Capstone Courses

A.BouZeineddine

CAPSTONE COURSES

Amal Bou Zeineddine

Associate Director

CTL, AUB

The role of the capstone course is to draw learning together and to provide a single opportunity or experience during which a student demonstrates that he or she has accomplished or achieved the university and department's educational goals as represented by the various courses taken and the appropriate mission statements.

The capstone course integrates coursework, knowledge, skills and experiential learning to enable the student to demonstrate a broad mastery of learning across the curriculum for a promise of initial employability and further career advancement.

A capstone course could integrate learning from the courses in the major with the courses from the rest of the academic experience. It then requires the application of that learning to a project which serves as an instrument of evaluation. Such a capstone course fosters interdisciplinary partnerships among university departments and helps cultivate cooperation.

CAPSTONE COURSES: Assortment of practices

Below are examples of capstone experiences:

Service- and/or Community-based Learning

Thesis or Research Paper

Design or Demonstration Project

Experiment or Scientific Study

Portfolio Development

Case Studies or Selected Readings Related to the Discipline

Internships or Field-based Practicum Experiences

Comprehensive Essays or Exams

Assessment of Capstone Courses

Simulations and Team Projects

Portfolio Evaluations

Tests

Internships and Clinical Experiences

Specific Projects or Assignments

Rubrics

Using Multiple Approaches

What learning gains should capstone help students develop?

Thinking critically & analytically;

Speaking clearly;

Writing clearly and effectively;

Learning effectively on own;

Understanding of global issues;

Evaluating oral & written expression of others ;

Integrating ideas from a variety of disciplines;

Making decisions & judgments based on evidence;

Making ethical choices;

Developing intellectual curiosity;

Acquiring job – work related goals;

Examples of capstone assignments/activities:

Written documents: research report, thesis, proposal, case study, project report, reflective essay, review of the literature, resume, progress reports, informal writing (notes, lab notebook, observation log, informal analyses, academic journal, etc.)

Oral presentation(s)

Poster presentation(s)

Documentation of group work: peer review/feedback, group progress reports, evaluation of group members/group effectiveness

Internship supervisor’s evaluation/feedback on student performance

Interview (e.g., mock job interview, oral defense)

Meeting facilitation (e.g., students facilitate a community meeting)

Exam(s) (locally-developed, state, or national)

Best practice, involves analyzing student performance systematically for the evidence they provide about program quality in order to make curricular improvements.

A more elaborate approach involves applying an existing rubric, such as Primary Trait Analysis (Jervis and Hartley 2005), or a locally developed one (Cappell and Kamens 2002) to capstone products. This more systematic approach can provide useful insight into the strengths and weaknesses of the curriculum.

Structuring a Capstone Course

1. Define Program Learning Outcomes. These should ordinarily reflect a program’s expectations (cognitive, affective, psychomotor) from students upon graduating from the program.

1. Integrate program Learning Outcomes associated with other university-level programs. These learning outcomes are usually connected with general education and other university objectives.

1. Integrate program learning outcomes with capstone course learning outcomes.

1. Include faculty in the process. Faculty need to be part of the process to assure smooth facilitation of assessment plan. Avoid situations where it may appear that this is an administrative mandate.

1. Decide on how the course will be designed (modules, project, thesis, etc.),who will give the course (one faculty member, team teaching, one faculty in consultation with a committee etc.) and assessment procedures (one faculty, judging committee, team assessment, etc.)

1. Try to use direct methods of assessment as opposed to indirect assessment.

1. Implementation of capstone assessments requires

a good deal of coordination.

explicit linkage with student learning and program learning outcomes.

choice of which assessments to use which is up to the faculty.

that if more than one capstone section is taught during a given semester, agreement on the same assessment method(s) is an important consideration prior to conducting the assessment.

Guide: Senior Project Proposal

Overview

Background of client (Name, Location, Type of Business, etc.)

Current status of a problem, issue or concern that is to be addressed by the project.

Goal

The single most important goal or solution to the problem.

