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The honours experience, talent development through the eyes of honours students (synopsis)

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This document is a summary of the book Honours Experience. We are very proud to present this book. "We" are the students, teachers and researchers of the project "The Honours Experience”. After some years of hard work, interviewing, writing and rewriting, it succeeded. Together we have studied what drives an honours student. We did the honours students let themselves tell their experiences. This book gives a picture of how honours students think about their honours programmes. It gives an outline of how an honours programme actually looks like. It shows what inspires an honours student and for whom an honours programme is intended. You also get an insight into what constitutes an honours programme. The initiative for this book began with a conversation within a group honours students, researchers and teachers about talent in honours programmes. The choice was honours programmes because that is where talent is central. Questions were: What are the experiences of honours students in their own words? What is the process of talent? And we can draw insights and tips that are useful to others? These questions formed the start of a project that led to this book. To answer these questions about talent, we interviewed forty honours students from six different institutions of higher education. So we got a glimpse of their process of talent development. In this book they talk about their experiences, adventures, challenges, dips and tips: talent development through the eyes of the student. Dozens of students in this book talked about what they find important, with funny anecdotes and sharp analysis of their development. In addition to the students in this book also teachers did speak. Eight lecturers (of the students) are interviewed about teaching in an honours programme. The book provides a common thread in their findings and some sections linking them to research literature on talent development. In chapter 9, we explain the relationship with 21st-century skills, for which honours education can be seen as an example. Each chapter comes with a new topic with quotes from honours students and teachers. The book is written by honours students and researchers and lecturers in the field of honours education from various universities in the Netherlands, edited by Pierre van Eijl and Albert Pilot (Utrecht University). It is intended as a source of inspiration for anyone interested in talent, in particular (future) honours students, parents, teachers and policy makers. Take a look into the world of talent of ambitious young students!
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Synopsis of the book The Honours Experience, talent development through the eyes of honours students
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Synopsis of the book The Honours Experience, talent development through the eyes of honours students
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Synopsis
The Honours Experience
Talent development through the eyes of honours
students
This book is written by students, teachers and researchers
of the Dutch national project group "The Honours Experience“
Pierre van Eijl and Albert Pilot (Eds.)
Author contributions by:
Laura van Angeren
Milou van Dommelen
Ninib Dibo
Pierre van Eijl
Vincent Gelink
Anne Hess
Daniël de Jong
Albert Pilot
Moana Proost
Jamila Schalken
Sanne Spil
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Preface
Why honours education? The many programmes that colleges and universities offer, are these not
necessarily meant to give students the opportunity to develop their talents? Students, who put a lot
of energy in the study, will they don’t get much from it? And can the student not develop additional
skills, such as initiative, courage, organizational skills, social skills, and more, through a commitment
to other activities than his or her study and within student associations or organizations in the
society? Such comments are often made by people who have their doubts about the strong rise of
honours programmes in Dutch higher education; what they say is true.
Why honours education? Educational programmes are organized and regulated by definition, and
that's good. As a student you have to know what you're getting. And educational programmes
should ensure that students develop the knowledge and skills required by the professional or
scientific field. The frames are fixed therefor. The programmes are as verified through accreditation
procedures. So there is much regulated in every educational programme. However students differ in
their questions and aspirations. Honours programmes offer students the opportunity to go beyond
the fixed frames , to start from their own questions and ambitions within their studies. But then, as
a student you should have the ambition to get more from the study than is allowed at the regular
path.
Why honours education? Because it pays off! This is also reflected by this beautiful book, in which
many honours students have their say about their honours experience. The opportunities offered by
their educational programme to take, related to their study, something extra, often lead to
surprising activities and results, steep learning curves and plenty of commitment. No doubt the
honours experience which students describe here - arranged into what the authors call the "circle of
talent development" - also provides a learning experience for teachers. What happens in honours
education, offers a fresh new look at what is possible in the programmes, including the regular
programmes.
I encourage everyone involved in honours programmes to read this book. It is on one hand a feast of
recognition: "Yes, so it goes in honours programmes." On the other hand, the students provides
readers a mirror: What is important for them? Offer honours programmes - which are extremely
diverse - here indeed the room for their aspirations? It is a book everyone can learn from.
Rob van der Vaart
Honours Dean, Utrecht University
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Contents
Overview: Circle of talent development ................................................................................................. 7
1 Identifying your drive ......................................................................................................................... 14
2. Choosing a trajectory of talent development ................................................................................... 17
3. Crossing the threshold: choosing and be chosen ............................................................................. 18
4. Meeting challenges ........................................................................................................................... 19
Interview: The unknowns in the assignments I found thrilling ............................................................. 21
5a. Developing talent together in a community ................................................................................... 24
5b. Developing talent together in a culture of excellence.................................................................... 26
6. Getting coaching ............................................................................................................................... 27
7. Experiencing flow, dips and perseverance ....................................................................................... 29
Interview: Because you're honours students, you work more efficiently together ............................. 31
8a. Inspiring and creating ...................................................................................................................... 35
8b. Innovating and fostering entrepreneurship ................................................................................... 37
9a. Achieving excellent results .............................................................................................................. 39
9b. Achieving personal development ................................................................................................... 41
10. Continuing talent development in the growth mindset ................................................................. 43
11. Talent development for everyone .................................................................................................. 45
References ............................................................................................................................................ 48
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Why this book?
This document is a summary of the book Honours Experience. We are very proud to present this
book. "We" are the students, teachers and researchers of the project "The Honours Experience”.
After some years of hard work, interviewing, writing and rewriting, it succeeded. Together we have
studied what drives an honours student. We did the honours students let themselves tell their
experiences. This book gives a picture of how honours students think about their honours
programmes. It gives an outline of how an honours programme actually looks like. It shows what
inspires an honours student and for whom an honours programme is intended. You also get an
insight into what constitutes an honours programme.
The initiative for this book began with a conversation within a group honours students, researchers
and teachers about talent in honours programmes. The choice was honours programmes because
that is where talent is central. Questions were: What are the experiences of honours students in
their own words? What is the process of talent? And we can draw insights and tips that are useful to
others? These questions formed the start of a project that led to this book. To answer these
questions about talent, we interviewed forty honours students from six different institutions of
higher education. So we got a glimpse of their process of talent development. In this book they talk
about their experiences, adventures, challenges, dips and tips: talent development through the eyes
of the student. Dozens of students in this book talked about what they find important, with funny
anecdotes and sharp analysis of their development.
In addition to the students in this book also teachers did speak. Eight lecturers (of the students) are
interviewed about teaching in an honours programme. The book provides a common thread in their
findings and some sections linking them to research literature on talent development. In chapter 9,
we explain the relationship with 21st-century skills, for which honours education can be seen as an
example. Each chapter comes with a new topic with quotes from honours students and teachers.
The book is written by honours students and researchers and lecturers in the field of honours
education from various universities in the Netherlands, edited by Pierre van Eijl and Albert Pilot
(Utrecht University). It is intended as a source of inspiration for anyone interested in talent, in
particular (future) honours students, parents, teachers and policy makers.
Take a look into the world of talent of ambitious young students!
On behalf of the project 'The Honours Experience, Pierre van Eijl, Utrecht, March 16, 2016
For further information: Pierre van Eijl (eijl0000@planet.nl) and Albert Pilot
(albert.pilot@gmail.com)
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Universities whose students participated as interviewee and / or author and other abbreviations of
universities::
Windesheim Windesheim University of Applied Sciences
HvA University of Applied Sciences of Amsterdam
Hanze Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen
UU Utrecht University
HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht
ArtEZ ArtEZ Institute of the Arts
HR University of Applied Sciences Rotterdam
Saxion Saxion University of Applied Sciences
VU Free University Amsterdam
UvA University of Amsterdam
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Overview: Circle of talent development
Pierre van Eijl, Albert Pilot and Laura Angeren
"The freedom to decide what you do in the honours programme, has been very inspiring. If you see
an opportunity, you can grab it yourself. Excellence, in my opinion, has more to do with attitude than
with intelligence. Central it is seizing opportunities instead of letting opportunities go by, because it
cost you nothing but time". (Ninib Dibo, honours student Saxion).
Figure O.1: Focus on talent in honours programmes
Talent in an honours programme
In recent years many honours programmes were introduced at universities and colleges. They are
intended for students who want more than the regular programme offers them (Wolfensberger, Van
Eijl, & Pilot 2012). By following an honours programme those students can better develop their
talents.
But what really is meant by ‘talent? Learn these students to perform more difficult tasks, solve
complicated sums or analyse difficult texts? Are these students now only get an A+? No!
To bring the practice of talent development in honours programmes in the picture, some forty
honours students and honours alumni were asked about their talent, asking why they it started and
what their experiences were in those programmes, in other words: what were their honours
experiences? They answer the question how important the teacher and fellow students were in this
process. We also interviewed eight of their teachers; their experiences are also included in the book.
