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Journal Of The National Collegiate Honors Council (Spring/Summer 2025) 26(1): Whole Issue

Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council Online Archive

Contents

Editorial Policy, Deadlines, and Submission Guidelines

Editor’s Introduction, Amy Mecklenburg-Faenger

Forum Essays on “AI in Honors”

Navigating Generative AI in Honors, Anne Dotter and Victoria M. Bryan

AI Responsibilization: Shifting the Burden of Academic Integrity, Daniel A. Cryer

Pull Up a Chair, Deep Blue: AI in Honors Education, Betsy Greenleaf Yarrison

Teaching AI Literacy Through Science Studies, Rhetoric, and Ethical Reasoning, Michael J. Klein and Philip L. Frana

News From the Front: How to Win the AI War, Christine Haverington

Harnessing the Power of AI in Honors: Equipping Students to Leverage Tools Effectively, Lindsey Roberts and Jesse Roberts

Another …

Navigating Generative Ai In Honors, Anne Dotter, Victoria M. Bryan

Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council Online Archive

Considering the historical significance and pedagogical impact of educational technologies on teaching and learning in higher education, authors suggest that generative artificial intelligence creates more questions than solutions for honors practitioners. What might meaningful AI literacy look like throughout a multidisciplinary honors curriculum? To what extent will generative AI level educational inequities, or create new ones? If policing AI misuse is ultimately a losing battle, how might this understanding reshape assignment design, assessment practices, and even our definitions of academic dishonesty? Drawing on examples in current teaching practice, authors observe the two sides of generative AI—one holding powerful possibilities for …

Editor's Introduction, Amy Mecklenburg-Faenger

Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council Online Archive

Editorial for Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council (2025) 26(1), special issue on Forum on AI and Honors.

Ai Responsibilization: Shifting The Burden Of Academic Integrity, Daniel A. Cryer

Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council Online Archive

Because AI text generators like ChatGPT give students unprece-dented power to outsource their work, concerns about academic integrity are escalating among instructors. This essay suggests that the proliferation of generative artificial intelligence in teaching and learning dramatically shifts the burden of academic integrity, typically shared between teachers and students, onto students. The concept of responsibilization, a defining feature of neoliberal societies in which individuals become responsible for costs and tasks once shouldered collectively, is a useful lens through which to view this new reality. Rather than policing students’ work, educators should recognize the new responsibilities conferred onto students by learning …

Pull Up A Chair, Deep Blue: Ai In Honors Education, Betsy Greenleaf Yarrison

Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council Online Archive

Generative AI is the latest in a succession of technologies that allow us to do with machines what we used to have to do by hand. This essay argues that the elements of teaching in honors that can be automated probably should be and that it is the role of honors faculty to teach students how to distinguish superior thought from mediocre thought, good questions from great ones, and solid supporting evidence from weak or biased counterparts. Large learning models (LLMs) only collate what is already known and cannot teach thinking. As an information delivery system, AI can narrow the …

Teaching Ai Literacy Through Science Studies, Rhetoric, And Ethical Reasoning, Michael J. Klein, Philip L. Frana

Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council Online Archive

Building on the idea of productive troublemaking, this essay presents a team-taught interdisciplinary honors course that integrates science and technology studies, rhetorical analysis, ethical reasoning, and artificial intelligence policy. Rather than framing AI as a threat, this course invites honors students to experiment with AI technologies and develop competencies by analyzing AI as a social and subjectivity-shaping phenomenon—writing policy briefs, producing rhetorical analyses of science fiction, and completing self-paced AI literacy modules. Honors education is uniquely positioned to model responsible and human-centered uses of intelligent systems, thereby cultivating graduates who can both use and critically interrogate the AI tools that …

