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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Modern Art & Ideas by The Museum of Modern Art

4.8
stars
6,294 ratings

About the Course

Modern Art & Ideas is designed for anyone interested in learning more about modern and contemporary art. You will look at art through a variety of themes, including Places and Spaces, Art and Identity, Transforming Everyday Objects, and Art and Society. Each week kicks off with a video that connects key works of art to the theme. You’ll also have access to interviews with artists, designers, and others who speak about their materials, processes, and sources of inspiration. Through the discussion forum prompts you will also have the opportunity to connect with other learners and explore how these themes resonate with you....

Top reviews

AM

Jan 14, 2018

It has been a very wonderful course. I love the museum as a cultural space and now I love it more for its commitment to online education and giving us the opportunity to learn in different countries.

TT

Jun 7, 2020

Really enjoyed this course! Well organized/developed, and even for a museum buff, like me, offered great ideas, and perspectives in ‘looking’ and ‘understanding’ art, and particular artist’s process.

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26 - 50 of 1,595 Reviews for Modern Art & Ideas

By Humberto R M

Jan 10, 2019

Extraordinario curso, permite entender la evolución de las expresiones artísticas y cómo deben apreciarse de acuerdo al contexto en el que fueron desarrolladas, me ayudó a entender que después de los cambios tecnológicos y sociales de finales del siglo antepasado y principios del siglo pasado permitió a los artistas dejar de hacer retratos y paisajes expresando sentimientos usando nuevas tendencias y nuevos elementos para la expresión artística y con un sentido distinto que la libertad de expresión y los medios de comunicación modernos permitieron.

By Barbara B

Jun 29, 2020

Very much enjoyed this course, I learned a great deal about what is encompassed in modern art, what was going on in the artist's mind when doing their art pirce, and what is considered modern art.

By Elena G

Jan 20, 2016

Great course!!! It helps to understand Modern Art and to look around with a different approach. Also that course open your world and bring new ideas.

By Ubaldo F

Jan 30, 2018

Excelente curso, bien diseñado y documentado, los instructores espectaculares, son profesionales con mucha experiencia y conocimientos. Gracias!!!

By Leigh R H

Apr 18, 2019

Well done. I very much enjoyed the course and the learning experience. However, I feel that there are several teaching and technical issues, which, if addressed, and improved, would provide a more rewarding, less frustrating environment for the learner. First, I believe there should be an automatic word counter on each essay section to alleviate the issue with peer reviewers assuming that they can judge the number of words by just “eyeballing” the copy. On more than several occasions, the peer reviewer marked my essay down for exceeding the required length, when, in fact, my essay was not too long. In self-defense, I finally began adding the word count at the end of the essay, which immediately resolved that problem. Additionally, the final essay question for the essay is apparently confusing for the peer reviewers, as they seemed not to realize that the question posed was an either or format. So, I’m assuming that the sentence is simply too long and should be rewritten in order to make it more comprehensible. Also, I wanted to point out that it is difficult to compare three works of art In 300 words; the assistant director may want to lengthen the permitted essay word number a bit. I’m very impressed with Coursera and its available courses. I especially appreciate MoMA’s participation!

By Daniel C

May 30, 2020

The course itself was very good - really engaging, well put together and informative. I enjoyed its inclusiveness and learned plenty, and it has been made free, which was absolutely lovely.

If I had one criticism it'd be that it relies on peer review for part of your final mark, and though I understand why (and also I was doing this for free and had absolutely nothing riding on it so it's hard to be too upset), but when a random person misses or ignores the lines of your work where you explicitly and unambiguously state the thing that they mark you down for not stating and you miss out on a 100% mark for a piece it sticks in your throat a little.

On a course taken by a few hundred thousand people created by a museum not a dedicated teaching institution I have no idea what an alternative would be but peer review might potentially be flawed or open to inconsistencies you mightn't get with an alternative or more strict review system.

