Redesigning a sustainable English capstone course through a virtual student-faculty partnership

This collaborative essay between undergraduate students and a faculty member illustrates the importance of partnerships between students and faculty when redesigning courses. We ground this partnering in Students as Partner (SaP) praxis. SaP reinvigorates the faculty and student relationship as one in which both students and faculty serve as active agents in curriculum development, redesign, and assessment. In this essay, we introduce our partnership, locally ground our partnership, and highlight how we redesigned a sustainable English Department capstone course to include a cumulative, integrative assignment. Our partnership was not designed to lead to a quantifiable direct output (i.e., a publication or even a redesigned class); instead, our goal was to build community, to support each other, to learn, to write for ourselves and each other. We conclude by offering brief qualitative data on the effectiveness of our redesign efforts and how our approach may work as a model for redesigning courses in different contexts/institutions.

The impact of industry-oriented capstone courses on the employability of EECS students in technological universities

PurposeThis study used the industry-oriented capstone course to increase the employability of electrical engineering and computer science (EECS) students in technological university.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, EECS students were selected and divided into groups, and the non-equivalent pretest–posttest quasi-experimental research method was adopted.FindingsIndustry-oriented capstone courses can improve students' employability, especially general ability, behaviour and attitude.Practical implicationsThe results of this study and many other studies show that capstone courses are helpful for the soft skills of students.Originality/valueThis study provides evidence that industry-oriented capstone courses can improve EECS students' employability.

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF EPORTFOLIOS IN AN ONLINE GRADUATE PROGRAM

A myriad of research has documented that an ePortfolio provides a comprehensive platform for learners to record their mastery of practical skillsets, create meaning from their learning, and reflect upon years of experiences. An ePortfolio also serves as a powerful digital resume and useful marketing vehicle to attract prospective employers. This case study examined the impacts of implementing ePortfolios in a capstone course of an online master’s program in health care administration. Students’ perceptions of this powerful pedagogical tool and the process of creating a Portfolio were explored. The findings supported previous research on the implementation of ePortfolios in various programs. Students enjoyed the ePortfolio process, critically evaluated their academic work and accomplishments, and valued peer-reviewed feedback offered by their peers. There were challenges observed in this study. While some challenges were unique to the study population, others were also disclosed in previous empirical studies. Recommendations were made for better integration of ePortfolios into the curricula of a program. Limitations and future research were also presented in this paper. <p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0954/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

The Reform of Capstone Course of Financial Undergraduate Thesis based on the Application of Econometrics

In order to improve the quality of undergraduate thesis of the financial majors, the capstone course was introduced based on the application of Econometrics. In this paper the concept of capstone course was introduced and the reform of the undergraduate thesis based on the Capstone system was designed and implemented. A reasonable capstone system scheme according to the established curriculum objectives and the ability quality to be cultivated was designed, the whole process of the project implementation was managed. The teaching goal of process oriented and comprehensive ability training has been achieved and the teaching effect has been improved.

PSII-B-23 Implementation of a design thinking approach to problem-based learning in an animal science capstone

The objective is to present a strategy for attainment of capstone course objectives using design thinking. Problem based learning has long been incorporated into STEM, and yet inclusion of a formalized design thinking strategy is a novel approach for student-led cooperative learning. Relevancy of content and potential student impact upon the industry was established via the inclusion of stakeholders representing state livestock commodity groups who, via Zoom, met with students to present an overview of challenges facing their respective industries. Students, working in teams, used these conversations to formulate complex problems as the basis of their design thinking process. Subsequent steps of convergent and divergent thinking and low and high-fidelity prototyping led to creation of prototype solutions, which were continuously revised based upon feedback received after deployment. Solutions were prepared for dissemination to varied audiences using multiple communication strategies. Students were required to develop a technical report, scientific poster, infographic, narrated video, and oral presentation. The necessary buy-in from instructors, guest lecturers, students, and stakeholders is significant and a potential challenge to be addressed from the onset of the course. Further, use of design thinking typically requires students to transition from traditional course delivery and assessments to real world situations in which they receive process guidance, but must develop problem solutions themselves. Students required both prompting and restraint to follow the design thinking process. Frequent and transparent communication are helpful in ameliorating student frustration. The student group dynamic was heavily influenced due to covid-19, as teams contained a mix of students physically attending classes and those working remotely. Preliminary feedback suggests that all students engaging remotely via a Zoom meeting helps to create a more equitable and productive working environment. In its first iteration, students are engaged in design thinking and achieving capstone course objectives on schedule.