The latter half covers using capstones for program assessment . The capstone experience is a culminating set of experiences that “captivate, encapsulate, synthesize, and demonstrate learning.” [1] The capstone should be a culminating set of personal, academic, and professional experiences.
However, there is no single good “design” for capstone courses or experiences. The best design for a capstone is that which is informed by the content, practices, and values of the major that it is “capping”. Some of the one-quarter “shapes” capstones can take include:
The following are assessed through the Capstone Experience: creative thinking, critical thinking, information literacy, and written communication. (Quantitative reasoning and oral communication are assessed in general education designated courses.)
It also includes overarching major questions and subquestions to be answered. The major question should reflect the results of this entire endeavor and drive your subquestions, culminating in a strategic plan to answer your question or solve a problem. Question 10: Do I have to present my Capstone project?
A capstone assessment tests a student's central knowledge and skills. This ensures they are in line with the intended outcomes of a study program.
How will my Capstone be graded? As a graduation requirement, Capstones require A-F letter grades. Capstones will be graded by the faculty member overseeing the Capstone. Each instructor will inform students of the grading procedure for that particular Capstone.
The capstone requirement can only be fulfilled in one of the last three semesters before graduation, after the first half of junior year. Only a 4000-level HSOC (or STSC) course or independent study (HSOC 4999) taken in the last three semesters before graduation fulfills the Capstone requirement.
The signed Capstone rubric indicates to the Program that all requirements have been met. Evaluation of Capstone Using this Rubric: • The Primary Advisor is responsible for reading and evaluating the student's final Capstone paper using this rubric.
If you have failed your capstone course, or a combination of a comprehensive exam and a capstone course attempt, you are no longer eligible for degree conferral. Upon request, an official letter will be provided confirming your GPA and semester hours completed toward the degree.
With a combination of multiple choice and essay questions, a capstone test is usually delivered in an online format.Begin at the Beginning. ... Take Effective Notes. ... Review the Textbook Material. ... Consider the Material Covered in a Capstone Test. ... Form a Study Group. ... Create Study Flashcards.More items...•
Requirement analysis is a software engineering task that bridges the gap between system level requirements engineering and software design.
Capstone projects are generally designed to encourage students to think critically, solve challenging problems, and develop skills such as oral communication, public speaking, research skills, media literacy, teamwork, planning, self-sufficiency, or goal setting—i.e., skills that will help prepare them for college, ...
A Capstone Project Proposal should contain the following: 1) Introduction – Explains the interest in the topic and situates the project in a scholarly and/or practical context. 2) Goals and Process – Describes the goals and purpose of the project.
Assessment through capstone experiences allows the institution to evaluate the learning outcomes of transfer students, who may not have experienced Adelphi’s general education curriculum.
The capstone assessment process is as follows: Capstone instructors are asked to identify those learning goals that should be evident in an assessment of the capstone products produced by students in their course.
Benefits of using the capstone experience include: Assessment is focused on the upper-division level, thereby evaluating learning outcomes at an optimal time for students to demonstrate their best work. Assessment through capstone experiences allows the institution to evaluate the learning outcomes of transfer students, ...
The required inclusion of at least two of the University’s undergraduate learning goals in each capstone experience product allows for flexibility. Although faculty are asked to include two of the six undergraduate learning goals (a reduction from the original request of four out of six) does not imply that it is the responsibility of the instructor of the Capstone Experience to teach students all they need to know regarding those two learning goals. No single instructor in any single course (or any single department) could or should do that; the responsibility for general education is collective and outcomes are necessarily cumulative.
Departments may use capstone experiences, therefore, to provide program assessment information in addition to general education assessment . Departments may tailor capstone experiences to suit their unique needs or student learning goals .
Capstone Assessment Day is an annual half-day evaluation session in which faculty representatives from each of the Schools/Colleges assess between eight and ten capstone products. Using learning outcome rubrics, each capstone product is evaluated, separately, by two faculty members. OARAA provides electronic copies of the capstone products, the syllabi/guidelines/assignments associated with each product, and the rubrics used to assess them.