By Andreia T d S

May 17, 2020

This was my first online course, so I do not have a term of comparison.However, I can form an opinion and suggest some ideas that would have worked for me. But, first of all, I consider this course to be very fulfilling. I’ve not only learned more about some artist that I knew but also got in touch with some that I have never heard about. Most of all, I had the chance to understand better the way of work, the mindset of creation and the others opinion. I would have like to had perhaps a zoom session of each theme, with one of the curators, where there could be some discussion on some topics. I also think that it is important for a student to understand the level of achievement, not only if one gets approval. I’m very keen on learning more and more about art, about organizing art and communicating art. Most of all I like to write about it, so It would be nice to have a course on “Mastering the art of writing about art”. Thank you!

By Britton B

May 25, 2020

As an avid museum goer, I thoroughly enjoyed taking this course. It was just challenging enough to keep me engaged, yet not too overwhelming where I would interest. In courses I've taken before on Coursera, the work was just too much, and while that might be fine for a college student, I don't want a course that takes up too much of my extra time. The videos and the readings were informative and interesting. I maybe would have liked to have seen longer quizzes, say 20 questions instead of 10, but for the most part this course was a good introduction into modern art. The bottom line is that I've become a much bigger fan of MOMA and have a deeper appreciation of modern art.

By Danielle S

Jan 27, 2021

This felt like a pretty basic overview. I didn't care for the curation for the weekly topics, and I think it might largely be because the only works discussed were only those owned by the MoMA. The whole course felt dumbed-down, and didn't inspire me in the ways I was hoping for. I love the museum, but I finished this course and just felt like it was lacking. I learned about some works and artists I was unfamiliar with, but felt like nothing was as in-depth as I was looking for. Worth the 7-day free trial, but definitely NOT worth the monthly subscription fee. I am suspicious of their whole catalogue being too basic, and feel very let down by this course.

By Henry O

Jul 16, 2020

this website and this course are a scam im incredibly disapointed in MOMA i love the museum and almost all its art but this course seems to be a quick cash grab by the museum.

By Sharon W

Nov 13, 2017

Extremely difficult to use. Videos did not load, material was difficult to access. Very frustrating and set high obstacles to any learning. Most disappointing.

By Yang G

Feb 15, 2016

repetitive content with other MOMA courses (seeing thru pictures)?? duh, not gonna pay $50 for this. :(

By Mathieu G

Dec 2, 2018

just a list of art pieces without real analysis or explanation. Not very instructive...

By Richard B

Sep 29, 2015

pop Coursera - I remain unconvinced

By Павел П

Oct 21, 2018

bullshit for kids

By J S

May 2, 2022

I

By Baruch M

Aug 19, 2020

I am an intellectual, well trained, and professional computer specialist. It is obvious that I have some cultural knowledge. Five -six years ago, after being retired, I turned back to an old and stable hobby of mine - painting, and I decided that this time I will do it the right way. I found a painter, with a lot of practice in teaching, that I felt that she might be the one. I asked to do it from the beginning: sketching and drawing, then painting with dry and wet pastels, charcoal, carving, and printing, painting with acrylic and oil paints, watercolor, etc. She decided that I am good and throughout these years I became a beginner artist, spending from 3 hours to ~ 45-50 hours per week in artistic actions. Lately, I felt that I need knowledge, mainly with the modern art, but not only. IO Begun with "What is Contemporary Art?" and after the very good start and in the right direction I have got a pointer to "Modern Art & ideas". You might say now, "Okay, a too-long foreplay, but at last..." and the course was almost excellent. Almost - because I needed more in the same surrounding and direction. and maybe a little deepening, too. I was happy with the versatility, the enlarging group of artists in every category and level. A surprising enjoyment I have found in the peer reviews, I hope that I did not offend anybody. But it delighted me to search for the materials in many museums around the world and appreciate the text. In the past, I was a software quality assurer.

By Babi H I

Jul 10, 2020

I really enjoyed seeing a lot of the pieces. But there is a reason for the D. Lange pictures of the westward migration. It has me recall the stories that my grandfather told of the dust bowl and the move of the family . He waited till 1980 to move back, My uncle had started planting 3years earlier and found water before making the move. Funny that I left over the fracking later. There was I huge fight with the family over the money offered. I read the reports with my Pop and found that there was no way that the cement casing would hold up. Needless to say that the money won and our well was poisoned. I spoke to my father maybe half a dozen times after, but we never were able to repair the damage. Had a great home but the land was crap and earth quakes so here I am in Michigan. Where their trying to ruin the water here. I am amazed a the way money trashes everything.