The client’s stated purpose for the project.

The reason why the client wants the project to be done and the expected outcome or solution desired.

Objective

Several independent items that the client has established as things to be addressed in meeting the project goal. That is, specifics that the project will do that, when accomplished, will affect the solution to the problem as stated above.

Pre-Production Strategies

Specific elements or approaches to the project that, when completed, will achieve each of the above objectives and in turn effect the solution to the problem.

The areas addressed here are planning, data gathering, and project design necessary to begin production.

Production Activities

Detailed list of all of the production planning and activities that must be done in order to complete each objective (and therefore meet the client’s goal for the project).

Evaluation

Planned activities to be undertaken to determine the appropriateness and success of the project. These often will be long term plans that cannot be completed in the time frame of the course.

In that case, identity specific evaluation plans for the short term--to evaluate the effectiveness of the project production and the suitability of the strategies.

Guide: The Research Plan

Subject

A written statement describing the client’s problem in its simplest terms.

What is the problem to be addressed by the project? Who is it for (audience)? What is its goal or purpose?

Area of Study

Generally refers to the student’s concentration or area of study in the major.

This provides the focus or angle to the project and sets the tone for the research.

Topic

Drawn from the above two items, this is a statement that specifically indicates the areas of literature to be investigated.

Functionally, the topic is narrowed at this stage.

Research Question

A question which integrates the above information and the goal of the research.

What one expects to learn from the research study.

The question sets a theme for the research that helps the student focus only on key elements related directly to the problem.

Research Components

A prioritized listing of 3-5 key elements, drawn from the research question that must be researched for a complete inquiry.

They include: discipline related material, project management and design literature, specific production materials, and project distribution/implementation literature including planned evaluation.

Thesis

An integrated statement which indicates the specific nature and direction of the research. The statement cites the problem and the key areas of research which will lead to the conceptual design and production of the project.

The ten outcomes listed by the Michigan Professional Preparation Network Reportare:

1. Communication competence is the ability to read, write, speak, and listen and to use these processes effectively to acquire, develop, and convey ideas and information.

2. Critical thinking is the ability to examine issues rationally, logically, and coherently.

3. Contextual competence is an understanding of the societal context or environment in which one is living and working.

4. Aesthetic sensibility is an enhanced aesthetic awareness of arts and human behavior for both personal enrichment and application in the enhancement of work.

5. Professional identity is a concern for improving the knowledge, skills, and values of the profession.

6. Professional ethics is an understanding of the ethics of a profession as standards that guide professional behavior.

7. Adaptive competence is anticipating, adapting to, and promoting changes important to a profession’s societal purpose and the professional’s role.

8. Leadership capacity is exhibiting the capacity to contribute as a productive member of the profession and assuming appropriate leadership roles.

9. Scholarly concern for improvement is recognizing the need to increase knowledge and to advance the profession through boththeoretical and applied research.

10. Motivation of continued learning is exploring and expanding personal, civic, and professional knowledge and skills through a lifetime. (Blanchard & Christ, 1993, p.15-16).

Computer Science: Portfolio

Computer Science: Kristen Gates, Web Site Design and Management.
Service Component: Students design and build fully functioning websites for a Bay Area non- profit organizations.
Portfolio assignment: Students complete a Project Book which includes notes, flowcharts, storyboards, design docs, etc. for Individual and Team projects. These Individual and Team projects include individual web design assignments and a Team Project Report on producing the website.

Different Types of Capstone Courses

Discipline-and department-based courses. The overriding goal of discipline-and department-based courses is to summarize learning within the academic major. These types of classes are also likely to make connections between the academic learning and the professional world. Some institutions use these courses as a means to encourage seniors to pursue postgraduate study.Discipline-and department-based courses . The overriding goal of discipline-and department-based courses is to summarize learning within the academic major. These types of classes are also likely to make connections between the academic learning and the professional world. Some institutions use these courses as a means to encourage seniors to pursue postgraduate study.

Faculty members within the academic discipline typically teach these courses at the conclusion of the students' academic careers. The classes are taught either by a single faculty member or team-taught by faculty members or staff; three hours of semester credit are normally offered for a letter grade. As this type of class is normally offered as the final "piece" of a student's academic major, credit for these classes is typically a requirement of the major. Topics for discipline and department-based courses vary by the academic major; but include issues that are relevant to the professions related to that major. These courses often use a major project and or presentation as a means for communicating and summarizing the student's academic learning.

Interdisciplinary courses . Interdisciplinary courses, representing a smaller percentage of senior seminars and capstones, offer students an opportunity to synthesize general education, major classes, and co-curricular learning. These courses are more likely to be found at private institutions, taught by a single faculty member. Letter grades are prevalent, and students receive three to four semester hours of credit for completing these courses. Credit for interdisciplinary senior seminars and capstone courses is applied most often as a major requirement, core requirement, or a general education requirement. Presentations and major projects are most often employed as instructional components in these courses. Topics are broad, often involving philosophical issues such as ethics. These courses tend to stress the inter-relatedness of different academic majors and their role within society.

Transition courses . Transition courses, the third most prevalent type of senior seminars and capstones, focus on preparation for work, graduate school, and life after college. Faculty or career-center professionals most often teach these courses, which typically award a letter grade, although they are less likely to do so than discipline-and department-based courses and interdisciplinary courses. These classes generally earn the participating students one semester of credit.

Topics for transition courses mainly consist of students' transition issues, and students enrolled in them are likely to engage in job search and life transition planning. Discussions center around self-assessment, financial planning, the job search and the first year on the job, relationships, and diversity. Presentations weigh heavily in evaluation of performance in these courses, but rather than major projects, students often develop a portfolio or use the career center.

Career-planning courses . Career-planning courses assist students as they engage in pre-professional development. In some cases career planning is the only goal of these courses. In the 1999 First National Survey of Senior Seminars and Capstone Courses, these courses were the least frequently reported major type. Career planning courses are likely to be taught by career-center professionals, but in some cases academic faculty might teach them. Although students typically receive grades for these courses, they are less likely to receive as many credit hours as students enrolled in other types of senior seminars or capstone courses. The classroom experience in these courses is evaluated most often by the creation of a portfolio, followed by a major project and a presentation. Classroom topics for career-planning courses include current trends in the field, procedures for liensure and job seeking, students' roles in the workplace, and development of a résumé, cover letter, and portfolio.

Sample Assessment Activities for a capstone course: CMPS 229

Assessment Criteria / Assessment Tool / Percentage
Project thesis/concept / Checklist
Project plan / Checklist
Identifying resources / Checklist
Review of Literature / Rubric
Project Design / Rubric
Producing working software and documentation / Rubric
Solving real life problems in the field / Assignments/tests/quizzes
Oral Presentation / Rubric
Teamwork / peer + supervisor’s evaluation  Rubric
Reflection Papers / supervisor’s rating scale
Portfolio / Rubric
Attendance / attendance rate
Student’s Final Grade

More on assessment of Capstone Courses in handout titled:Assessment of Capstone Courses: Sample, case of Bridgewater State University

Rubrics in Capstone Courses

Capstone Checklist

The program has:

1. Identified the relevant program SLOs that will be assessed using the capstone experience.
2. Identified lines of evidence and routinely collect that evidence
3. Developed explicit evaluation criteria (e.g., rubrics)
4. Identified examples of student performance at varying levels of mastery for each outcome.
5. Pilot tested and refined evaluation criteria (e.g., rubrics). Used feedback from external reviewers to improve the assessment process; used external benchmarking data.
6. Informed students of the evaluation criteria.
7. Calibrated those who apply the evaluation criteria and routinely check inter-rater reliability.
8. Informed students of the purpose and outcomes of the capstone and students embrace the capstone experience.
9. Made information about the capstone readily available.

FOOTNOTE #1. Sources
“Toward a Model for Capstone Experiences: Mountaintops, Magnets, and Mandates” by C.J. Rowles, D.C. Koch, S.P. Hundley, & S.J. Hamilton. Assessment Update, Jan/Feb 2004, 16(1) [Available online via E-Resources, Hamilton Library.]
“Capstone Experiences and Their Uses in Learning and Assessment,” workshop by S.P. Hundley, Assessment Institute (sponsored by IUPUI), October 2008. updated 01/28/2013

Oral Presentation Example Rubric

Outcome: Students will graduate with the ability to give professional presentations.
Work Product: Oral presentation

Outcome/Skills / Advanced / Developing / Emerging
Idea development, use of language, and the organization of ideas are effectively used to achieve a purpose. / A. Ideas are clearly organized, developed, and supported to achieve a purpose; the purpose is clear.
B. The introduction gets the attention of the audience.
C. Main points are clear and organized effectively.
D. Supporting material is original, logical, and relevant (facts, examples, etc.).
E. Smooth transitions are used.
F. The conclusion is satisfying.
G. Language choices are vivid and precise.
H. Material is developed for an oral rather than a written presentation. / A. The main idea is evident, but the organizational structure may need to be strengthened; ideas may not always flow smoothly.
B. The introduction may not be well-developed.
C. Main points are not always clear.
D. Supporting material may lack in originality or adequate development.
E. Transitions may be awkward.
F. The conclusion may need additional development.
G. Language is appropriate, but word choices are not particularly vivid or precise. / A. Idea “seeds” have not yet germinated; ideas may not be focused or developed; the main purpose is not clear.
B. The introduction is undeveloped or irrelevant.
C. Main points are difficult to identify.
D. Inaccurate, generalized, or inappropriate supporting material may be used.
E. Transitions may be needed.
F. The conclusion is abrupt or limited.
G. Language choices may be limited, peppered with slang or jargon, too complex, or too dull.
The nonverbal message supports and is consistent with the verbal message. / A. The delivery is natural,
confident, and enhances
the message — posture,
eye contact, smooth gestures, facial expressions, volume, pace, etc. indicate confidence, a commitment to the topic, and a willingness to communicate.
B. The vocal tone, delivery
style, and clothing are consistent with the message.
C. Limited filler words (“ums”) are used.
D. Clear articulation and pronunciation are used. / A. The delivery generally seems effective—however, effective use of volume, eye contact, vocal control, etc. may not be consistent; some hesitancy may be observed.
B. Vocal tone, facial expressions, clothing and other nonverbal expressions do not detract significantly from the message.
C. Filler words are not distracting.
D. Generally, articulation and pronunciation are clear. / A. The delivery detracts from the message; eye contact may be very limited; the presenter may tend to look at the floor, mumble, speak inaudibly, fidget, or read most or all of the speech; gestures and movements may be jerky or excessive.
B. The delivery may appear inconsistent with the message.
C. Filler words (“ums,”) are used excessively.
D. Articulation and pronunciation tend to be sloppy.
Idea development, use of language, and the organization of ideas for a specific audience, setting, and occasion are appropriate. / A. Language is familiar to the audience, appropriate for the setting, and free of bias; the presenter may “code-switch” (use a different language form) when appropriate.
B. Topic selection and examples are interesting and relevant for the audience and occasion.
C. Delivery style and clothing choices suggest an awareness of expectations and norms. / A. Language used is not disrespectful or offensive.
B. Topic selection and examples are not inappropriate for the audience, occasion, or setting; some effort to make the material relevant to audience interests, the occasion, or setting is evident.
C. The delivery style, tone of voice, and clothing choices do not seem out-of-place or disrespectful to the audience. / A. Language is questionable or inappropriate for a particular audience, occasion, or setting. Some biased or unclear language may be used.
B. Topic selection does not relate to audience needs and interests.
C. The delivery style may not match the particular audience or occasion—the presenter’s tone of voice or other mannerisms may create alienation from the audience; clothing choices may also convey disrespect for the audience.

Rubric is a modification of one presented by: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. (1998). Oral presentation rubric. Retrieved October 23, 2008 from