, pilgrims along the Silk Road and 20th-century archaeologists and treasure hunters.