National Collegiate Honors Council
Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council Online Archive
Date of this Version
Fall 2024
Document Type
Article
Citation
Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council (Fall/Winter 2024) 25(2): 41-46
Special issue: Form on student mental health
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Abstract
The stress created by academic pressure may prevent honors students from exploring curricula beyond that required by their majors. Challenged with additional workload and extracurricular requirements, students in honors often confront added stress caused by a desire to perform favorably in all academic pursuits. This pressure may result in hesitancy to explore new ideas, nurture curiosity, or break free from the rigors of a defined program of study—the opposite of what honors pedagogy and practice purport. This essay presents the process of converting a weighted grading system to pass/fail in an effort to provide students with opportunities for academic exploration and to enhance individuated learning. Authors observe how this change encourages and allows students to venture outside their comfort zones without fear of compromising scholastic performance or reducing numeric evaluations, thereby enlivening learning encounters and the passion for academic inquiry and experience.
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Comments
Copyright 2024, National Collegiate Honors Council. Used by permission