The answers of the students and teachers insight into the process of talent development. The
process proved to be much more interesting than 'simply' learning to solve difficult problems
(although that may be part of talent development).
What we mean by talent?
Before we go deeper into talent development, we consider the question of what we mean in this
book with talent. When we talk about talent in this book, we aim at the qualities that in anyone that
can be further developed and can lead to exceptional results and outstanding performance. These
qualities can relate to many domains in which qualities can be developed. In education, students
can achieve good results in a particular domain, both in practical terms ( "they have golden hands")
and theoretically. For example, they can learn to work very systematically or learn to recognize and
use their creativity. Also, to communicate clearly or they learn well together. Sometimes students in
an honours programme discover the importance of taking the initiative and seizing opportunities.
Some of these qualities are also called 21st century skills, because graduates precisely need those
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skills in this century. The following quote from Ton Peeters, coordinator of the honours programme
Biology (UU), already gives an idea of the development of 21st century skills in an honours
programme: "The honours programme stimulated a group of students to write a book together. It is
important that they are responsible for the whole process, from the initial brainstorming to final
publication. They are creative, they work together and are critical about themselves, each other and
about the product. Students in this setting own their own learning: it works better than when
anyone else dictates what and how to learn. The fun of learning is many times greater" (Ton Peeters,
lecturer and teaching fellow, 21st century skills, UU, 2014). In chapter 9b we continue on skills and
other abilities for the 21st century, such as opportunity recognition, benefit from multiple
perspectives such as multidisciplinary collaboration and further creative and innovative thinking,
solving complex multidisciplinary issues and intercultural skills.
The circle of talent development
The process of talent development in an honours programme is central in this book. This process has
several steps, from the start to the completion of the honours programme and beyond. Not every
student goes through these steps in the same order, but they are often revealed in the interviews.
For clarity, we have therefore arranged the steps in the "circle of talent development (see Figure
O.2), which was partly inspired by "The hero's journey", a book by Joseph Campbell (1949).
Figure O.2: The ten steps into the circle of talent development
We first describe the steps the circle, illustrated with brief quotes from students interviews. These
steps will be elaborated further in the relevant chapters.
Step 1: Identifying your drive
The start of the process of talent is shown in Step 1: identifying your own passion, your drive; the
students identify what they want to do more than their regular curriculum provides. An example:
"Looking for a little extra, a chance I could grab to distinguish me from the rest" (Jamila Schalken,
honours student HVA). Often it is also about doing the study activities in a different way, which gives
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the student an extra challenge. For some students, but also for their environment, their talents are
not visible yet, which is called "latent talent. In Chapter 1 we elaborate on it.
Step 2: Choosing a trajectory of talent development
Students who need more challenge, look for new opportunities. Following an honours programme is
in this way an opportunity that comes on the student's path. An example: "Do not stop and go for
your dreams, because these efforts will be recognized and so you will always produce something"
(Elsemiek Geerdink, honours student Saxion). One way in which a student can get acquainted with a
honours programme is to get information from a student who is already an honours student. Some
schools ask honours students as ambassadors for the programme, and ask them to provide
information to their fellow students. The choice to participate in an honours programme may be for
students a part of the development of their personal leadership. This is the ability to make decisions
in a good way in their own lives. In Chapter 2 we discuss an example of an honours course in which
development of personal leadership is a key activity.
Step 3: Crossing the Threshold: choosing and be chosen
The choice to participate in an honours programme must come from both sides: the student must
choose, but the teachers of the honours programme must also allow the student to be admitted,
students must meet the selection criteria. They often have to write a motivation letter and
sometimes there is an admission interview. An example: "Finally, I was invited to an admission
interview" (Alexander Oude Elferink, honours student Windesheim). The teachers also consider the
study results and consider especially whether the student is really interested in the honours
programme, has a proactive attitude and a capacity for growth. Chapter 3 also draws attention the
principle of 'giving and taking': both the teacher and the student is expected to contribute actively.
Step 4: Meeting Challenges
Once in the honours programme, the challenge and the actual learning really start. Students get
complex, authentic assignments and projects that are often linked to real problems and real clients.
An example: "We had a lot of guest lectures, which were not all equally interesting. But then came
the team assignment for the police organisation and that was unwise cool "(Iris Jansen, honours
student Windesheim). The honours students sometimes work together with students from other
disciplines and with teachers or even external clients. This differs from the approach in mainstream
education and provides a challenge for the student and the supervisor. The teacher must include
dealing with the differences between students and this may pose dilemmas for the teacher as well.
An investigation into this aspect is discussed in Chapter 4.
Step 5a, b: Developing talent together in a community and culture of excellence
Students usually study not only individually but together with other motivated students and usually
are very positive about this in the honours programme. By working together, they come to the
exchange of new ideas. An example: "The way we work and the working atmosphere within the
honours programme are a world apart from the regular education" (Guido Diana, honours student
Windesheim). The networks of contacts within the programme often grow into an 'honours
community. In the interviews students speak with great appreciation about their community. A
characteristic of these communities is the culture of excellence: encouraging each other, working
together and achieving a result that matters! An example: "In honours programmes students are
more motivated. Those students are highly motivated to invest time and energy. They all want to
show a good result "(Iris Jansen, honours student Windesheim). Chapter 5 discusses a study in
honours communities and a culture of excellence.
Step 6: Getting coaching
Coaching can make the difference in talent development. The teacher can help a student to become
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on track and ensure that his or her talent development is really successful. To achieve this, the coach
helps the student from his comfort zone to enter into the zone of proximal development 'and to
take new steps. An example: "You were not told what to do, but ideas came from two sides" (Niels
van de Kamer, honours student UU). In Chapter 6 both students and teachers tell about their
experiences with coaching.
Step 7: Experiencing flow, dips and perseverance
An important experience in the talent development process is to get the feeling of a 'flow':
everything seems to go without saying, and the student is studying in an optimal state of
development. An example: "Almost the entire period honours it felt like a flow! Apart from the
beginning, I had it in retrospect some anxiety whether I would be able to handle the additional
programme "( Lise Schampaert, honours student HU). But there may also dips occur, which may
constitute a serious obstacle. The identification of a dip and overcoming the dips, need resilience
and perseverance of the student. In chapter 7 an investigation is discussed about grit, combining
passion and prolonged persistence in reaching success.
Step 8a: Inspiring and Creating
Some problems require new solutions, for which creativity is important. The use of one's own
creative ideas and moments of inspiration is important to move forward. There is also courage
needed! Chapter 8a focuses on aspects of the creative process, such as problem finding, the design
challenge, fostering a creative atmosphere, but also resistance to change, which means that not
everyone in advance is positive if new ideas are put forward . An example: "Everyone has ideas, but
you should be able to explain exactly what this entails, even people from other disciplines who do
not immediately see the benefit of a product" (Sanne Vermeulen, honours student HU).
Step 8b: Innovating and undertaking
Some ideas can be turned into something that has concrete practical value: an innovation. An
example: "In the Future Search course I was with a group to develop an app that was related to
injury prevention in sports" (Leander Boelee, honours student HU). As an illustration, in section 8b
this honours course about learning innovation is discussed. The aim is to generate new ideas and to
convert these into something that is relevant in practice; it requires entrepreneurial behaviour of
students. Research on seeing and grabbing opportunities (opportunity recognition) will be discussed
in Chapter 8b.
Step 9a: Achieving excellent results
Efforts can lead to excellent performance. When and in what ways is an achievement excellent? That
is discussed in chapter 9a. An example: "I definitely feel to have delivered an excellent performance.
When I look at my thesis, it contains all five honours competencies of Rotterdam University of
Applied Science" (Juliette Wever, honours student HR). The contribution of students to organize the
programme and products for external clients can be part of the achievements.
Step 9b: Achieving personal development
Equally important is the personal development because it was often mentioned by the interviewed
students. An example: "There is a lot of freedom allowing you much more to come to personal
development, because there is much room to get to know yourself and figure out how you learn
best" (Kim Tulp, honours student Saxion). In section 9b a comparison is drawn between the skills
that students in their honours programme acquire, the 21st century skills.
Step 10: Continuing talent development in the growth mindset
If a project or task is completed within an honours programme, then a new project comes in many
programmes in which again (parts of) the circle of talent development follows. This relates in
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particular to step until 9. Talent development does not simply stop after of the honours programme,
but grows into a "way of life as the honours alumnus continues to develop himself or herself. An
example: "The honours programme has had great influence on my further study and work. I decided,
instead of immediately going to work and to start with an house and garden, but first searching for
more adventures "(Lise Schampaert, honours student HU). To identify opportunities for growth and
to address a growth mindset is important. That is the mindset to tackle new challenges and not to
set them aside. Through this approach, a person further develops.