Learning-centered assessment is the direct measurement of specific learning outcomes. In April 2005 at an annual faculty assessment forum, and based upon the recommendations of the University Assessment Committee, Adelphi faculty expressed its preference in using the capstone experience as a means of assessing the University’s undergraduate learning goals. The capstone products that are derived from Capstone Experiences are used to evaluate the relative success of student learning vis-à-vis the University’s undergraduate learning goals. This assessment of Adelphi’s undergraduate learning goals is designed to highlight strengths and weaknesses of general education, not individual instructors, individual courses, individual departments, or individual students. It is also meant to underscore the faculty’s collective responsibility for general education. Benefits of using the capstone experience include:
When using a capstone experience for program assessment, the standard assessment loop is followed: establish outcomes, create learning opportunities, undertake an assessment process, interpret assessment results, and create and implement an action plan for improvement.
In a capstone course, students synthesize, integrate, and/or apply their previous knowledge, rather than acquire new knowledge or skills. Students demonstrate mastery, not learn new knowledge/skills. A capstone should occur near the end of the program.
Discussion, reflection, and/or demonstration of general education and/or institutional outcomes should be evident in the capstone. [Note: some general education outcomes may not be relevant, but a capstone experience can likely address these general education outcomes: effective written and oral communication, ethical decision making, information accessing and information processing, problem solving, inquiry and analysis methods.]
Programs use assessment results to guide program decision making and improve their effectiveness. By periodically discussing assessment results and procedures, faculty can plan and implement improvements to the capstone experience. The focus should be on the program and the learning opportunities (e.g., activities throughout the program, all required courses, etc.), not on individuals.
An interdisciplinary course with a minimum of two distinctly different disciplines represented. An out-of-class/co-curricular experience. A service- and/ or community-based learning experience.
The course instructor can assist the students in preparing evidence for evaluation. Take a (random) sample of students and evaluate their work for the purposes of program assessment . Use a rubric to evaluate qualitative materials such as written reports, short-answer exam questions, oral presentations, etc.
Mountaintop. Students from two or more disciplines (or specializations) engage in interdisciplinary inquiry. For example: Geography majors and Biology majors enroll in their major’s capstone courses and are paired with a student from the other discipline. Each GEOG-BIOL pair of students completes an interdisciplinary project such as a project that uses geographic information systems (GIS) to monitor fish migration patterns or habitat changes.
Capstone courses: Capstone courses provide an opportunity to measure student learning, because this is where students are most likely to exhibit their cumulative understanding and competence in the discipline. One of the purposes of capstone courses is to provide an opportunity for students to “put it together,” which typically requires students to integrate the knowledge, skills and abilities found in the program’s learning outcomes.
A faculty member may develop the idea that the capstone course or project should only involve him or her.
NAU’s undergraduate capstone requirement, and comprehensive exams or theses/dissertations in graduate programs, are designed to provide a culminating experience within the degree, wherein students inquire, synthesize, apply, or work in ways that prepare them for a productive future; or demonstrate the breadth and depth of their learning through comps and theses . Since the capstone is a culminating experience that is meant to ensure students demonstrate the ability to synthesize and integrate knowledge and experiences of learning throughout their program, it’s very likely that most, if not all, learning outcomes for the degree program are incorporated into the capstone course. But, you can only use the capstone as a key place to collect outcome measures if:
Review the syllabus to determine what, if any, assignments would address the learning outcome. Since the syllabus (based on the syllabus policy) must address the learning outcomes identified in the curriculum map , and be consistent across class sections, the syllabus should provide you with the information you need to determine whether the course’s current design will suffice for incorporating assessment practices.
The second step is to use the curriculum map to identify the course or experience within which you will conduct the (or an additional) assessment (s). The curriculum map makes it possible to identify where, within the current curriculum, your program’s learning outcomes are addressed. If you need to use the map to identify a course or experience within which you will conduct the assessment, simply:
Assessment data can offer useful insight into department and program effectiveness when carefully analyzed and interpreted in the context in which it was collected – for overall program improvement. Data are misleading, and even threatening, when they are used for purposes other than originally intended and agreed upon. For example, data from assessment of student performance in a capstone course should be used to identify areas of strengths and weaknesses in student learning across the student’s entire experience in the major. In this way, these data guide curricular modifications and departmental pedagogical strategies. These data should not be used to evaluate the performance of the capstone course instructor.
