A Capstone Learning Experience for Students in the Management of Natural Resources.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bell, Sidney; Lowe, Roger; Edwards, M. Craig

2002-01-01

High school students in a forestry and wildlife management course learned the use of global positioning software, geographic information systems, and other computer programs. They applied these skills in a capstone multimedia presentation for the community of maps they had made of a local arboretum. (JOW)

Revising the Experiential Learning Component of the Business Capstone Course at Delaware Technical Community College's George Campus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roux, June N.

2017-01-01

This Executive Position Paper examines the experiential learning component of the business capstone course at Delaware Technical Community College's George campus in Wilmington, Delaware. As a statewide institution of higher education, Delaware Tech offers associate of applied science degrees in practical, skills-based majors, including a number…

Using Capstones to Develop Research Skills and Graduate Capabilities: A Case Study from Physiology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Julien, Brianna L.; Lexis, Louise; Schuijers, Johannes; Samiric, Tom; McDonald, Stuart

2012-01-01

In 2011, the Department of Human Biosciences introduced two physiology capstone subjects as part of the Design for Learning Project at La Trobe University. Consistent with the project, the aims of these subjects were to provide an effective culmination point for the Bachelor of Health Science course and to offer students orientation to…

Capstone Interdisciplinary Team Project: A Requirement for the MS in Sustainability Degree

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jiji, Latif M.; Schonfeld, Irvin Sam; Smith, George A.

2015-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to describe experience gained with a required six-credit year-long course, the Capstone Interdisciplinary Team Project, a key component of the Master of Science (MS) in Sustainability degree at the City College of New York. A common feature of sustainability problems is their interdisciplinary nature. Solutions to…

Effects of the Meetings-Flow Approach on Quality Teamwork in the Training of Software Capstone Projects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Chung-Yang; Hong, Ya-Chun; Chen, Pei-Chi

2014-01-01

Software development relies heavily on teamwork; determining how to streamline this collaborative development is an essential training subject in computer and software engineering education. A team process known as the meetings-flow (MF) approach has recently been introduced in software capstone projects in engineering programs at various…

Accessible Earth: Enhancing diversity in the Geosciences through accessible course design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bennett, R. A.; Lamb, D. A.

2017-12-01

The tradition of field-based instruction in the geoscience curriculum, which culminates in a capstone geological field camp, presents an insurmountable barrier to many disabled students who might otherwise choose to pursue geoscience careers. There is a widespread perception that success as a practicing geoscientist requires direct access to outcrops and vantage points available only to those able to traverse inaccessible terrain. Yet many modern geoscience activities are based on remotely sensed geophysical data, data analysis, and computation that take place entirely from within the laboratory. To challenge the perception of geoscience as a career option only for the non-disabled, we have created the capstone Accessible Earth Study Abroad Program, an alternative to geologic field camp for all students, with a focus on modern geophysical observation systems, computational thinking, data science, and professional development.In this presentation, we will review common pedagogical approaches in geosciences and current efforts to make the field more inclusive. We will review curricular access and inclusivity relative to a wide range of learners and provide examples of accessible course design based on our experiences in teaching a study abroad course in central Italy, and our plans for ongoing assessment, refinement, and dissemination of the effectiveness of our efforts.

Adapting to Change in a Master Level Real-World-Projects Capstone Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tappert, Charles C.; Stix, Allen

2012-01-01

Our mission of capstone computing courses for the past ten years has been to offer students experience with the development of real-world information technology projects. This experience has included both the hard and soft skills required for the work they could expect as industrial practitioners. Hard skills entail extending one's knowledge…

Using the Computer Algebra System "Maple" to Generate Research Questions for Pre-Service Teachers in a Capstone Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farley, Rosemary Carroll

2013-01-01

At Manhattan College, secondary mathematics education students take a capstone course designed specifically for them. In this course, students revisit important topics in the high school curriculum from a mathematically advanced perspective; incorporating the mathematical knowledge they have attained in their college mathematics classes to an…

NASA Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Research Project Capstone Even

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-05-05

Students and faculty from Mapletown Jr/Sr High School and Margaret Bell Middle School listen as John Grunsfeld, NASA Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate, speaks about his experiences on the final space shuttle servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope during the NASA Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Research Project Capstone Event in the James E. Webb Auditorium at NASA Headquarters on Monday, May 5, 2014. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Undergraduate Research in Physics as a course for Engineering and Computer Science Majors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Brien, James; Rueckert, Franz; Sirokman, Greg

2017-01-01

Undergraduate research has become more and more integral to the functioning of higher educational institutions. At many institutions undergraduate research is conducted as capstone projects in the pure sciences, however, science faculty at some schools (including that of the authors) face the challenge of not having science majors. Even at these institutions, a select population of high achieving engineering students will often express a keen interest in conducting pure science research. Since a foray into science research provides the student the full exposure to the scientific method and scientific collaboration, the experience can be quite rewarding and beneficial to the development of the student as a professional. To this end, the authors have been working to find new contexts in which to offer research experiences to non- science majors, including a new undergraduate research class conducted by physics and chemistry faculty. An added benefit is that these courses are inherently interdisciplinary. Students in the engineering and computer science fields step into physics and chemistry labs to solve science problems, often invoking their own relevant expertise. In this paper we start by discussing the common themes and outcomes of the course. We then discuss three particular projects that were conducted with engineering students and focus on how the undergraduate research experience enhanced their already rigorous engineering curriculum.

NASA Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Research Project Capstone Even

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-05-05

John Grunsfeld, NASA Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate, speaks to students from Mapletown Jr/Sr High School and Margaret Bell Middle School about his experiences on the final space shuttle servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope during the NASA Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Research Project Capstone Event in the James E. Webb Auditorium at NASA Headquarters on Monday, May 5, 2014. Grunsfeld flew on three of the five servicing missions to the Hubble Space Telescope. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

The TXESS Revolution: A Partnership to Advance Earth and Space Science in Texas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellins, K. K.; Olson, H. C.; Willis, M.