In Chapter 11 we discuss the theme of a 'talent development for everyone' with tips from the
student interviews and we describe the potentials for additional talent development outside of the
honours programme.
The journey of the hero
The choice of the circle of talent development as an organizing principle in this book is inspired by
the 'journey of the hero ", described by the anthropologist Joseph Campbell in his famous book The
Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949). The hero is someone who is taking on a journey from an inner
urge or something outside to get something done or find something special, often an elixir. Steps
from this trip that resemble the circle of talent development, include leading up to the trip (1 and 2),
the crossing of a threshold (3) entering into a challenge (4), getting help from a mentor and other
helpers on the way (5 and 6), experiencing a crisis (the dip) and getting out there (7), gaining new
insights and opportunities to help his fellows (8 and 9). After the trip the hero, enriched by the
experience, again shows to find his or her way into the 'normal' life to bring the achievements in
practice. There also are again new challenges waiting (10).
Joseph Campbell describes the 'cyclical' journey of the hero as an archetypal event, which does not
always have to involve all the steps. Just like the circle of talent development. Also the order of the
steps may vary. The result of the trip is not only that the hero has something accomplished, but also
that he "grows" and personally becomes wiser. In the introduction to his book, Campbell displays
the central idea of the journey of the hero again:
"A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous
forces are there is encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this
mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man."
The steps in the 'journey of the hero have been an inspiration for many artists. George Lucas has
these steps, for example, used in the making of his Star Wars movies: Luke Skywalker was the 'hero';
he is depicted in Figure O.3 with his light saber.
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Figure O.3: The hero of Star Wars, Luke Skywalker with his light saber
Joseph Campbell's thinking is often summarized up in his motto "Follow your bliss", or "Follow your
heart." We will discuss this in chapter 11, when it comes to talent development for all.
The teacher and the circle of talent development
For the activities in the circle of talent development are teachers of great importance. The teachers
in the honours programme are the ones who design the tasks and create opportunities for the
students to achieve the required talent, without pinning everything down." They are also the ones
who guide the students and encourage them, giving feedback and review. There is need for
preparation. In an interview, Ron Weerheijm, coordinator of the honours programme at the
Rotterdam University of Applied Science, said that he therefore requires new teachers to advance a
scenario: "What could happen and what should I be prepared for? Otherwise, the teacher falls back
on old teaching and the dynamism of talent is away. The teacher must be prepared for the problems
he may encounter. "In addition, in various institutions courses on teaching honours programmes are
organized for new honours teachers. Attention is paid to both the design, the intervention and
evaluation of honours programmes (for example Coppoolse et al., 2013, p. 127).
In the chapter on coaching (Chapter 6) the role of the teacher in talent development is elaborated.
Educational institutions have for teachers various means to prepare for their other roles. There are
courses organized for them and there are networks of teachers, communities and other creative and
informal exchanges. Chapter 11 provides tips for teachers, which are derived from the student and
teacher interviews.
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Observing talent of honours students
It can sometimes be very amazing to see what honours students have done and what their
experiences are. No two students are the same, each student is a unique person, and that is also the
strength of a good honours programme: students have their own ideas and these ideas should get
the opportunity to come to realization. So talent can truly flourish.
Steps of the circle of talent development are not only for honours students interesting, but for every
student who wants to develop its capabilities further. Any student who is considering to launch a
process of talent development and wants to know where he or she starts working, can use this book
watch other students who started this process. In Chapter 11, "Talent for All" we will give tips on the
different steps. For students who are already in the process of talent development, reading can be a
feast of recognition but also providing them with new ideas.
Structure
The circle of talent development is the organizer of this book, but also a map for the reader. Each
step out of the circle refers to a chapter in this book. At the end of each chapter key elements of
tips, insights and considerations for the development of their talents are summarized. In Chapter 11,
"Talent for All are tips that apply not only to (future) honours students, but also for other interested
parties and honours teachers. To give you an idea of how an individual student takes the talent
development process, we have included some truncated interviews in this book. The complete
interviews of students and the Dutch book are available (only in Dutch) as pdf on
www.honoursexperience.nl
In this book we used in addition to interviews, scientific research that is related to the development
of talent. As usually we refer to the sources through the author's name and the year of publication.
At the last pages of the book a list of the literature referred to is provided.
In each chapter also teachers of the interviewed students are quoted. They talk about their
approach to the honours programmes and their experience with their honours students.
The interviewed honours students and teachers come from various universities of Applied Science
(Windesheim College, Rotterdam University of Applied Science, Hanze University of Applied Science
Groningen, Utrecht University of Applied Science, Saxion University of Applied Science, University of
Applied Science at Amsterdam, ArtEZ Institute of the Arts) and research universities (Utrecht
University, University of Amsterdam and VU University Amsterdam).
Key points of the circle of talent development
We can see the core of the circle of talent development with a number of points:
• Talent begins by addressing a challenge and is continued in work on a challenge.
• Talent development requires not only individual work but also cooperation. Interaction with fellow
students and coaches provides inspiring examples to develop new perspectives and insights.
• Honours programmes offer many opportunities to acquire 21st century skills (see also Section 9b).
• Opting for talent development is entering into an adventure which outcome is still uncertain. This
asks from students initiative, dedication and ingenuity and leads often to unusual and surprising
results.
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1 Identifying your drive
Pierre van Eijl and Albert Pilot
"I found not enough challenge in the regular programme: too little intellectual challenge, it was too
big and for me the teacher was too much focused on the class as a whole. The choice for the research
project in the honours programme was aligned with my wish for more freedom. With this
programme I could look beyond the subject of my study". (Stefan Sweijen, honours alumnus UU).
Motives for choosing an honours programme
Students who think about choosing an honours programme or another track of talent development
within their institution, have to learn more about it and then to decide whether or not to
participate. But why would anyone do that? It is not immediately clear to every student. An honours
programme often has additional meetings and requires extra efforts. Possibly fellow students find it
strange when someone is going to do this, because what is actually the added value of doing an
honours programme? Anyone who wants to take a step on the way of talent, can come to a point
where they are wondering this question. Not taking that challenge actually sounds as the easiest
option: this takes less effort and you can spent more time on other things and you do not really have
to worry. Yet there are many students who choose for an honours programme. Here we look at their
motives and their drive.
Identifying your drive is the first step in the circle of talent development (see Figure 1.1). In the
journey of the hero of Joseph Campbell (see the section ‘Overview'), this is the moment when the
hero feels to be called to go on adventure and to travel to an unfamiliar area. Often the hero initially
is reluctant and do not really want to do this, but a mentor can help him or her in the decision.
Sometimes the hero continues to refuse, for example, from a sense of fear, insecurity, inadequacy or
duty. Refusal puts, according to Campbell, adventure into the opposite. Enclosed by boredom, hard
work and culture, the hero loses the strength to achieve significant, positive action and he will be a
victim to be rescued.
Figure 1.1: Identifying your drive
This chapter is about:
seeking your own drive
hidden talent
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The search for the own drive
In the interviews honours students are surprisingly enthusiastic when responding about the reasons
for choosing an honours programme. It starts with the challenge that an honours programme can
offer them. Or in the words of the students: "(...) a chance I could grab to distinguish me from the
rest," and "My interest was there and just the drive and the wish to do something that is relevant."
The interviews also show the diversity of motives for choosing to participate in an honours
programme: "I was really looking for a little extra so I would stand apart from the group of regular
students. Because then an employer might choose faster for you than for other students because
you showed that you can do more and want more. You are different from a student who has just
passed the exams. I missed that extra challenge very much within the regular programme. It does
not fascinate me to get an A+ or B" (Jamila Schalken, honours student HVA). Another student: "I got
a letter that I met the requirements and that I could apply for the honours programme. I had never
heard of it before. My reasons for choosing the honours programme were time and added value,
especially the English appealed to me. I also think that if it can, you should always do your best to
reach for the highest " (Karleen Louis-Nieboer, honours student Windesheim).
Next to the challenge, also developing as a person is considered to be important. Two students say:
"We are looking for challenge and the possibility to think more out of the box to give our own
vision and mission more chances" (Angela de Leeuw and Floor de Fockert, honours students HR).
With many students it is not one thing but a combination of reasons: "I wanted to do more next to
my studies. I noticed that I wanted at that time more depth, but also broadening in my studies. At
that moment I did not think about personal development, but now that would be the decisive
reason to do it! "(Sascha Bijman, honours student Hanze). Another student says, "For me these past
two years in the honours programme were more than just a broadening in terms of knowledge, but
they have given me also the opportunity to develop myself as a person. For me it was a challenge to
find out what I really liked and to improve myself through feedback. To let people give me feedback,
was the most difficult. If we talk about a challenge, this was definitely a challenge" (Harmjan Oonk,
honours student Saxion).
