We report on the development and evaluation of an innovative instructional model, which harnesses advanced technologies and local resources (an in-campus museum), to support undergraduate-level art history students in developing the skills required for analyzing artwork. Theory suggests that analyzing artwork requires theoretical knowledge and practical experience gained through critical dialogue and inquiry of original artwork. An instructional model was designed in which technology (website, collaborative docs, and mobile apps) supported streamlining of learning across settings (class, museum, and home) and conducting collaborative inquiry in situ (e.g., museum). Using a design research approach, the model was studied in three aspects: its potential to enable instructors to implement the cognitive apprenticeship instructional approach; its contribution to the students' development of independence and self-efficacy in analyzing artwork; and the contribution of technology to streamlining learning between settings. Data was collected from two enactments of the course. Findings indicate that the instructors gradually faded their modeling and coaching enabling students to become more active, hence the model we designed was largely implemented by the instructors. Furthermore, it supported students' gradual development of independence in practicing the newly learned skills. From the students' perspective, the integrated technologies created seamless learning between the three settings. Ç RATIONALEO NE of the most challenging aspects of art history education at all levels is helping students develop the skill to analyze artwork. In higher-education, and especially in introductory undergraduate courses, this challenge is exacerbated by the common culture of university teaching, which is mostly based on lectures, and thus, encourages memorization, rather than skill development [3], [24]. Integrating visits to art museums, where students can examine original works in the real context in which they are presented, can enhance such courses and enable students to examine the dimensions, the true colors and the textures of artwork.Various studies show that introduction of technology into teaching, along with appropriate pedagogical design can support learning in higher education (e.g., [16]). In some of them technology is used to support integration of outdoor learning [23], [33], in which ongoing and ubiquitous learning that transitions between various settings and contexts is explored. For example, Vavoula et al. [33], showed the effectiveness of novel services, provided by mobile phones, which enabled students to gather information in a museum, followed by later analysis and reflection in the classroom.The goal of this research was to develop and examine an instructional model, which harnesses advanced technologies, local resources (an in-campus museum), and socioconstructivist pedagogies to support undergraduate-level art students in developing the skill to analyze artwork. More specifically, we designed an innovative inst...

The Transfiguration constitutes one of the most important events in the New Testament. Yet, only few pre-iconoclastic examples of the Transfiguration scene have survived: S. Apollinaire in Classe, Ravenna, St. Catherine Monastery, Sinai and Porec in Istria, each has its unique iconography. Therefore, scholars have concluded that the Transfiguration scene became widespread only after the iconoclastic controversy. We aim to show, that Transfiguration scene in Shivta, an early Byzantine settlement in the Negev desert, allows a glimpse into the early Christian iconography of the well-known scene, providing a missing link to its development in the post-iconoclastic period.

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The ninth-century Byzantine marginal psalters, namely the Chludov Psalter (Moscow, State Historical Museum, cod. 129) and the Pantocrator Psalter (Pantocrator 61, Pantocrator Monastery, Mount Athos) are remarkable due to the polemical character of their illustrations and an emphasis given to the destruction of evil forces. These forces include the actual enemies of the Iconophiles, namely the Iconoclasts, the Jews, as well as various diabolic creatures. Among others the personification of Hades, the ancient god of the underworld, and also the place where all souls go, seems to occupy an important place.

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