Preparing to Teach an Honors Course

Anthony Piccolino, Ed.D.Professor III, Dept. of MathematicsHonors College Faculty Coordinator

February 20, 2019

What Constitutes an Honors Program?

• There are many definitions for “honors”

• What is the difference between an honors course anda typical non-honors course with the same title ?

• An honors program is faculty-driven

• Honors faculty share teaching methods & best practices

How the National Collegiate Honors CouncilDefines Honors • Honors education is characterized by in-class and

extracurricular activities that are measurably broader, deeper, or more complex than comparable learningexperiences typically found at institutions of higher learning. Honors experiences include a distinctive learner-directed environment and philosophy, provideopportunities that are appropriately tailored to fit the institution’s culture and mission, and frequently occurwithin a close community of students and faculty.

Four Pillars of Honors

• Scholarly Advancement

• Cultural Enrichment

• Civic Engagement

• Leadership Development

Proposed Revised Program Outcomes for Honors at PBSC

Honors College students at Palm Beach State College will:

• Demonstrate breadth and depth of knowledge in the arts, humanities, mathematics, and the natural and social sciences. (Scholarship)

• Develop the skills to formulate reasoned decisions and informed judgments. (Critical Thinking)

• Engage and commit to participation in communities at-large in support of the College’s mission, vision, and values. (Civic Engagement)

• Communicate an understanding of cultural competency and evaluate ethical issues from multiple perspectives. (Global Awareness)

Proposed Revised Program Outcomes for Honors at PBSC, cont.

Honors College students at Palm Beach State College will (cont.):

• Demonstrate scholarly research and information literacy skills to apply critical insight of current knowledge in designing and creating a well-informed, intellectual research project. (Research)

• Construct, support, and communicate complex ideas and arguments in speech, writing, and new media. (Communication)

• Identify and demonstrate skills that promote personal growth to become effective agents in constructive change and organize opportunities for social transformation. (Leadership)

Components of an Honors Syllabus

• Syllabus contains all the elements included in the Simple Syllabus for the non-honors courses.• Course learning outcomes are mapped to one or more

of the Program Outcomes. Note: each of the program outcomes maps to at least one of the Institutional Learning Outcomes.

• An Honors syllabus describes clearly distinguishingcharacteristics of the honors course---How does this course differ from the non-honors course with the same title?

Honors Syllabus (continued)

• Include qualitative differences between honors andnon-hours in addition to quantitative differences.

• Focus on Clarity of the Research Project---specifydifferent models

• Resources for Further Study and Exploration

Honors Syllabus (continued)• Course learning outcomes ---beyond the skills and

concepts described in the standard outcomes for acourse, what specific learning outcomes will beexpected for honors students?

• Inclusion of opportunities for experiential learning---such as site visits, hands-on projects, opportunities forprofessional exposure, conferences, submission ofresearch paper to Sabiduria.

Research Models for an Honors Project

• Traditional Research Paper• Data Collection Model• Interview Model• Product Creation Model• Web Page Model• Teaching Model• Rhetorical Analysis Model• Service Learning Model

Some Best Practices for Honors

• Allow students to engage with and present class materials and lead discussions on a regular basis.

• Mentor students in upper level academic skills such as writing abstracts, creating annotated bibliographies,organizing and compiling research for extended projects, etc.

More Best Practices

• Help students be aware of elements of time management and planning---do not assume they havealready mastered such skills.

• Provide a clear framework for research in your discipline: how it is conducted, best sources, and methods, evaluating sources in your discipline, howresearch is used.

Research Process

• Different Levels of Research

• Commonality across different levels of research is theResearch Process.

• Question for Discussion: What is an appropriate levelof research at a two-year college ?

“Honorizing a Course”

An Honors College student who enrolls in a regular (non-honors) course may seek the approval of the course professor to allow the student to do an honors project and receive honors credit for the course, assuming the student receives a minimum grade of “B” in the course.

Honors Tracks

Honors Gold• 21 Honors Credit Hours

(3 must be IDH2105)

• At Least a “B” in all Honors Courses

• 40 Points in the Honors Point System

• Maintain a 3.5 Cumulative GPA

Honors Silver• 12 Honors Credit Hours

• At least a “B” in all Honors Courses

• 20 Points in the Honors Points System

• Maintain a 3.5 Cumulative GPA

Guidelines for All Models

• Must be from 2,000 to 5,000 words• Include a cover page• Include a works cited or reference page with documentation

and citation in the body of the paper of all references listed• Use either MLA or APA style format• Error-free and typed in 12-point font• Student presentation to class near the end of the semester(approx. 15 minutes)

Required Seminar Series

The Story of MathsBBC TV Series

Narrated by Marcus du Sautoy• Episode 1: The Language of the Universe• Episode 2: The Genius of the East• Episdoe 3: The Frontiers of Space• Episode 4: To Infinity and Beyond

Student Research Projects in

Honors Precalculus and Calculus I & II

Sample Research Projects

• Lewis Carroll and Symbolic Logic• Boolean Algebra• Traveling Salesman Problem• Four Color Map Problem• Game Theory• Bridges of Konigsberg: Euler Circuits• Paradoxes in Mathematics

• The Five Platonic Solids• Benjamin Franklin and Magical Circles• Authorship of the Federalist Papers• Continued Fractions• Random Walks• Fractals• Unsolved Problems in Number Theory• Modular Arithmetic• The Buffon Needle Problem• Who Is Nicholas Bourbaki?

• History of Magic Squares• Mathematics On Postage Stamps• Diophantine Equations• Transfinite Numbers: Mathematics of Infinity• Renaissance Art and Projective Geometry• Mathematics & the Art of M.C. Escher• How Knots Are Tied to Mathematics• Topology: The Geometry of Distortion• Mathematics in Literature• History of the Solution of Cubic Equations

• The Birthday Problem• Benjamin Banneker & Building of Federal Mall• The Rhind Mathematical Papyrus• Famous Women in Mathematics• Non-Euclidean Geometries• Cryptography• The Nine-Point Circle• Pascal’s Wager• Number Sense: How the Mind Creates Math• The Math Gene

Research Projects in Honors Statistics

• Collaborative Projects with Honors Sociology Course• Collaborative Projects with Honors Psychology Course (Spring

2016)• Data Collection and Analysis on PASS Project in MAT1033C

(Intermediate Algebra)• Data Collection and Analysis on JUMP-START Program in

Developmental Math• Data Collection and Analysis for Dean of Student Services

including Degree Audit