There may also be reluctance in the beginning to get involved in an honours programme: "At a
lecture in my first year we got a presentation of the honours programme. My first reaction was: I
cannot do this! I'm not good enough. But, then I thought, if I can do, all the extras are worthwhile in
view of the labour market and in developing yourself more than anybody else. I wanted to do
something different than what everyone else is doing. Not better, but different" (Sterre Raterman,
honours student UU).
Invisible talent
Some students say that they have had early doubts about their participation. A student says: "In the
beginning I thought, this is really not for me! But looking back on the first year I saw that it was not
so difficult" (Esther Beekman, honours student UU). Possibly plays the phenomenon of invisible or
latent talent (see Figure 1.2) a role as an honours alumnus says: "There are many latent talents,
students who have the potential but they just are not going to follow an honours programme"
(Stefan Sweijen, honours alumnus UU).
Synopsis of the book The Honours Experience, talent development through the eyes of honours students
16
Key points of step 1 Identifying your drive
The core of step 1 is displayed with the following points:
Anyone who wants to take a step on the route of talent development, will wonder at some point in
time whether the extra effort and risks are worth this step.
Drive may related to the interest in something, or the wish to contribute anything; but enthusiasm
may also stem from boredom in the regular programme and the culture of mediocrity.
• Not all talents are previously visible sometimes the latent talent is not seen (see figure 1.2). During
a process of talent development more talents can emerge.
Figure 1.2 Hidden talent
The student is
conscious of
her/his talent
The student is
unconscious of
her/his talent
Talent is visible
for others
1Talent
3 Latent talent
Talent is not
visible for others
2 Latent talent
4 Latent talent
Figure 1.3 Types of latent talent
Synopsis of the book The Honours Experience, talent development through the eyes of honours students
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2. Choosing a trajectory of talent development
Pierre van Eijl and Milou van Dommelen
"I wanted to participate in the programme first because it is very good on your CV. But the main
reasons were surely based on the lack of challenge in the regular programme and I wanted to get
more out of my studies, and also getting to know myself better "(Floor Sijtsma, honours student
Hanze).
Figure 2.1 Choosing a trajectory of talent development
Key points
• If you choose for talent development, you should do it because you're interested in it, and not for
your CV, because this is not the focus of talent development in an honours programme.
• Talent development is unique: your route is not the same as that of another student.
• The move to talent development is also a step towards developing personal leadership.
• It is important to look for a match between what you want to learn and how you want to learn,
and what an honours programme you has to offer.
Figure 2.2: Searching for a match between the student and the honours programme
Synopsis of the book The Honours Experience, talent development through the eyes of honours students
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3. Crossing the threshold: choosing and be chosen
Pierre van Eijl
"First, I was selected because in my first year I passed my exams with an average of more than 7.0 . If
I was interested, I had to send an email and to indicate my interest. Then I received a form about my
motivation that I had to send with my Europass CV and an overview of my academic performance. I
was then invited for an admission interview. Selection criteria included the match between the
wishes of students, the design of the programme and the distribution of participants from different
programmes." (Alexander Oude Elferink, honours student Windesheim).
Figure 3.1: Choosing the familiar way or something new?
Figure 3.2 Crossing the threshold: choosing and be chosen
Key points
• Interest in talent development is not enough, there must be a match between you and the
programme to be admitted.
• In an interview for admission or selection it should be clear both for you as a student and the
teacher that there is a match between you and the honours programme.
The focus is on your motivation, enthusiasm and what the honours programme has to offer.
Marks, ability for self-reflection, creativity and perseverance are further on important.
Synopsis of the book The Honours Experience, talent development through the eyes of honours students
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4. Meeting challenges
Pierre van Eijl, Sanne Spil and Albert Pilot
"Then came the assignment for the team from the police organisation and that was unwise cool.
There were also dips in between, because sometimes that honours year was very heavy, but my
fellow students and my parents helped me over the dips. And the honours teachers helped also, and
yes, it was just really fun to do." (Iris Jansen, honours student Windesheim).
Figure 4.1: Addressing challenges
Synopsis of the book The Honours Experience, talent development through the eyes of honours students
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Figure 4.2 Meeting challenges
Key points
• A challenge must suit your interests and abilities, that stirs your intrinsic motivation.
Your drive for a problem can lead to major commitment and focus.
• Working on own ideas and choosing subjects gives extra energy!
• Just entering into a challenge can lead to new insights and skills.
• Developing talent can in many different ways. It depends not only on you as a student but also on
the challenges and opportunities of the programme.
• The combination of challenge and freedom on the one hand and the deadlines and final demands
(bounded freedom) on the other hand, can be very stimulating.
• Real problems encourage you more than routine tasks to come up with a solution.
Synopsis of the book The Honours Experience, talent development through the eyes of honours students
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Interview: The unknowns in the assignments I found thrilling
Iris Jansen (Windesheim)
Iris is studying Social Work (SPH) at Windesheim College and did in 2012/2013 the one year honours
programme Social Innovation. Iris did along with a group of students a.o. a business assignment, for
the National Organization of the police about how its real-time department can use social media .
That was the culmination of her honours activities.
Figure 4.2: Iris Jansen
The start of my honours program
I saw a message on the website of Windesheim and became curious. But I doubted very much in the
beginning. Can I do it? After talking to my parents, I have chosen to go for it. Then I had an interview
about my motivation, who I am, what do I want to give and take? Part of the conversation was in
English.
Company Assignment
The first semester consisted of an individual assignment and a group assignment.
The second semester involved the company assignment. I Together with a team of honours students I
investigated for the National Organization of the police how they can use social media in its real-time
department. That was the culmination of my honours activities. The results of this project team, we
have presented in a large hall with interested persons: representatives from the police unit, teachers,
fellow students and parents. I also had to write an individual reflection on the process. I am very
proud that we've managed to bring this project to a successful conclusion, it was a great challenge
and experience.
The most important experience in my honours programme
The feeling of victory was my main experience. In the honours program, I found the unknowns in the
missions thrilling. I was accustomed to evade these situations. But during the honours I have
experienced my potentials, even though sometimes things go wrong. Sometimes we had to do the
assignment again, but that did not matter. I've learned that you learn from mistakes and become
wiser. I've got a lot more confidence in myself. The honours programme consisted of tasks and
Monday sessions with guest speakers mainly on the practice of social innovation, so with lecturers
from outside the university and with discussions about their models and theories. With a project
group I spoke at least once every two days on our assignment, project topics and personal subjects.
with the entire group honours students I spoke mainly on the Monday night meetings and sometimes
through Facebook. I talked to them much less often than to the students of my project.
Synopsis of the book The Honours Experience, talent development through the eyes of honours students
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Assignment from the police
The assignment for the National Unit of the police began on the night this unit came to explain the
assignment. The first question of the police was about the relation between the police and social
media. The question which we have kept us busy was: how can social media help the investigation
process? We got a lot of freedom to form a team with students from different disciplines and then to
make the task more concrete, and specific . There were practical supervisors available from the
police, and from the honours programme of Windesheim there were two supervisors. We gathered
much information by ourselves and we have talked to people across the country and collected
information. We got the opportunity to fill in a lot of themselves and made our own choices. It was
very challenging and inspiring, but also very hard work, because time flies. Such an assignment,
moreover, I could not have done in my regular programme; you can only do that within the honours
programme. There are also group assignments in the regular programme but this was larger, more
independent and multidisciplinary.
This also gave an experience of flow between February and June; it happened very quickly, especially
at last. In the beginning of the honours programme I had a high motivation, but has declined
somewhat in the first semester because we had a lot of guest lectures, which were not all equally
interesting. But then the assignment came from the police and that was unwise cool. I was on the
evening of the presentation of the results also hostess, because I found it all very interesting. There
were dips in between, because sometimes that honours year was very heavy, but my fellow students
and my parents helped me over the dips. And the honours teachers helped also, and yes, it was just
really fun to do.
Self-regulation
In mainstream education you are very much regulated by the teacher, but in the honours
programme, especially in the second semester when we worked on this task for the police, it was
quite different. Then we were allowed to go our own way, choosing what we wanted to learn and
that made a big difference. Much emphasis was laid on self-regulation in the honours programme,
and yes, that meant to me a remarkable switch in my study approach. But I think the guidance by the
teacher is also sometimes easy, it is spoon-fed, but also comfortable. Gathering of teachers
knowledge in a subject, Fortunately I also like this. Self-direction and guidance by teachers should
thereby be for me in a good balance.
Assessment
The assessment of the results went by the teachers of the honours programme through an evaluation
form, with input from the clients from the police organization. We were very happy with the
assessment. We worked hard, learned a lot and the clients were quite satisfied.
