Exploring Music Students’ Perspective Exploring Music Students’ Perspective on Honors Contract Projects: on Honors Contract Projects: Discovering More Effective Strategies Discovering More Effective Strategies for Facilitating Honors Contract for Facilitating Honors Contract ExperiencesExperiences

Exploring Music Students’ Perspective Exploring Music Students’ Perspective on Honors Contract Projects: on Honors Contract Projects: Discovering More Effective Strategies Discovering More Effective Strategies for Facilitating Honors Contract for Facilitating Honors Contract ExperiencesExperiences

Tim FredstromTim FredstromIllinois State UniversityIllinois State University

The ProblemThe ProblemThe ProblemThe Problem

• Institutional intent of honors contracts: To promote Institutional intent of honors contracts: To promote greater depth and rigor for academically able studentsgreater depth and rigor for academically able students

• A possible disconnect: Students’ anecdotal comments A possible disconnect: Students’ anecdotal comments seemed to indicate that their experience was not seemed to indicate that their experience was not always consistent with the intent of honors contracts. always consistent with the intent of honors contracts.

The ResearchThe ResearchThe ResearchThe Research

• We wanted to understand honor students’ We wanted to understand honor students’ perspectives on honors contract experiences.perspectives on honors contract experiences.

• This research was a student and faculty This research was a student and faculty collaboration.collaboration.

– For student this met the requirements for the Honors Thesis.For student this met the requirements for the Honors Thesis.

– For faculty this was a project consistent with current research For faculty this was a project consistent with current research agenda.agenda.

– This is a very beneficial partnership.This is a very beneficial partnership.

The InterviewsThe InterviewsThe InterviewsThe Interviews

• Ten music honors students from a large Midwestern Ten music honors students from a large Midwestern university were purposefully sampled and interviewed university were purposefully sampled and interviewed and asked to respond to these questions:and asked to respond to these questions:

1) How do you describe your best honors contract experience?1) How do you describe your best honors contract experience?

2) How do you describe your ideal honors contract experience?2) How do you describe your ideal honors contract experience?

3) How have your 3) How have your actualactual experiences compared to your experiences compared to your idealideal experiences?experiences?

4) If you were to write a handbook for faculty and students doing 4) If you were to write a handbook for faculty and students doing honors contracts, what would you include?honors contracts, what would you include?

The FindingsThe FindingsThe FindingsThe Findings

Honors contract Honors contract experiences are experiences are meaningful when meaningful when engaged students and engaged students and engaged faculty partner engaged faculty partner to complete a to complete a compelling project.compelling project.

The Engaged StudentThe Engaged StudentThe Engaged StudentThe Engaged Student

Ultimate success or Ultimate success or failure of the contract failure of the contract is dependent on is dependent on student engagement student engagement throughout the throughout the experienceexperience

Engaged FacultyEngaged FacultyEngaged FacultyEngaged Faculty

Student engagement is Student engagement is dependent on faculty role in dependent on faculty role in the entire process.the entire process.

This theme was most often This theme was most often described in what students described in what students would like to have would like to have experiencedexperienced rather than in rather than in terms of what they had terms of what they had experienced.experienced.

Engaged Faculty

Facilitator

Responsive

Coach

Shows Interest

Interaction

Clarifies Expectations

Sees Potential

Resource

Director

Compelling ProjectCompelling ProjectCompelling ProjectCompelling ProjectStudent and faculty engagement are dependent upon their interest and Student and faculty engagement are dependent upon their interest and investment in the project.investment in the project.

““I think it's really important that both parties, the students and the I think it's really important that both parties, the students and the professor, take the time to find a project that is sparking interest in professor, take the time to find a project that is sparking interest in both parties and that they'll be willing to stick with for awhile and see both parties and that they'll be willing to stick with for awhile and see where it goes.”where it goes.” (Chad) (Chad)

Project InitiationProject InitiationProject InitiationProject Initiation

How a student entered the experience influenced the How a student entered the experience influenced the perception of the value of the experience.perception of the value of the experience.

Practical SuggestionsPractical Suggestions

• Suggestions for Developing Honors Contract Projects

• Project Ideas

• Making Music Project

• Critical Reflection Project

• Research Paper Project

• These materials are available for you to download at: <www.ilstu.edu/~tcfreds/NCHC>

Honors Contract Process

ObtainSignatures

SubmitPaperwork

UpdateWeek 3

UpdateWeek 6

UpdateWeek 9

UpdateWeek 12

ObtainSignatures

SubmitPaperwork

SubmitProject Portfolio

CompleteProject Reflection

PresentThe Final Project

WorkThe Plan

CompleteContract Plan

ConferenceFaculty Facilitator

CompleteProject Clarification Exercise

ObtainContract Information

Promoting Meaningful Promoting Meaningful ExperiencesExperiencesPromoting Meaningful Promoting Meaningful ExperiencesExperiences

Honors contract Honors contract experiences are experiences are meaningful when meaningful when engaged students and engaged students and engaged faculty partner engaged faculty partner to complete a to complete a compelling project.compelling project.