News From The Front: How To Win The Ai War, Christine Haverington

Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council Online Archive

While artificial intelligence is currently and justifiably a hot topic among scholars and university administrators, students are way ahead of the curve in terms of its use and application. Calling for educators to stop trying to catch AI “cheaters,” this essay provides evidence from honors and other classroom observations, student research on peer and faculty usage and attitudes, course evaluations, and external sources to demonstrate how and why generative AI can be creatively and effectively incorporated into teaching. Toward this end, practical pedagogical strategies are shared describing teaching modalities and innovative curricular design, avoiding the cognitive degradation of students, and …

Harnessing The Power Of Ai In Honors: Equipping Students To Leverage Tools Effectively, Lindsey Roberts, Jesse Roberts

Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council Online Archive

Rapid advancements of AI and its permeation across disciplines are driving its inclusion in higher education curricula in order to maximize graduate employability. AI education in honors must go beyond practical workplace readiness to include creative and critical engagement with the technology (e.g., understanding its conceptual foundations, domain-specific applications, and implications for ethics and governance). Without these essential components, the imparted knowledge of AI may age poorly and leave honors graduates ill-prepared to ethically and responsibly use artificial intelligence.

Another “Tone Test” Moment: Authenticity, Ai, And The Admission Essay, Peter Tschirhart

Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council Online Archive

Debates about “authenticity” are not new but cyclical, and insights from music history and performance studies can illuminate how we evaluate student work in an age of machine collaboration. At the turn of the twentieth century, Edison’s “tone tests” blurred the line between human and machine by staging performances in which audiences were challenged to distinguish live singers from phonographic recordings. These events inaugurated a century-long debate about authenticity in music, one that resonates strongly today as educators confront new challenges posed by large language models (LLMs). Drawing on Auslander’s (2023) account of liveness, authenticity in writing—like authenticity in music—can …

Honoring Intellectual Risk-Taking: A Dialogue, Julie Bowman, Alexis Teagarden

Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council Online Archive

Presented in the form of a Socratic dialogue, this piece considers what honors courses should strive to teach. Bowman, an experienced instructor of both non-honors and honors classes, notes that while universities’ honors colleges prize intellectual curiosity, her honors students might not. Teagarden, the other interlocutor and a writing program administrator, wonders whether curiosity is a sufficient end goal for honors or any teaching. The speakers turn to whether curiosity or courage is the more important virtue to instill, explore a classical difference between courage and audacity, and then discuss whether and how courage could be taught.

Understanding And Addressing Mental Health In Honors Programs, Gavin D. Hood, Katherine H. Tennis

Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council Online Archive

Evidence of psychological experiences unique to high-achieving students is examined, revealing prominent themes relating to student mental health including academic identity, perfectionism, imposter syndrome, burnout, and overcommitment. These themes are explored in the context of program feedback from honors students gathered through focus group meetings as part of the program review process. Strategies for reframing failure, normalizing self-care, fostering supportive community, and engaging in nonacademic self-exploration are included. The article closes with suggestions for programmatic interventions that directly address these concerns among high-achieving students. While most honors programs are not positioned to engage in clinical interventions, they can take small …

Connecting Classroom And Community: Building Ecosystems For Meaningful Alternative Breaks, Chelsea Redger-Marquardt, Jean A. Patterson

Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council Online Archive

This essay presents best practices in experiential learning via an alternative break program at a large public research university. In this interpretative qualitative study, authors analyze on-trip reflective blogs of students participating in an immersive alternative spring break program focused on food and shelter insecurity in Washington, D.C. (n = 11). A sensemaking/sensegiving theoretical framework is applied to explore the role of program partnering between student affairs (alternative break) and honors (coursework). Findings suggest that special care and attention be given when creating strong, direct-service experiences through reciprocal community partnerships, creating spaces for reflection during the immersive experience, and …

Generative Ai And The Honors Thesis: A Rhetorical Framework For Gai Policy, Pedagogy, And Equity, Sean Chadwick

Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council Online Archive

This article offers a rhetorical framework for understanding how honors students engage with the capstone thesis following the emergence of generative AI (GAI) tools. Author reviews the nature of the honors thesis and analyzes some rhetorical models for thinking about GAI and literacy before offering a heuristic framework identifying four interdependent skill categories—writing, social, executive, and subject matter—that shape students’ thesis work. Drawing on findings from an interview study, this framework clarifies how GAI tools interface with existing thesis practices and pain points, allowing honors practitioners to better articulate our values, evaluate use cases, and craft GAI-informed policy. As a …

Motivational Factors Influencing Honors Student Attrition: An Expectancy–Value Perspective, Nina Marijanović, Naomi Rowland, Morgan Flanagan, E. Myo Zin, Megan Bailey

Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council Online Archive

This study investigates the motivational factors underlying student withdrawal from an honors college using expectancy-value theory (EVT) as a guiding framework. Drawing on qualitative analysis of self-reported withdrawal forms (n = 1,110) collected between 2018 and 2023 at a midsize public university, authors identify the core drivers of attrition across three constructs of EVT: expectancy (belief in one’s ability to succeed), value (perceived benefits of participation), and cost (perceived burdens or tradeoffs). Findings indicate the most common motivations as value-related concerns, including misalignment with academic goals or career trajectories. Cost-related factors, such as workload demands, scheduling conflicts, and financial …

Journal Of The National Collegiate Honors Council (2025) 26(1): Front And Back Matter

Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council Online Archive

Front and back matter for the Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council (2025) 26(1).

An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (Ipa): Reflections On Navigating Uncertainty In Design, Brandi R. Watts

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Uncertainty is a state of tension and unresolved conflict that can drive the design process. The purpose of this study, an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), was to explore the designer experience of navigating uncertainty. The goal was to describe, interpret, and situate how designers make sense of moving through uncertainty by prompting them to deeply reflect on moments of uncertainty from past, complex design projects. Four themes emerged from the researched data related to uncertainty, identity, creation, and empathy. In addition, unexpected findings revealed three particularly interesting uncertainty navigation strategies, including biding time, gleaning knowledge, and choosing sidework. These unexpected …

Designerly Skills: An Educational Design Research Study On K-5 Teacher-Designers N Trauma-Informed Technology-Enhanced Learning Environments, Kristin Marie Herman

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

This study explored how K-5 teachers exhibit designerly skills when creating trauma-informed, technology-enhanced learning environments. While teachers have long been recognized as designers, asset-based research on their specific designerly skills, particularly in trauma-informed digital spaces, remains limited. Using an educational design research (EDR) approach focused on research-for-interventions, this study examined which skills teachers consider essential and how these skills manifest in course designs supporting student belonging.

The study employed a multi-method qualitative approach over 12 months, following 23 K-5 teachers and administrators engaged in designing Canvas courses. Data collection included reflective discussion boards, design studio sessions, individual think-aloud protocols, and …

Exploring The Impact Of Language Modeling Integration In Classroom Assessment Scoring System (Class) On Language Teaching And Learning In Pre-K Settings: A Comprehensive Analysis Of Teacher-Child Relationships And Interactions, Joy Lee Hernandez

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

This descriptive research study utilizes a mixed methods design to explore the impact of integrating language modeling into the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) on teachers' perspectives on language teaching and learning. Additionally, the study analyzed teacher-child interactions in Pre-K settings in Southeast Virginia, U.S.A.

Observations were conducted in eleven (11) classrooms using the Pre-K CLASS, a key instrument for assessing the quality of teacher-child interactions across domains such as Emotional Support, Classroom Organization, and Instructional Support, which includes Language Modeling. The CLASS tool was supplemented with detailed notetaking to capture both quantitative scores and qualitative nuances of interactions. This …

An Elementary Review Of Multi-Tiered System Of Support, Zachary R. Ernst

Dissertations

This research aimed to review how a large unit school district can differentiate the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) framework specifically for the elementary level to increase the growth and achievement of all elementary students within the district. A deep dive into publicly available student achievement data for Parkside School District was completed as part of the research and data collection. Additionally, school and district staff were given an in-depth survey about different aspects of the MTSS framework in Parkside School District. All of this data was analyzed and interpreted. The results showed that there is a need for the …