Teamwork
It was important that the team consisted of students from different disciplines, so there was a
heterogeneous multi-disciplinary team with also input from business administration and journalism,
which was also very important for motivation, and multidisciplinary contributions came from fellow
students during the discussions on the assignment. Students of business had very different
perspectives on proposals while I come from the social side and much less consider the costs. That
gave fascinating discussions between students from different backgrounds. In the discussions the
multidisciplinary input appeared clearly to be valuable. Each student had a different perspective on
an issue from his own background.
Tutors
The teachers acted mostly as counselors and coaches. I thought it was important that they gave us
tips and sometimes helped to go on. They were helping with brainstorming, and by asking critical
Synopsis of the book The Honours Experience, talent development through the eyes of honours students
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questions. We were busy with our process and if we got stuck, we called there the supervisors to
think with us. I found this fine. If I need help, I ask for it. Verbal feedback from the teachers was very
valuable. I could ask what was meant by the teachers. I learnt much from their help.
The next step
I am going into the last year of my bachelor. The honours activities have had a clear influence on
what I want to do next. I pick up new things faster than before the honours. I see faster the challenge
of new projects instead of that it frightens me. I also learned that I find the police a nice organization.
I'm investigating in what way I can support the police with my expertise. For example, when I have
done a university master, it seems to me interesting to work as a behavioral scientist with the police.
I also think that collaborating in a multidisciplinary teams is fun. I want to do in my work something
with it. But I do not know if that is possible. But dreams can. With my team I still contact regularly.
Once every four months, we eat together and that rotates. We have been doing that for a year
already.
Synopsis of the book The Honours Experience, talent development through the eyes of honours students
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5a. Developing talent together in a community
Jamila Schalken, Pierre van Eijl and Albert Pilot
"I worked within a team on an assignment for a business organisation. I consider that team as my
personal honours community. The way of working and the working atmosphere within the honours
programme are a world that is very different from the regular programme. I often feel that within my
groups in the regular programme several teammates only focus on getting their diploma. In a team
with honours students I felt that this was surpassed and that everyone participated because of their
intrinsic motivation. This is what I could see because the honours students just do that little bit extra
to get an excellent result, for example by agreeing to meet at a night off on Skype and get the project
going." (Guido Diana, honours student Windesheim).
Figure 5a.1: A variety of students in an honours community
Figure 5a.2 Developing talent together in a community
Key points
• Productive communication can stimulate talent development.
• Communities, but also other networks of contacts are important in talent development.
• Participants in a community experience a sense of community that binds them together.
Synopsis of the book The Honours Experience, talent development through the eyes of honours students
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• Communities can consist of students, but also teachers and parties in the field can participate.
• New initiatives and cooperating with others, are important for your talent development.
• Contact can be face to face as well as online through social media.
Synopsis of the book The Honours Experience, talent development through the eyes of honours students
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5b. Developing talent together in a culture of excellence
Pierre van Eijl and Daniël de Jong
"The atmosphere in the honours programme is different than in the regular programme. In the
regular programme, we also have a lot of fun, but my classmates there are less driven to create a
good product. It is a culture of mediocrity. Those honours students are more motivated. They are
highly motivated to invest their time and energy. They all want to arrive at a good result. But the
contacts with them also brought a lot of fun. We discussed not just about assignments, but also
about personal subjects. I got to know them better and that also led to friendships." (Iris Jansen,
honours student Windesheim).
Figure 5b.1: Towards a culture of excellence
Figure 5b.2 Developing talent together in a culture of excellence
Key points
• Studying in an honours programme means studying in a culture of excellence.
• A culture of excellence means that you put energy in your tasks, going to make the most of
yourself, also encouraging others and trying to achieve results that matter.
• A culture of excellence does not come by itself but needs a cultural switch from those involved to
go for the highest results.
• Central to the culture of an honours programme is the interaction between students and teachers
and students generating enthusiasm, and a good atmosphere, and fostering innovation.
Synopsis of the book The Honours Experience, talent development through the eyes of honours students
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6. Getting coaching
Milou van Dommelen and Pierre van Eijl
"There was a lot of interaction with my supervisor. She saw that we were enthusiastic and gave
constructive criticism. You were not told what to do, but ideas came from two sides, including the
'lost letter-research. Not everything was decided in advance. That was an important difference with
the regular programme. In the regular programme much more will be determined in advance, in the
way of 'this is the intention and we want you to perform so, and then you get a mark for it." (Niels
van de Kamer, honours student UU).
Figure 6.1: Stand out from your comfort zone
Figure 6.2 Getting coaching
Key points
• The zone of proximal development is not only about content but also about personal
development.
• Talent development requires that you get out of your comfort zone; which can be emotionally
difficult.
• Coaching your talent development is only effective if you come with questions and take initiatives
by yourself.
For coaching personal development a bond of trust between coach and student is needed.
Synopsis of the book The Honours Experience, talent development through the eyes of honours students
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• A coach can ask provocative questions that will stimulate your thinking and pushes you to go a
step forward without giving you a solution.
• If you help others with questions and tips you can learn a lot of coaching.
Synopsis of the book The Honours Experience, talent development through the eyes of honours students
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7. Experiencing flow, dips and perseverance
Moana Proost, Pierre van Eijl and Albert Pilot
"I've always experienced assessments in honours programmes as very pleasant and stimulating,
because you got a lot of feedback from your teachers and then you understand by what you've really
learned in the previous year. This gives you an incentive for the next year. I consider an assessment
not as an exam, but rather as an opportunity to get more out of my studies. But certainly I also have
had moments when it was difficult in my honours programme.'' (Floor Sijtsma, honours student
Hanze).
Figure 7.1: Find your flow!
Figure 7.2 Experiencing flow, dips and perseverance
Key points
• By taking up challenges that suit you and that you can handle, you get more chances to get into
the flow.
• If you're bored in your study or experience much frustration, then you are probably not optimally
challenged.
Synopsis of the book The Honours Experience, talent development through the eyes of honours students
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• A clear goal for yourself gives you focus for your studies.
• You can try to rely on your intelligence in an honours programme, but also interest, creativity,
perseverance and grit are required.
• Contact with teachers and fellow students can be a stimulus to get into the flow and to get quick
insight into your dips; which you then easier can overcome.
• A dip often turns out to have been an important learning experience.
Synopsis of the book The Honours Experience, talent development through the eyes of honours students
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Interview: Because you're honours students, you work more
efficiently together
Figure 7.2: Niels van de Kamer
Niels van de Kamer (honours student Utrecht University)
Niels took the honours programme at the Department of Human Geography and Planning at Utrecht
University.
What were the main activities in your honours programme?
I took part in a project in the honours programme in which we could work on university research in
Economic Geography. The idea was to "look behind the scenes, but it also came possible to get
involved yourself in an investigation. That was already in the first year of my study and it was also
the first year of the honours programme. The research project was still in its early stages and the
researchers asked us to make an inventory of the areas that might be addressed. We did different
observations in Dutch neighborhoods. We also decided to create a database of pictures and have
done a so called ‘lost letter study (Stanley Milgram) on the street . The lost letter study gives an
indication of the social behavior of the residents. That idea came from ourselves. In such research you
"accidentally" leave a letter with address and stamp somewhere on the street, and you check
whether the letter afterwards has been done in the mailbox. In neighborhoods with lots of cohesion it
is expected that this relatively frequently happens. We did this in twelve towns and cities in the
Netherlands with four districts each. We have travelled to many cities before tin the country to visit
those neighborhoods. We also read preparatory literature on social cohesion and entrepreneurship
for the entire research project. I did this project as an Undergraduate Research Project (URP), along
with a fellow student, and supervised by a researcher. We have made an analysis of the collected
data and written a research report about it.
I have learned above all the setting up and conducting of an investigation. In the beginning we
thought: we are just going to do this. But if you're preparing it, you discovered, that a lot is involved.
You can leave letters only once. Doing research I find fun, but not to do that for months and years. I
myself am much more practical than the student with whom I worked. He was strong in theory and
analysis; I'm strong in the execution and creative contribution. These differences worked particularly
well in this project. URP gives a picture of how much freedom you can have or take in the honours
program. If you want to do something and you're excited about, you see that you can do a lot more
and you can make it your own project.
Synopsis of the book The Honours Experience, talent development through the eyes of honours students
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Did you do other projects?
