Survey as a course

Question

Even though the survey was designated as an interdisciplinary course, it involved no real ---- of subject matter.
(A) encapsulation
(B) organization
(C) synthesis
(D) discussion
(E) verification

B or C, considering that interdisciplinary means involving two or more different academic disciplines? Thanks for help.

Davkett · Accepted Answer

I might think (A), 'encapsulation'. If the subject matter is not 'encapsulated', the course would probably not function too well as either a survey course (usually meaning' broad scope'), or an interdisiciplinary course (usually because the subject matter is generalized).

Jeff_999 · Answer

But since the survey course is an overview of a broad topic or field of knowledge. Its function should be to synthesize the subject matter. -- That's my understanding.

By the way, the site's speed really gets me! frustrating

Davkett · Answer

I would submit that synthesize means to combine the subject material into something new. Encapsulate means, here, to summarize the material.

An overview involves more summarization than synthesis, though you could probably say both actions are relevant. An interdisicipinary course, let's say between music and painting, would not synthesize the information because that would make a new thing out of the disciplines; the course would summarize the material that's relevant to music and the summarize the material that's relative to painting, with probably some focus on parallelism.

In any case, it's another close call, I think.

Jeff_999 · Answer

But encapsulate just means to epitomize; to express in a brief summary. I don't think it fits the concept. And if the two relevant disciplines are synthesized, it would produce something new, though I am not sure what exactly the survey course is all about.

Julielai · Answer

Hi Jeff,

My vote: C

I'm probably wrong though...

Davkett · Answer

Well there's nothing irrelevant about epitomizing the material in a survey course. Survey courses, at least in American universities, always present a wide range of material in summary form. The stickler here is interdisciplinary, and I think that's where a legitmate argument may be had between encapsulate and synthesize.

In the sentence, 'Even though the survey was designated as an interdisciplinary course, it involved no real ---- of subject matter', if 'it' refers to survey [course], then I would go with encapsulate; if 'it' refers to disciplinary course, then I could maybe go [reluctantly] with synthesis.

Perhaps I wasn't so clear above: synthesizing subject matter is not necessarily essential to interdisciplinary studies. In my example above, what would be a synthesis of the subject matter of music and painting? Composition? Then it's a course in Composition, and the material is drawn from whatever variety of disciplines share the subject of composition. (I've taught a course like this.) I don't think composition is a synthesized subject matter, though, and certainly the disciplines can be kept separate (un-synthesized) in this kind of study.

We can maybe say here, it's not which is the right answer, but what is the supportive argument for choosing A, B, C, D, or E.

Julielai · Answer

I always think of inter-disciplinary courses as lessons that put various subject matters together, hence my vote for synthesis.

Not that I really know anything about GRE verbal questions. Didn't do well the last time I took it.

Survey as a course

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