Teaching Art Beyond The Hierarchy: How “Big Ideas” Combat Cultural Appropriation, Carlie Pearson

Institute for the Humanities Master's Papers, Projects, and Capstones

[First paragraph] As an art educator who has worked with children aged 5-18 in the public-school setting, I find myself constantly assessing and reevaluating my practices. When I was in high school and falling in love with the world of visual art, I had a teacher who introduced me to the beautiful and sacred art of mandala making. We learned about how Buddhist Monks create massive works with colorful sand, and I was shocked to hear that the pieces are traditionally swept away upon completion. When I started my first full time teaching position seven years ago at a high …

Understanding Undergraduate Aspirations For Law Enforcement Careers And Motivation In The Classroom, Gabriella N. Burt

Honors Thesis

This study investigates the factors shaping undergraduate student interest in law enforcement careers. By surveying students from various Midwestern universities, this research aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the interplay between social influences, gender, and curricular exposure in shaping law enforcement career aspirations. Specifically, it examines how motivations for pursuing a public service career, external influences, and background characteristics shape career interest overall. The study also examines how these factors shape career interest between men and women and overall motivation to engage with specific law enforcement course topics. Findings inform policy and curriculum design.

The Reality Of Including Preventive Education Concepts To Reduce Risks And Crises In Social Studies Textbooks In The Sultanate Of Oman For Grades (3-12), Saif Nasser Al-Maamari, Awadh Al-Nassri, Muna Rashed Al-Na'aimi

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

The study aimed to identify the reality of including preventive education concepts to reduce risks and crises in social studies textbooks for grades from the third basic to the twelfth for post-basic education in the Sultanate of Oman. Use the descriptive analytical approach by following the content analysis method. The study included all social studies textbooks scheduled for the academic year (2023-2024). A list of preventive education concepts for risk and crisis reduction was prepared, which included five areas: concepts (causes, effects, prevention, recovery, management), which included (143) sub-concepts. Based on it, a comprehensive content analysis card was designed. After …

The Level Of Reading Pedagogical Knowledge Among First Three Grades Female Teachers In Jordan, Mohammed Ali Alkhawaldeh, Ahed Ahmad Al-Abood

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

The aim of this study was to investigate the level of reading pedagogical knowledge among first three grades female teachers in Jordan, and determine whether there are statistically significant differences in their knowledge level attributed to variables of qualification, years of experience, and enrollment in the RAMP course. To achieve the objectives of the study, the descriptive method was followed. The study sample consisted of (295) first three grades female teachers from schools affiliated to the Directorate of Education in Jerash Governorate. To achieve the study's objectives, the researcher prepared an objective situational test consisting of (32) multiple-choice questions, equally …

The Prevalent Mindset Pattern (Deliberative-Implemental) As A Predictor Of Positive Thinking Among University Students, Susan Rasim Khalil Arafa, Thaer Ahmad Ghbari

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

The study aimed to identify the prevailing mindset (deliberative-implemental) among university students and its ability to predict their positive thinking, as well as to determine whether there were statistically significant differences in mindset (deliberative-implemental) according to gender and faculty variables. To achieve the study objectives, data were collected using two research instruments: the Deliberative-Implemental Mindset Scale, which consists of two dimensions— deliberative mindset and implemental mindset—and the Positive Thinking Scale, which includes 25 items distributed across five dimensions: optimism and general satisfaction, emotional regulation and emotional intelligence, acceptance of others and personal responsibility, forgiveness and self-acceptance, and love of learning …

Stress Related To Traumatic War Events Caused By The Israeli Aggression On The Gaza Strip And Its Relationship With Identity Resilience Among Palestine Polytechnic University Students, Mohammad Khallaf Arjan, Khalid Ibrahim Qtoof

