What is an Honors academic experience?

Academic work that carries Honors credit is qualitatively different from that encountered in most undergraduate courses in that it involves an intense, student-centered, active learning process.  Honors academic experiences involve some risk-taking on the part of both students and faculty insofar as the experience is more exploratory, experimental, and open-ended than the usual classroom experiences.  In an active learning environment, students accept greater responsibility for their own education; faculty members expect them to follow the course guidelines, to be prepared and engaged, and to participate.  Students may have to devote additional time and effort to Honors academic work.  In turn, they have greater opportunities for learning than in their non-Honors courses.  They work closely with faculty, both in and out of the classroom, and can gain a valuable first-hand understanding of the faculty member's areas of interest. In this active, student-centered environment, there are no limits on the student's learning.

Honors academic work enables the student to actively engage the material, learn about scholarly and creative processes by participating in them, and personalize the learning experience through imaginative, critical analysis and application.  Honors students learn to express and defend their ideas while attaining the distance necessary to accept constructive criticism.

An active, student-centered learning process can involve:

• formal or informal student exploration on specialized topics
• use of creative, nontraditional methods of instruction, such as case study, open-ended problem solving, and interdisciplinary perspectives
• opportunities to explore creativity by tailoring the experiences to the unique talents and interests of the student
• collaboration or group work with faculty, graduate students, or other Honors students
• self-discovery through the confirmation of student's strengths, discovery of new talents, and identification of areas for improvement
• introducing students to colleagues and advanced students in the field
• linking classroom work with an understanding of careers in a discipline
• weekly, Oxford-style tutorials
• application of classroom learning to real-world issues and problems
• informal dialogues over coffee, lunch, or departmental receptions
• an open invitation to departmental seminars, guest lectures, and exhibits followed by discussion

The content of Honors academic work can include:

• introduction to methodologies and theories in a field
• exploration of primary sources, such as monographs, treatises, journals or documents
• discussion of the nature and scope of current and past controversies among scholars
• experience using critical and analytical skills unique to the subject matter
• integrating multiple perspectives to develop an interdisciplinary understanding
• introduction to the major contributors to the historical and current development of a field
• hands-on experience in the creative, scholarly process
• practice and critique of written and oral communication skills

For information on Honors Contracts visit: http://www.honors.arizona.edu/

Effective 8/15/99

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