By Kheng M ( C

Jun 16, 2023

Overall, I am very happy with the contents of this course, I have learned a lot about Art from the materials over the 5 weeks. Thanks to MoMA and Coursera for making this possible.

A suggestions on end of the course Peer-graded Assignment:

1. I would suggest that the time limit to leave it open or at least 1 or 2 days, not just 1 or 2 hours. I think we can submit a better assignment by doing more research and give better quality to the course is we can have more time.

2. On the Rubics for marks, I think the first question about number of words should be deleted; or at least provide the number words in the essay somewhere. I think it will be easier for the system to work out how many words (as in MS Word), rather than we count it physically.

Thanks & regards,

By Robert T

Jun 2, 2020

I enjoyed this course. It was like going to the MOMA and having a very good audio guide. The course requires that you bring your life experiences and all of your knowledge in other fields like culture, philosophy, history, etc. That was what it so interesting.

It is important to engage in the discussion forums because that is where any feedback will come from -even had one of the staff respond. The final assignment is peer-reviewed which is kind of cool but those at the end of the unit that you submit are simply given a "pass" by the computer if you do hand it in. In other words, you get out of this course according to the effort that you put in.

Being older, I had a bit of trouble navigating the on-line format but it was forgiving in the end.

By Vineel B

Oct 11, 2022

This course is well designed to firstly evoke interest and curiosity amongst the participants and then to provide them the concepts and tools to learn. The complexity of learning methodology builds up gradually, starting from merely viewing artworks and elevating upto a level of curating artworks independently. The learning pace is flexible and the methodology is interactive even though it is a completely online course. Most important feature is that there is no pre-requisite knowledge or exposure to formal education in art, yet the course is able to provide substantial learning within a five week tenure. I recommend this course for anyone who has passion to learn about art but have no formal education in art.

By Kris A

Jan 10, 2022

Very nice intro to the Moma collection and modern art and ideas. I like how the courses started with pieces many of us in the Western world would recognize...VanGogh, Monet...and then moved to the far more modern and abstract world of large 3D pieces made from everyday materials or what we would think of as "junk."

This course especially taught me how to look at modern art....what to look FOR in modern art...and helped me to understand what I'm seeing which subsequently increased my appreciation.

I loved the mix of text and video and the ability to dig deeply into MoMA's archives. A few broken links down in that rabbit warren, but overall, this course was a very fine and engaging use of time. Thank you!

By Lourdes L M M

Jul 5, 2020

In these terrible days of Pandemic, the pain, the uncertainly and the anguish had my mind and soul disturbed. Focussed on What really matters to me and I love ART in all manifestations, my knowledge of Ancient Art is extensive but this MoMA Course Art & Ideas I has started me in a new space with initial tools , many previosly unknow Modern Artists now as loved as my Classical Friends. Art is everything that make us better people a better wordl. Maybe I am a incorrigible romantic although death lurks the wordl... Art, Artists and their works will remain.

I am very grateful to Coursera, MoMA, and the entire Art & Ideas course team for this great and beautiful gift they have given me.......

By Berenika O

May 4, 2021

I loved this course so much! It provided extensive information as well as resources, I have especially enjoyed the many audio and visual materials. I have definitely completed the course with more knowledge and a refreshed passion for the arts. The assignments and quizzes were particularly exciting, they did not seem like something that I had to do, rather as something I was looking forward to do. Would definitely recommend, this was an enriching experience that pushes one to explore and think critically about complex ideas presented in art and allows many reflections on society, identity and a great deal of other incredibly interesting topics.

By Laura L

May 19, 2020

This is an excellent website to learn everything about art. It has a good method to learn, with photos, audios and characters. I have been very exciting when presenting the course, but I have not imagined the great decision I made when I took classes with moma coursera, and the challenge that has been for me, being a Hispanic person, and everything there was related to a new language , that although I study and understand it, not yet to perfection, but it has helped me a lot of practice. All I have to say is that it has been the best experience I have had so far. Thank you for considering me part of the moma course. c: