Capstone Courses/Experiences

Capstone Courses/Experiences

Jeffrey R. Pribyl College of Science Engineering and Technology

The capstone experience or course is usually designed to allow students to demonstrate their integration of their knowledge and skills. There is usually a project, product of performance linked to this experience or course that demonstrates comprehensive learning. This product or project may take the form of a portfolio, a written report, a research paper, or a case study. Performances may take the form of an instrumental or vocal recital, readings of original prose or a gallery art exhibit. As varied as the experience is, so is the assessment of the capstone experience or course. One important item for the assessment of the capstone experience is that it must be well thought out and the criteria must be established and distributed before the process is started.

ADVANTAGES OF CAPSTONE COURSES/EXPERIENCES

• Demonstrates Comprehensive Learning: Knowledge and skills from a variety of courses can be synthesized into one product, project or performance.
• Use of External Assessment: Some programs utilize external or community experts for assessment.
• Provides Focus Point: Usually a senior requirement, the experience or course may be referred to during the entire curriculum. In some programs, preceding courses point and make continuous reference to the experience or course.
• Student Involvement: Students, either individually or in groups are responsible for the creation of the product, process or performance.
• Show Case: The project, product or performance will show case the students, faculty and program. Not only will the projects, products and performances allow for good assessment of the program, if utilized appropriately, these can be used to recruit and retain students into the program. Some departments can use these capstone experiences and courses to secure funding for future work.

DISADVANTAGES OF CAPSTONE COURSES/EXPERIENCES

• Time Consuming: Students need time to develop the product, project or performance. This will require substantially more time than is usually regulated to a normal course. In some cases, students need to balance courses and capstone experience at the same time.
• Transfer Students: If the capstone experience or capstone course is reinforced throughout the entire curriculum, transfer students will need help coming up to speed with the rest of the students. A handout or web page would be useful for these students.
• Faculty Time: Capstone experiences and course are time intensive for all faculty in the program. Faculty must be available for mentoring, directing, and helping students with the project, product or performance. This will take the commitment of the entire faculty, not just a few. All faculty must buy into the assessment of the experience and course.
• Evaluation: Criteria needs to be established and distributed early in the students program. Timelines needs to be established for both students and faculty.

SUGGESTIONS

• Develop and distribute criteria, timelines and other requirements. These should be distributed as early in the program as possible so that students can start planning.
• Develop guidelines for faculty involvement. These guidelines should include the criteria and goals of the experience or course as well as the level of involvement of faculty in the product, project or performance.
• Consider group projects. Some programs use group projects (senior projects) for the capstone experience. This allows students to work together, demonstrate cooperative working skills, provides for greater depth of development and may lessen the time constraints of faculty members.
• Consider outside assessors: Utilization of community experts can give another dimension of assessment of the project. These experts need to be carefully chosen and instructed on the goals of the experience or product.
• Celebration: Some departments hold celebrations of the capstone experience or course. This may take the form of a poster session, recital, or other public presentation of the work.
• Consider publishing: In some cases students work may be submitted for publication in appropriate journals. Students work may also be submitted for presentation at local, regional and national meetings. This gives students another dimension of their profession.