The most promising course to review for use in assessment is the capstone course for undergraduate programs, or, if you are assessing a graduate program, we would recommend starting by reviewing the comprehensive exams and/or thesis/dissertation.
The best design for a capstone is that which is informed by the content, practices, and values of the major that it is “capping”. Some of the one-quarter “shapes” capstones can take include: Course Model. Similar to the task force model (below), students enroll in a class that focuses on an issue in the field.
When planning a capstone experience, take care to: 1 Invite and use broad faculty participation in the design of the capstone. 2 Be clear to faculty and to students about the learning goals that students will be expected to demonstrate; these goals should be identical, or nearly so, to departmental goals for majors. 3 Require the capstone as part of the degree program. 4 Ensure that students get meaningful feedback on capstone projects. 5 Take the time to engage faculty leading capstones in a conversation with or without course documents/products on what they noticed were particular strengths and gaps in the students’ performance. Record what faculty identify as strengths and weaknesses in students’ performances. Then use that information to revise the curriculum. This step is essential for assessment of student learning in the major to be used to help faculty assess the major, itself.
Capstone experiences are useful for three reasons: They allow students to bring together the learning in the major and demonstrate that they have met the departmental learning goals. This gives students a chance to know what they know and to understand their own growth over time in their chosen fields.
400-level Spread. Faculty agree that all senior-level courses will ask students to complete 1-3 tasks that are similar in their level of cognitive demands. For example, faculty might agree that in these courses, students must lead a discussion, participate actively in threaded discussions online, and write an advanced research paper in the field. All courses at the senior level thus function as a kind of capstone experience. The role of the faculty is to guide and evaluate students, assess learning against the goals of the major, and coordinate with other senior-level faculty.
Course Model. Similar to the task force model (below), students enroll in a class that focuses on an issue in the field. The course is designed to ask students to demonstrate the learning goals for the major and is pitched high to stretch students to the next level. In this version, all students study the same area or work on the same problem, and they usually produce papers or create projects around the issue under study. The faculty’s role is to teach the course and evaluate students’ work.
Answer: Your Capstone project involves equal parts writing and research, but depends largely on the kind of project you choose. The three most common types of projects are considered traditional, creative and applied. For some degree programs, a Capstone may require a project and subsequent presentation; for others, it may include an assessment to test interdisciplinary skills. It may also involve a final research paper exploring a topic of interest, emerging from your individualized program of study. Your interests, academic field and area of study will influence the type of project you select and the direction you choose to go in.
Answer: Your Capstone project consists of six modules including study assignments, discussion assignments and written activities. Study assignments consist primarily of readings in the course textbook (s) and in course documents and supplemental research. It also includes overarching major questions and subquestions to be answered. The major question should reflect the results of this entire endeavor and drive your subquestions, culminating in a strategic plan to answer your question or solve a problem.
Answer: Select a topic you feel passionate about, something that has meaning to you either personally or professionally. You may also benefit from choosing one relevant to your work environment/field of experience. This will give you extra backup to be able to interpret and answer your research questions as well as use this project as part of your professional portfolio.
Answer: If you have 9 credits or less remaining for graduation, have completed any research courses required in your area of study as well as your composition requirement. So if you still have 30 credits to complete, or haven’t finished the composition requirement, wait to register for the course.
Why? Because you will have a great deal of latitude over the direction and development of your project. Your mentor will serve as a facilitator, who will direct you toward your goal. At the end of the day, your project will allow you to follow your passion and create something that will add to the body of knowledge in your chosen field. All while exploring and applying your knowledge to something new.
Many students get confused when it comes to the Capstone. Is it a research paper? Not exactly; it is much more than that. Although you are the researcher, the Capstone goes beyond the mere collection of information. Instead, you will demonstrate the skills learned in your undergraduate studies to solve a problem based upon certain assumptions related to your topic. That means you will conduct your own field research and collect primary source data to create a scholarly, academic project that supports an argumentative thesis statement or major question with new work and ideas.
Answer: Yes, however, you must meet the requirements of your Capstone project set forth by your mentor. For example, one student, knowledgeable in the Bible, used specific Bible passages (his primary sources) to allow him to prepare a series of sermons (his product).