"...like teaching art history, and then testing by..."

It's oddly common across a variety of disciplines: teaching analysis but testing on synthesis.

In chemical engineering, teaching reagents and reactions – what chemicals do – and testing by asking students to design reactors and processes – to build a factory, in essence.

In pure mathematics, teaching axioms and theorems – what mathematical objects do – and testing by asking students to prove a novel theorem – to build a new proof.

It's like teaching art history, and then testing by asking students to paint.