Later in the second year. The biggest project I've done was also with (mostly) honours students. A
classmate came from the island of Texel and was approached by the municipality. They asked
whether students perhaps could make a vision and town plan. A project group of students was
gathered to create a structure for the village of Oudeschild, a project of choice for students in town
planning. This project was a ‘tailored module with a study load of 7½ EC, a freely convertible course.
within the programme. We wrote for the Department a proposal in response to the demand of the
municipality of Texel. We have done this project with four honours students and another student. We
were supervised by some teachers from the university; the municipality of Texel made suggested
counseling available. We had the freedom to shape this project ourselves. It took the form of a studio
as it was suggested in the programme on Town planning. There was no formal education, the
elaboration was left to us. We had a real customer who had to be satisfied. We listened to what the
inhabitants of the village wanted and to what they saw as the problem (a few weeks before a plan
for another village was completely rejected by the inhabitants). We talked to different parties, such
as Rijkswaterstaat (National Infrastructure). We have tried to bring people together with respect to
the question: "How do you see the future of the village?" You have to take into account that these
islanders are fairly self-willing people, who have their own opinion (rightly) about what should
happen on their island. We have presented the vision and plan for the structure of Oudeschild to the
inhabitants, the mayor and aldermen in the traditional village discussion. This presentation is
depicted in a cartoon from the newspaper, the Helderse Courant, October 3, 2008 (Figure 7.3).
Figure 7.3: At the request of the municipality students designed a new village plan for Oudeschild
(Noordhollands Dagblad - Helderse Courant, October 3, 2008, cartoon Frank Muntjewerf)
Notes to the cartoon: The students are pictured as toddlers. Over the shoulder the Mayor and
Aldermen look at the plans being developed. In the background two men with briefcases and dark
clouds above their heads walk away.
Where did you learn the most from?
Working with the various parties gave the best learning experience I've had in my studies. This was
Synopsis of the book The Honours Experience, talent development through the eyes of honours students
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important to us, especially if you want to be a professional town planner. In consultation with various
parties you have to make one plan with sufficient support. Then to submit again the plan to external
parties. That is what you do everywhere.
How was the cooperation within the team?
In the team we spoke regularly about the progress. Due to the fact that you're honours students, you
work efficiently together. You're at least every two or three weeks together in the honours program,
you know that you have confidence in each other. You have no doubt about free riders and the
motivation is high, everyone goes for it. Everyone in the group had its own interests and strengths:
cultural heritage, traffic and the like.
How was the progress of motivation and learning in the honours program?
In a graph (Figure 7.4) Niels outlines the progress of his motivation and learning results throughout
the honours programme includes peaks and valleys in a storyline. There are two peaks: the
Undergraduate Research Project and the Texel project.
Figure 7.4: The progress of the motivation Niels (black line) in the honours programme and the
progress of the learning results (red line) in the honours program
Have you had dips in your motivation for the honours program?
A dip was in the honours student research. It was a compulsory subject. We did the honours version.
We had to learn to do quantitative research. The problem was that it coincided with other time-
consuming courses, so I was very busy, but I felt little enthusiasm for quantitative research. There
was a delay in the research and I lost my motivation for it. Nevertheless, I finished it with a good
mark.
Will you draw the learning results in red in the graph?
A huge peak was at Texel project, I've learned a lot from. Despite a dip I have never considered
stopping the honours programme.
Can you further explain the progress of your motivation?
The graph shows a slightly declining trend for motivation during the honours programme. We started
with twenty students, freshmen Human Geography but also with some second and third year
students, and that was a close-knit group. You also worked with them in the regular program. In the
Synopsis of the book The Honours Experience, talent development through the eyes of honours students
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second and third honours year there were also students from other disciplines in the Department. An
interdisciplinary group is interesting but it was at the expense of the strength of the group and the
deepening of the level of content. Up to twenty students was a good size. Students from other studies
came occasionally too, but destroying the bond (my motivation was reduced to a large increase in
the group because of the success of the honours programme). In the final year some students came
occasionally to the meetings and then you wondered who it was. The very small size and solidity of
the group were of great added value.
Did you see the other honours students also in the regular programme?
Regularly. You know and see each other in the honours programme and therefore you do more
together. When making assignments you know that the other has just a little bit more motivation
than average, so you do also outside of the honours programme tasks together. Despite that I have
fortunately never had the impression that other students saw us as a kind of "elite club". We had
with other honours students fortnightly seminars of half a day a week with a variety of subjects to
which everyone contributed. This was organized by the honours students. In the meetings the
exchange of experiences every time was central. At the beginning of the year, a list of topics was
made: what skills you want to develop? Often we combined it with an activity, for example an
information day about Schiphol Airport and a debate on it. We invited guest speakers and gathered
information by ourselves.
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8a. Inspiring and creating
Anne Hess and Pierre van Eijl
"Especially in the brainstorming sessions I had to create an opportunity for myself. In addition, I was
also excited by the creativity of others." (Wilma Lagendijk, honours student Windesheim).
Figure 8a.1: Characteristics of a creative environment (Innosupport, 2014)
Figure 8a.2 Inspiring and creating
Synopsis of the book The Honours Experience, talent development through the eyes of honours students
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Key points
• The challenge and space in an honours programme are an incentive for creativity.
• Addressing 'real' problems for a customer is stimulating and inspiring.
• Creativity is one of the main features of a leading professional. Besides creativity, above average
commitment and above average abilities are needed for innovative professionals.
• Creative people often have a great curiosity and wide interest, and they are flexible in their
thinking; but their characters can vary considerably and there is no overall trait.
• It is better to gradually move towards a new solution than waiting for a creative idea falling from
the sky.
• You can help to achieve a creative environment by giving others the space and by encouraging
them in their creativity. In an honours community they will be more inclined to give you also creative
space.
• Keeping a new idea afloat requires personal strength.
Synopsis of the book The Honours Experience, talent development through the eyes of honours students
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8b. Innovating and fostering entrepreneurship
Milou van Dommelen, Vincent Gelink, Ninib Dibo and Pierre van Eijl
"An example of a creative and innovative activity was the feedback system on our own research; we
gave public presentations on the theme and the progress of our research. Part of the audience was
selected as "experts" from outside. It was intended that their feedback would help us into new ways".
(Joseph Simon, ArtEZ)
Figure 8b.1: Innovation by a multidisciplinary team of students
Figure 8b.2 Innovating and fostering entrepreneurship
Key points
• An innovation is more than a new idea, it is also a concrete realization.
Learning to develop a small innovation in an honours programme can be the start of a great
Synopsis of the book The Honours Experience, talent development through the eyes of honours students
38
innovation later in the field.
• Individual action and initiative are essential to achieve something new.
Entrepreneurship by yourself in your studies can be meaningful and even lead to a start-up.
• Important in entrepreneurship is opportunity recognition: recognizing opportunities and seizing
opportunities.
• Studying in an honours programme can contribute to the development of entrepreneurial
behaviour.
Synopsis of the book The Honours Experience, talent development through the eyes of honours students
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9a. Achieving excellent results
Jamila Schalken and Pierre van Eijl
"In retrospect, I think I've made an excellent performance. But when I was working, it was just a
challenge and really chasing my own passion. I think I could do this, because I've been busy with
what really are my interests, without noticing it I did a lot of activities that have been theoretically
transcending the bachelor's level." (Nory Lansing, honours student HU)
Figure 9a.1: Qualities of an excellent professional (HU Utrecht)
Figure 9a.2 Achieving excellent results
Synopsis of the book The Honours Experience, talent development through the eyes of honours students
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Key points
Drawing up by yourself the criteria for the end result of a project or task, independence and
personal focus on the final result will strengthen the outcomes.
Talent development also includes the ability to estimate the value of the results of their own work
without lapsing into self-overestimation or underestimation.
• Each student is unique and that means that the end results in an honours programme are diverse
in content, form and level.
• Deadlines and quality (high expectations by the teacher) give pressure but also an incentive to go
for quality.
Meeting challenges, adopting a proactive attitude, cooperating and communicating across
disciplines and borders are important in an honours programme; but they are also important for
everyone in their studies and subsequent professional live.
Synopsis of the book The Honours Experience, talent development through the eyes of honours students
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9b. Achieving personal development
Jamila Schalken, Albert Pilot, Pierre van Eijl and Milou van Dommelen
"I have the idea to have delivered an excellent performance, because it honours programme
demands a lot from you in terms of personal development. This is excellent because many peers do
not want or can do this. They are much more concerned with the step by step completing their
studies, while other honours students, and I myself think a lot more about the future and also know
better what I want later in my life. Honours students apply their academic career to this, most
regular students do this to a much lesser degree." (Floor Sijtsma, honours student Hanze).
Figure 9b.1: Facing a challenge gives personal development
Synopsis of the book The Honours Experience, talent development through the eyes of honours students
42
Figure 9b.2 Achieving personal development
Key points
• Many students experience personal development as a key output of their honours activities.
Doing something that is of real interest for you and that has also value for others, is an incentive to
develop yourself as a person.
• Personal development can be difficult if you have to see that your own behaviour and framing do
not influence others well.
• Honours programme are inspiring examples for teaching 21st century skills.
