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Research, Reflection, and Wrestling

Learning to explore truly great questions in HONRS 320

Article by Aspen Wooley

Why is it that art has the power to move, bind, and transform us? Why do some people risk their own safety for the wellbeing of others? Why do we connect with some colors and not others? Is charity truly free? These, among many others, are among the questions that students in HONRS 320 are exploring this semester. As the culminating interdisciplinary course of the Honors Program, the Great Question Essay tutorial provides the opportunity for students to ask meaningful questions and understand the world around them, all through a broad, interdisciplinary approach. Wondering what to expect? We talked to instructors, TAs and student this semester to learn more.

The Course & Its Instructors

The Great Question Essay is a chance for students to explore a significant question they just can’t stop thinking about. HONRS 320 provides the perfect arena for developing a question, applying an interdisciplinary research approach, and developing as a writer. Students formulate a question and spend the semester researching and writing a substantial, creative nonfiction essay that explores the question through at least three disciplines from empirical, behavioral, and interpretive approaches. Students also bring their own personal experience and reflection to the writing process, along with a lot of input from peers, TAs, and instructors. The opportunity to look outside their own academic focus is valuable for each student as they gain insight and perspective through different lenses.

This semester Liz Busby and Teresa Fairbanks are teaching the class. Both BYU Honors alumni themselves, they bring extensive experience writing and investigating the world around them to their classrooms. Liz studied English and Chemistry at BYU and loves putting different disciplines together, so this is the perfect job for her. Teresa double majored in Music and Biophysics, so she too is also very familiar with an interdisciplinary education. She noted, “This is built for how my brain thinks!” The class is set up in a tutorial, hands-on format, with Teresa and Liz acting as discussion leaders instead of traditional lecturing professors.

As students begin a new semester in HONRS 320, they are given the opportunity to learn and read about past questions and essays. They begin to formulate and research their own question next, shifting from observing to writing. Halfway through the semester the rough drafts are due, and their peers and instructors provide feedback. This process is one of growth and discovery, and by the end of the semester, students have produced meaningful written work. “Their questions evolve over time. Be a person who is really trying to learn, and you will be wondering about these things,” Liz explained.

Some students, whose chosen majors are in quantitative fields like math or science, do not often have the opportunity to write in this way. Many come into this class believing they are not necessarily skilled writers, but Liz and Teresa would say otherwise. They reflected on the joy they feel in seeing these students be successful in writing.

In Liz’s words, students explore “questions people have been trying to answer since the beginning of history…very deep human questions that we all want a chance to answer. It’s a chance to really take some time to think about a question that is really meaningful to you.” Students gain a deeper perspective as they uncover what matters to them, even if their question is never answered.

The Students

Eve Lewis, a current HONRS 320 student, is studying Public Health with an emphasis in Epidemiology. Her question is “What is the emotional appeal of art, and why does it have the power to move, bind, and transform us even when words fail?” This question applies to her interests in music, mixing disciplines with evolutionary biology and philosophy.

She talked about the process of choosing a question, approaching it with the topic of music in mind. She adds that it is an evolving question, one that changes as she confronts her assumptions. “The most difficult part of this process has been integrating information across disciplines,” she shared, “It requires an additional level of commitment and understanding of my topic.” By researching and developing her essay, Eve has been able to explore new ideas and broaden her knowledge. This stretching process has “broken down walls that were keeping me from reaching my writing potential,” she explained.

Other students, like Eli Nelson, who is studying Strategic Management, pulled questions from career goals and life experience. Eli’s question is “Where does the protector’s instinct come from? Why do some people choose to risk their own safety for the wellbeing of others?” Although he is a business student, he is pursuing a career in law enforcement. About his path he said, “I feel very personally invested in it…I’ve decided on this career because the intrinsic pull is so strong. I want to understand where that comes from.”

Christian Pearson, whose question is “Why do humans identify so much with color?” shared, “There are certain answers afforded by the fields that I'm investigating: physics of light, psychology of self, and art history, but on the whole, I think the best great questions don't necessarily have simple answers.”

The Great Questions

Other questions students are diving into this semester include:

  • Why do we gather?
  • What does our treatment of the environment say about our humanity?
  • What are our moral obligations in regard to anger?
  • Is charity truly free?
  • What should our relationship be with technology?

Many Great Questions Essays have been published in journals and elsewhere, creating a lasting impact. Past essays provide wonderful examples of just what students are capable of writing in a single semester, and you don’t have to wait to take HONRS 320 to read some of these essays! Some essays written by former Honors students are available on the Honors website here.

The Impact

Seeking answers to questions does not end when the class is over. “We’re all going to have times where we’re wrestling with big questions and students are learning how to use reflection and research to answer those big questions,” Teresa shared. Students are learning how to apply this experience for the rest of their lives. HONRS 320 and the Great Questions Essay are simply the beginning.