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

The study aimed to identify the prevailing mindset (deliberative-implemental) among university students and its ability to predict their positive thinking, as well as to determine whether there were statistically significant differences in mindset (deliberative-implemental) according to gender and faculty variables. To achieve the study objectives, data were collected using two research instruments: the Deliberative-Implemental Mindset Scale, which consists of two dimensions— deliberative mindset and implemental mindset—and the Positive Thinking Scale, which includes 25 items distributed across five dimensions: optimism and general satisfaction, emotional regulation and emotional intelligence, acceptance of others and personal responsibility, forgiveness and self-acceptance, and love of learning …

A Family Counseling Program To Enhance Cyber Psychological Security Among Couples Using Social Media Networks In Gaza Governorates, Abdullah Abdulhadi Alkhatib

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

The study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a family counseling program in improving cyber psychological security among spouses who use social media networks in the Gaza Strip. A quasi-experimental approach was adopted, involving a sample of 40 spouses divided into two groups: an experimental group of 20 spouses and a control group of 20 spouses, ensuring homogeneity between them in terms of cyber psychological security levels. The study utilized the Cyber Psychological Security Scale, developed by the researcher, which included dimensions such as cyber psychological awareness, self-protection and privacy empowerment, cyber challenge management, cyber psychological safety, cyber psychological and …

The Level Of Compulsive Digital Hoarding Among Students At Yarmouk And Sultan Qaboos Universities And Its Relationship To Some Variables, Ali Saleh Jarwan, Rami Abdallah Tashtoush

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

The study aimed to identify the level of digital compulsive hoarding among students at Yarmouk University and Sultan Qaboos University, and to determine whether there were statistically significant differences based on variables such as gender, college, and university. To achieve the study's objectives, The Compulsive Digital Hoarding Scale, prepared by Helmy and Hanfy (2023), was applied to a sample of (1037) male and female students. The data were statistically processed by calculating the arithmetic means, standard deviations, and conducting a Multivariate Three-Way Analysis of Variance (Three-Way MANOVA). The results showed that the level of digital compulsive hoarding among students was …

Marital Satisfaction And Its Relationship To Psychological Well-Being Among Married Female Students In The Kingdom Of Bahrain, Sami Almahjoob

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

The current study aimed to explore the relationship between marital satisfaction and psychological well-being among a sample of married female students in the Kingdom of Bahrain, where the study sample consisted of (200) married students, they were selected by the available method, and the study tools were the Marital Satisfaction Scale (prepared by the researcher), and the Ryff Psychological Well-Being Scale (Ryff, 1989). The results of the study found that the level of marital satisfaction and subjective well-being of the study sample members was average. In addition, the study revealed a positive statistical significance correlation between marital satisfaction and subjective …

Ethical Ai Use And Classroom Integration Training Modules, Daniel Boudon

Open Educational Resources

This project focuses on developing comprehensive training modules to equip students and faculty with the knowledge and skills necessary to ethically and effectively use AI tools in academic settings. The training consists of interconnected modules that cover a wide range of topics, including the ethical use of AI, evaluating AI-generated content, integrating AI tools into curriculum design, and creating AI-enhanced classroom activities. Additional modules emphasize fostering digital literacy, staying updated with AI advancements, and collaborating on best practices for AI in education.

Designed for flexibility, the modules cater to diverse academic disciplines, making them suitable for undergraduate and graduate courses, …

Textual Transformations: An Introduction To Ai For Composition 101, J. Elizabeth Clark

Open Educational Resources

This curriculum unit is a critical literacy unit about AI designed for first-year writing. The introductory composition course prepares students for academic writing with a heavy emphasis on writing-as-process, critical reading, gathering information, inquiry-based writing, and taking research notes. This curriculum unit pairs the writing portion of the course with an AI critical literacy framework for students.

This is a 20-hour, 9 lesson unit designed for an introductory composition course:

• Prepwork: Preliminary Assessment and AI Policies

• Lesson 1: What is AI?

• Lesson 2: The History of AI

• Lesson 3: How Does AI Work?

• Lesson 4: AI in Action

• Lesson 5: …

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