• "Crossing borders" of disciplines, countries and cultures means that you take steps from your
familiar way of doing things and that you open yourself to new ways. That can be the starting point
of a new development.
In an honours programme you can bring qualities in yourself to develop that you were not aware
of that you had.
• Focusing on talent development is not only trying to achieve excellence, but also showing
commitment to the organization in which you study and work and to the world around you.
Synopsis of the book The Honours Experience, talent development through the eyes of honours students
43
10. Continuing talent development in the growth mindset
Pierre van Eijl and Albert Pilot
"The honours programme has had great influence on my further study and work. I decided first
searching for more adventures, instead of immediately going to work. This involves an eye care
project The Optical Foundation, which I will do in Ghana for a minimum of six months. In
collaboration with the University of Cape Coast, I supervise groups of students to elementary schools
to screen children for eye diseases. The most important and probably the most difficult task is to
make the project locally self-sufficient to ensure sustainability. I find this very interesting because you
have also to understand the culture in Ghana before trying to achieve this." (Lise Schampaert,
honours student HU).
Figure 10.1: Continuous talent is like riding a bicycle: stay in balance and in motion
Figure 10.2 Continuing talent development in the growth mindset
Synopsis of the book The Honours Experience, talent development through the eyes of honours students
44
Key points
• Following an honours programme encourages you to further develop your talents after graduation.
• Challenges become more relevant to your talent development if they are inspiring in your
perception and you are experiencing these as meaningful.
• The will to proceed with talent development points to a growth mindset, including the ability to
collect mistakes, learn from them and develop yourself with tenacity.
• Development of a growth mindset can be about challenges in work and study, but also on how you
view yourself and others. Overcoming your insecurities is also part of the development of a growth
mindset.
You can exercise your brains like your muscles, but then with appealing and appropriate
challenges. Step by step they will develop your brains.
Synopsis of the book The Honours Experience, talent development through the eyes of honours students
45
11. Talent development for everyone
Pierre van Eijl and Albert Pilot
"Make a good start and do not let yourself down. Put your own vision on the table. One thing to
reach annually. Find the relevance, that gives you energy. Go working in a team; That is essential,
you can use your own strength and lean on the strength of others. I learn from other students."
(Pieter Jan Visser, honours student HvA).
Figure 11.1: Nuna8 solar vehicle invented by the student team from TU Delft: the NUON Solar Team
Tips for Teachers
In the interviews, the students also gave tips for their teachers, about what may be important for
them in teaching with a focus on talent development. Here are the main suggestions:
1. Create challenging situations and assignments for students who experience these from their
perspective as challenging. Relevance, authenticity and topicality besides feasibility are very
important.
2. Give students a large degree of freedom but pose deadlines and use high criteria for quality, for
example for (intermediate) products.
3 Students appreciate very much the individual coaching in their studies by a teacher who does not
prescribe, but enables them to make progress.
4. Teachers who form a community with each other (and their students) can have much benefit of it.
5. By making an educational framework or scenario in advance, you can prepare yourself well for
students who come up with new ideas and initiatives.
6. Be alert to students who disappear from sight, they may have ended up in a dip and drop out. A
conversation can then give the students the impetus to move forward again.
7. Select students for the honours programme on perseverance, motivation and potential for
growth, because those aspects are important for being able to follow a tough programme aimed at
Synopsis of the book The Honours Experience, talent development through the eyes of honours students
46
developing talent.
8. Encourage students to discuss issues and problems among themselves. Together, they have more
than everyone for himself.
9. Discuss a talent pathway with students who do not function properly.
10. Notice how you also promoted itself by the enthusiasm that radiate students.
11. Set the bar high but keep everyone as much as possible 'inboard'.
12. Perhaps most importantly, talk with your students beforehand, so you better know your target
audience!
The latter also helps if you are going to follow a course on ‘honours Teaching ', you will get a better
picture of a programme aimed at developing talent and how you can teach it. Conversations with
experienced honours teachers can be very valuable.
Trade-off from honours to regular programme
Students can in regular programmes, often unnoticed, experience something of the incentives for
talent development as in honours programmes. The honours programmes can function as a testing
ground for educational innovations in mainstream education (Wolfensberger, Van Eijl & Pilot, 2012).
Research (Allen et al, 2015) shows that the trade-off of honours programmes in the mainstream
education takes place in the form of parts of programmes or pedagogical innovations . Because
honours programmes are more flexible than regular programmes desired changes can be tested first
in honours programmes: for example, to strengthen the relationships with the work field or the
connections between teaching and research.
Honours students can provide a kind of snowball effect of excellence: For example when honours
students are divided consciously to work in mainstream programmes to encourage fellow students
by their knowledge and active attitude. The teachers of honours programmes often also act as
ambassadors for education innovation. However the condition is that these teachers remain active
in both honours and regular programmes. For the impact of honours programmes in the regular
programmes, the applicability of the honours approaches in mainstream programmes with larger
student numbers per teacher ( "up-scaling") and for the other characteristics and types of students
(‘matching’) is important. Also the accreditation and visitation protocols often have in regular
programmes a greater role than in the honours programmes.
Universal experience in talent
The stories of honours students about their honours programme are exciting, much can be learned
from it. These "heroes" tell their own personal experiences in detail. The circle of talent
development, the illustrative experiences and tips, all are extracted from these interviews and can
bring others on ideas. This can be useful in an honours programme but also in a different route of
(extra) talent development. Each student will thereby have to make his or her own choices, because
the talent development of every student is unique. Yet general aspects are also visible in that
process. They emerge in interview quotes below.
Central to recognize and to seize your opportunities are:
"Dont let yourself down and go for your dreams."
"Do not be scared. If you think you want to do something, just do it and then you will notice how far
you can go."
When you, as a student, genuinely decide to go for it' and accept a challenge that appeals to you,
Synopsis of the book The Honours Experience, talent development through the eyes of honours students
47
you will not only develop professionally but also get an impetus for the development of your
personal qualities. Almost all honours students mention some form of personal development in their
honours programme:
"It's about more than just 'challenge', it is also about your development as a person."
Even if you 'go for it', the process of talent development has its ups and downs. The identification of
a dip and getting out of a dip is a part of this process.
"Persevere and ‘go for it’! You can resist the pain.
A student who dropped out, thinking in retrospect, said: “Maybe I should have done it anyway, I
should not have given up so quickly."
Talent development takes place when working on challenges with a great degree of freedom.
Complex challenges require a deepening in content and background of the project:
"Go for the challenge. Surprise yourself and wonder about anything other than what you're used to;
absorb it and let it settle down, then the real learning starts!"
If the challenge that you accept means that you will work with a multidisciplinary group, you get the
problem of bridging the differences between disciplines (crossing borders). However difficult it
may seem, honours students mention to be very excited about it and say that they have come to
unique solutions to problems with multidisciplinary groups. A basic change in attitude is also
noticeable: they got an appreciation for what others contributed from their discipline:
"The genuine interest in each other's views was refreshing. I have made many new friends in the
honours programme and contacts gained outside the honours programme."
"I became more aware of views of other students in the programme. In my regular programme my
fellow students often agree with me. In the honours programme that was not the case, making that
you reflect more on your own beliefs and why you have these beliefs. "
The talent development is particularly evident in larger and longer projects of students. In the
interviews, students put a lot of emphasis on larger projects where a community of students and
teachers are working on. That community and the culture associated with it, these students find
essential to their honours experiences. Cooperation, communication and emotional support are
crucial in their experience:
"You should do it because you want it, because you're interested. Most things you dream about need
time and energy to develop and to flourish. Do not be stopped by thoughts such as, "What if ... But
..." and so on, but work step by step towards your goal. Not only to the final destination, but also
enjoying the path to the destination is important on your journey."
21st century skills
Accepting actual, relevant and complex challenges, cooperation with motivated fellow students and
a balanced coaching by teachers seem to be a good framework for the development of 21st century
skills. Honours students show in their attitude and performance what 21st century skills are and how
to acquire these skills. Honours programmes can be considered as a test bed for this educational
innovation.
“Enjoy your time in the honours programme, because it is soon gone by”
Synopsis of the book The Honours Experience, talent development through the eyes of honours students
48
References
Allen, J., Belfi, B., van der Velden, R.K.W., Jongbloed, B., Kolster, R., Westerheijden, D., van
Broekhoven, K., Leest, B., & Wolbers, M.H.J. (2015). Het beste uit studenten. Onderzoek naar de
werking van het Sirius Programma om excellentie in het hoger onderwijs te bevorderen. [The best of
students. Research on the effect of the Sirius Programme to foster excellence in Dutch higher
education]. Nijmegen: ITS/ROA/CHEPS. 185 p.
Campbell, J. (1949). The hero with a thousand faces. 1st edition, Bollingen Foundation, 1949. 2nd
edition, Princeton University Press. 3rd edition, New World Library, 2008.
