LibGuides: High Impact Practices (HIPs): Capstone Courses & Projects

Definition

Culminating experiences that require students nearing the end of their college years to create a project of some sort that integrates and applies what they’ve learned. The project might be a research paper, a performance, a portfolio of “best work,” or an exhibit of artwork. Capstones are offered both in departmental programs and, increasingly, in general education as well. (AACU)

Resources

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Resources with are available in the LCCC Library. Resources with are available to request from OhioLINK. Resources with are ebooks. You may need to authenticate (use your LCCC email and password) to access these from off campus.

Designing Better Engineering Education Through Assessment by JonI E. Spurlin (Editor); Sarah A. Rajala (Editor); Jerome P. Lavelle (Editor); Richard M. Felder (Foreword by)
ISBN: 1579222137
Publication Date: 2008-02-22
This book is written for engineering faculty and department chairs as a practical guide to improving the assessment processes for undergraduate and graduate engineering education in the service of improved student learning. It is written by engineering faculty and assessment professionals who have many years of experience in assessment of engineering education and of working with engineering faculty. Chapter 11 is "The Capstone Experience at the Baccalaureate, Master's and Doctorate Levels."

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Articles about capstone experiences
OneSearch results for "high impact practices" AND college AND capstone
Capstone Design Project Course Pathways
Eppes, Tom A.; Milanovic, Ivana
American Journal of Engineering Education, v2 n1 p35-42 2011
Capstones are open-ended undertakings where students are expected to creatively analyze, synthesize, and apply a wide-variety of learning outcomes from prior coursework. This paper discusses the structure, approach and evolution of the capstone project pathways within our College. Specifically two programs, MET and EET, have adopted different solutions towards the planning, organizing and execution. The areas of contrast among projects are: 1) sourcing, 2) type, 3) feedback and evaluation, 4) assessment methodology, 5) supplemental resources and 6) curricular strategy. For the first five, the advantages and disadvantages of different approaches are discussed along with the issues and benefits experienced by students, faculty and industry sponsors. In the sixth, a means to improve capstone readiness and performance is presented in which experiential courses within a topical area sequentially introduce challenging and open-ended assignments that foster cognitive learning
Capstone Research at a Community College
Piedmont Virginia Community College has developed an award-winning curriculum model in which all students enrolled in the A.S. in Physical & Natural Science degree conduct a semester-long, faculty-mentored research project as a graduation requirement. The two-credit research course serves as a capstone project in which students design and conduct authentic scientific research. One science faculty member carries teaching credit for the course and leads combined meetings on proposal writing, data analysis, poster construction, presentation skills and abstract writing. Additional full-time science faculty mentor 1-3 students per semester in their discipline. Students present their findings at an end-of-semester poster session open to the wider college community. Since the program’s formal implementation in 2009, our students have successfully presented their findings at national meetings, collaborated with community and university partners, made new contributions to science, and transferred to 4-yr institutions as science majors. The mini workshop will lead participants in a discussion of the benefits and challenges of this model and of implementing mentored research at undergraduate institutions where faculty time, student preparation, funding and space may be limiting.