Thematic Studies - Curriculum

Some areas of study – such as business, information technology, and science and society – do not fit readily into any of our nine areas of concentration. Also, you may feel that your most burning questions and areas of inquiry go beyond the boundaries of any one concentration.  Thematic Studies is the concentration for you.  It is also the place for studies in areas not covered by other concentrations, such as Mathematics or Physics. In these cases, learners work with the faculty to design and agree upon a thematic concentration, with relevant core knowledge, methods, applications and outcomes specified.

For each individually-designed concentration, the learner and faculty, together, identify the necessary core knowledge for that concentration such that it includes studies in each of the five realms of inquiry: history, theories and concepts, methods, controversies, and applications.

History:
Whatever the theme the learner chooses, it has a history and evolution that must be understood and appreciated. In business, for example, it is important to understand the history of capitalism in America as well as other economic structures in other cultures. For a theme such as science and technology, one would want to understand how technology has developed over time and the history of science. Here are some examples of studies possible in this realm:

• Women in Math and Science
• Romanticism and the Industrial Revolution
• Giants of Industry
• The Changing Role of Technology in Education
• The Evolution of the Computer

Theories and Concepts:
Because a Thematic Studies concentration is necessarily interdisciplinary, the learner must identify the disciplines that most commonly deal with the questions the learner is exploring and the theories and concepts that are important or vital in those disciplines. Here are some examples of studies possible in this realm:

• Music, Math & the Brain
• 3D Computer Graphics
• The Stock Market
• The Physics of Color
• Fractal Geometry, Chaos Theory, and other non-Euclidean Geometries

Methods:
The learner and faculty identify what methods are relevant and useful for the study of the thematic topic. The learner must be familiar with and know how to use the methods that are commonly used by the disciplines that typically study the topic, but the learner may want to also take a new slant on the theme by using methods more common to other disciplines. For example, a learner might use methods from art and music in exploring the theme of Time, along with methods from the more obvious disciplines of science and mathematics

Controversies:
Knowledge is created by human beings and, in any field, that knowledge is argued over, amended, rejected, and revised. Whatever the theme the learner chooses, she or he should seek out and identify relevant controversies, understand the conflicting viewpoints, and arrive at his or own personal viewpoint, backed by evidence.

Applications:
Learning about any topic is most important when brought to bear in a useful way in the world. How will knowing about a topic change how you participate in your community and the larger society? If your topic is business, you might design a new enterprise and get it up and running as part of your final product. If it is computer technologies, you might design a new application or game—or you might create a curriculum for teaching computer literacy. Here are some examples of studies possible in this realm:

• The Environmental Non-Profit: Working with the Monteverdi Conservation League US
• Teaching Technological Literacy
• E-tailing: Selling without Bricks and Mortar
• The Full-service Spa: Creating a Working Business Model
• Vermont History Through Photography: Rustic, Practical, Beautiful