Coppoolse, R., Wolfensberger, M.V.C., Eijl, P.J. van, Hermsen, L., Berge, J. ten & Kinkhorst, G. (2013).
Honours teaching. In: R. Coppoolse, P.J. van Eijl & A. Pilot (Red.), Hoogvliegers, ontwikkeling van
professionele excellentie. [Highflyers, Development towards Professional Excellence] Rotterdam:
Rotterdam University Press, p. 127 - 146. Synopsis in English at:
https://www.ris.uu.nl/admin/editor/dk/atira/pure/api/shared/model/base_uk/researchoutput/edit
or/contributiontoconferenceeditor.xhtml?id=21199699
Coppoolse, R. & Vroegindeweij, D. (2010). De niveaumeter. In: R. Coppoolse & D. Vroegindeweij, 75
modellen van het onderwijs. Noordhoff Uitgevers, Groningen/Houten, p. 145.
Innosupport (2014). How to enhance creativity using innovative and advanced level ICT tools?
Retrieved February 10, 2016:
http://www.innosupport.net/index.php?id=6038&tx_mmforum_pi1[action]=list_post&tx_mmforum
_pi1[tid]=4104
Peeters, T. (2014). Teaching fellow Ton Peeters bereidt studenten voor op onvoorspelbare
arbeidsmarkt (interview). DUB (Digitaal Universiteitsblad Universiteit Utrecht) 24 oktober 2014. See:
http://www.dub.uu.nl/artikel/achtergrond/teaching-fellow-ton-peeters-bereidt-studenten-voor-op-
onvoorspelbare.html
Wolfensberger, M.V.C., Eijl, P.J. van, & Pilot, A. (2012). Laboratories for Educational Innovation:
Honors Programs in the Netherlands. Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council 13, 2, 149-
170
Illustration credits: see the book: Eijl, P.J. van, & Pilot, A. (2016) The Honours Experience,
talentontwikkeling door de ogen van de honours student, Rotterdam: Hogeschool Rotterdam
Uitgeverij
... Perhaps they get ideas or change their frame of reference. In previous projects (van Eijl & Pilot, 2016;Coppoolse, van Eijl & Pilot, 2014), we encountered examples of transfer of good practices of teachers who had read a good practice in one of the publications and contacted the teachers involved. These contacts inspired them to use elements of that innovation in their newly designed honors program. ...
... In 2015-2016, van Eijl and Pilot (2016) did a project, 'The Honours Experience,' in which they interviewed forty honors students of different honors programs in The Netherlands about their learning experiences in their honors programs. They asked questions about what challenged them, about their ups and downs and how they had overcome their dips, what inspired them, and what their process of talent development involved. ...
... The results were published in a book that provides a common thread in their findings and the sections linking these to research literature on talent development. As a framework for the analysis of the student learning experiences, they used the Circle of Talent Development ( van Eijl & Pilot, 2016;van Eijl, Pilot, Gelink & Dibo, 2017) (Figure 1). ...
Article
Full-text available
Honors education offers students challenging experiences and teachers a laboratory for educational innovation. Successful innovations can stimulate other teachers to experiment and improve their educational practice. This requires that innovations become known to other teachers. For this reason, a project on good practices in honors education has been started in The Netherlands, where good practices in honors education of universities were described and published on a website of the Dutch Honors Network. Until now, 19 good practices are described, 17 from The Netherlands and two from the United States. Nine are selected for this issue. In this introductory paper, the good practice project and research about good practices are described. Different views and principles about honors education are discussed. A series of keywords to bridge the different views and the principles with the nine good practices published in this issue are presented. An analysis of the collected data of the good practices is carried out, followed by conclusions, discussions, and reflections. It appears that six good practices already led to innovations elsewhere in curricula.
... It appears important to develop skills for both coaching the individual students and for coaching the group process. Keeping in mind the different steps in the well-known 'The Hero's Journey' (Campbell, 1949;van Eijl & Pilot, 2016) gives a pretty good idea of what might happen during the semester and maybe gives a certain grip of personal and group dynamics. ...
Article
Full-text available
Book
Full-text available
Honoursprogramma’s bieden studenten, die meer uitdaging willen, extra mogelijkheden voor talentontwikkeling op hogescholen en universiteiten, bovenop het reguliere programma of als vervanging van delen daarvan. De vraag is hoe die talentontwikkeling verloopt. In een uniek project zijn veertig honoursstudenten van verschillende instellingen geïnterviewd over hun ervaringen met talentontwikkeling in een honoursprogramma: hun projecten, begeleiding, belevenissen, dips en tips. Op basis van een analyse van deze interviews is in tien stappen hun proces in een ‘cirkel van talentontwikkeling’ beschreven. Ook acht van hun docenten komen aan het woord. De volledige interviews staan op een website. Dit boek is bedoeld als inspiratiebron voor geïnteresseerden in talentontwikkeling. In het bijzonder voor (potentiële) honoursstudenten en honoursdocenten, maar ook voor ouders, reguliere studenten en docenten, en bestuurders, zodat zij inzicht krijgen in het proces van talentontwikkeling. Het biedt inspirerende verhalen van studenten over wat talent voor hen betekent en welke uitdagingen zij ervaren in het hoger onderwijs en hoe ze het aangepakt hebben. Uitdaging, community en grit, een combinatie van passie en doorzettingsvermogen, blijken daarbij belangrijk. Dit boek is geschreven door een groep honoursstudenten, met medewerking van onderzoekers en docenten van honoursonderwijs aan hogescholen en universiteiten, onder eindredactie van Pierre van Eijl en Albert Pilot (beiden verbonden aan de Universiteit Utrecht). “Honours is meer dan alleen ‘uitdaging’, het gaat ook om je ontwikkeling als persoon.” “Geniet van je tijd in het honoursprogramma, want het is zo voorbij.”
Article
Full-text available
In Dutch universities, honors programs are a fast growing development. The first such programs started in 1993. Twenty years later a large number of programs are implemented at nearly all research universities and also at many universities of applied sciences in the Netherlands. Recent data have revealed significant diversity in the types and structures of honors programs, many of which have functioned as laboratories of educational innovation within university- wide curricula and had positive spin-off effects on the regular curriculum and also on the transfer of talented students from secondary into higher education. Especially in the last decade, these spin-offs have had a strong influence on educational policy in the Netherlands at the primary and secondary as well as university levels.
Book
Full-text available
Together with its partners ITS and ROA, CHEPS carried out a study for the Ministry of Education looking at the impact of honours education in Dutch universities and universities of applied sciences. These programmes are targeting high ability students and often are of a more intense and demanding nature compared to regular programmes. What are the programmes on offer; which students are enrolling; and what are the effects in terms of learning outcomes and labour market opportunities? The report also looks at the costs and the benefits for the institution as a whole. Detailed information was collected from tests among students in eight case study institutions as well as from focus groups and interviews. The report is in Dutch.
How to enhance creativity using innovative and advanced level ICT tools?
  • Innosupport
Innosupport (2014). How to enhance creativity using innovative and advanced level ICT tools? Retrieved February 10, 2016: http://www.innosupport.net/index.php?id=6038&tx_mmforum_pi1[action]=list_post&tx_mmforum _pi1[tid]=4104
Hoogvliegers, ontwikkeling van professionele excellentie. [Highflyers, Development towards Professional Excellence Synopsis in English at: https://www.ris.uu
  • Honours
Honours teaching. In: R. Coppoolse, P.J. van Eijl & A. Pilot (Red.), Hoogvliegers, ontwikkeling van professionele excellentie. [Highflyers, Development towards Professional Excellence] Rotterdam: Rotterdam University Press, p. 127 -146. Synopsis in English at: https://www.ris.uu.nl/admin/editor/dk/atira/pure/api/shared/model/base_uk/researchoutput/edit or/contributiontoconferenceeditor.xhtml?id=21199699
Teaching fellow Ton Peeters bereidt studenten voor op onvoorspelbare arbeidsmarkt (interview)
  • T Peeters
Peeters, T. (2014). Teaching fellow Ton Peeters bereidt studenten voor op onvoorspelbare arbeidsmarkt (interview). DUB (Digitaal Universiteitsblad Universiteit Utrecht) 24 oktober 2014. See: http://www.dub.uu.nl/artikel/achtergrond/teaching-fellow-ton-peeters-bereidt-studenten-voor-oponvoorspelbare.html
75 modellen van het onderwijs. Noordhoff Uitgevers
  • R Coppoolse
  • D Vroegindeweij
Coppoolse, R. & Vroegindeweij, D. (2010). De niveaumeter. In: R. Coppoolse & D. Vroegindeweij, 75 modellen van het onderwijs. Noordhoff Uitgevers, Groningen/Houten, p. 145.