Innovative, Interdisciplinary Learning at the Honours College

In a recent research article in the Journal of Geography in Higher Education, Professor Bettina van Hoven, an Honours College lecturer and cultural geographer at University College Groningen and the Faculty of Spatial Sciences, discusses the role of emotion and affect in teaching and learning through her project “Break Out” / “Show Yourself.” The project began in 2015 as a “deepening module” within the Honours Programme, designed to give honours students deeper insight into Social Geography and Planning, with a focus on disability, inclusion, and accessibility in urban spaces.

Working with people with multiple physical impairments, students were challenged to rethink concepts of disability and inclusion, not as abstract policy, but as a lived, emotional experience. The project brought together Honours College students, art students from Minerva, and clients from Noorderbrug, a care organization that supports people with complex physical impairments.

Students were encouraged to go beyond traditional classroom learning by navigating communication barriers, respecting personal boundaries, and engaging with emotional complexity. Using participatory and creative methods such as photography, visual storytelling, and deep mapping, they had the opportunity to explore real-world issues of disability, inclusion, and accessibility in public spaces.

The project later became an interdisciplinary research elective, bringing together students from diverse academic backgrounds to engage with complex social themes through participatory and creative approaches. According to Professor van Hoven, the Honours College’s interdisciplinary model and academic freedom made this work possible. Students gained hands-on experience in co-creation, learned to navigate disciplinary differences, and developed a more inclusive understanding of urban life—skills they say will stay with them in both their professional and personal lives.

This project further highlights the Honours College’s ongoing commitment to fostering innovative, interdisciplinary learning that supports both the academic and personal development of its students, while also fostering a learning environment grounded in academic freedom and cross-disciplinary collaboration among both lecturers and students.