2007-12-01

The Texas State Board of Education voted in 2006 to require a fourth year of science for graduation from high school and to authorize the creation of a new senior level Earth Systems and Space Science course as an option to fulfill that requirement. The new Earth Systems and Space Science course will be a capstone course for which three required science courses(biology, chemistry and physics)are prerequisites. Here, we summarize the collective efforts of business leaders, scientists and educators who worked collaboratively for almost a decade to successfully reinstate Earth science as part of Texas' standard high school curriculum and describe a new project, the Texas Earth and Space Science (TXESS) Revolution, a 5-year professional development program for 8th -12th grade minority and minority-serving science teachers and teacher mentors in Texas to help prepare them to teach the new capstone course. At the heart of TXESS Revolution is an extraordinary partnership, involving (1) two UT-Austin academic units, the Jackson School of Geosciences and the Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering; (2) TERC, a not-for-profit educational enterprise in Massachusetts with 30 years experience in designing science curriculum; (3) the University of South Florida; and (4) the Texas Regional Collaboratives for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching, a statewide network of teacher mentors and science teachers. With guidance from the Texas Education Agency, the state agency charged with overseeing education, the TXESS Revolution project will provide teachers with access to high quality materials and instruction aligned with the Texas educational standards for the new capstone course through: a program of eight different 3-day professional development academies offered to both teachers and teachers mentors; immersive summer institutes, field experiences, and a Petroleum Science and Technology Institute; training on how to implement Earth Science by Design, a teacher professional development program developed by TERC and the American Geological Institute with National Science Foundation (NSF) funding; and an online learning forum designed to keep teachers and teacher mentors in contact with facilitators and fellow project-participants between and after training, as well as share best practices and new information. The new capstone course promises to be a rigorous and dynamic change to the way Earth and Space Science has been presented previously anywhere in the U.S. and will provide many opportunities for professional development and the dissemination of suitable Earth and Space Science curriculum. The TXESS Revolution project welcomes opportunities to collaborate with geoscience consortia, programs, organizations and geoscience educators to advance Earth and Space Science in Texas. NSF's Opportunities to Enhance Diversity in the Geosciences program, the Shell Oil Company and the Jackson School of Geosciences are together funding the TXESS Revolution project.

Science Seminar: Science Capstone Research Projects as a Class in High School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schwebach, J. Reid

2008-01-01

Inquiry-based, student-lead research may be a pinnacle of high school science education, and the implementation of inquiry themes at all grades is of profound importance. At The Beacon High School in New York City, all seniors, regardless of their scientific proclivity or interest, completed original science research projects as a graduation…

Development of a Base for the Re-evaluation of the Professional Segment of the Master of Science Degree Program in Industrial Education at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. Part V: Frequency and Importance of Their Professional Tasks as Reported by Wisconsin Capstone Industrial Education Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Lawrence S.

This document presents data on the frequency with which Wisconsin capstone industrial education teachers perform their professional tasks and on the importance which they attach to these professional tasks. The data are presented in a series of tables and in two appendixes. This study is part of a larger study of junior, junior-senior, senior high…

The Texas Earth and Space Science (TXESS) Revolution: A Model for the Delivery of Earth Science Professional Development to Minority-Serving Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellins, K. K.; Snow, E.; Olson, H. C.; Stocks, E.; Willis, M.; Olson, J.; Odell, M. R.

2013-01-01

The Texas Earth and Space Science (TXESS) Revolution was a 5-y teacher professional development project that aimed to increase teachers' content knowledge in Earth science and preparing them to teach a 12th-grade capstone Earth and Space Science course, which is new to the Texas curriculum. The National Science Foundation-supported project was…

The Use of Mock NSF-type Grant Proposals and Blind Peer Review as the Capstone Assignment in Upper-Level Neurobiology and Cell Biology Courses

PubMed Central

Itagaki, Haruhiko

2013-01-01

Although the use of grant proposals and blind peer review are standard in the natural sciences, their use as a pedagogical tool is rarely mentioned in the literature. As a consequence of dissatisfaction with term papers and literature reviews as the capstone writing experience in 300-level undergraduate biology courses, I have been experimenting with mock NSF-type grant proposals followed by blind peer review as the major assignment in my junior/senior-level classes. The improvement in educational outcomes and competencies due to this assignment appears to be substantial and worth the additional effort on both the students’ and instructor’s parts. Here, I outline the mechanics of this assignment and its advantages and disadvantages as well as the type of curriculum that is required to support this type of capstone assignment. PMID:24319395

The South Carolina Amazing Coast Program: Using Ocean Sciences to Address Next Generation Science Standards in Grades 3-5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bell, E. V.; Thomas, C.; Weiss, B.; Bliss, A.; Spence, L.

2013-12-01

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are more inclusive of ocean sciences than the National Science Standards and respective state science standards. In response, the Center for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence-SouthEast (COSEE SE) is piloting the South Carolina's Amazing Coast (SCAC) program: a three-year initiative that incorporates ocean science concepts in grades 3-5 with the goals of addressing NGSS, STEM (science-technology-engineering-math) disciplines, and inquiry skills. The SCAC program targeted two Charleston County, South Carolina elementary schools that were demographically similar: Title 1 status (75% free or reduced lunch), > 90% African American student population, grade level size <55, and proximity to tidal salt marsh or barrier islands (< 2 miles). Fourteen teachers and approximately 240 students participated in the SCAC program between 2010 and 2013. The SCAC framework uses a scaffolding and multi-pronged approach for teacher professional development and student engagement. The scaffolding approach to curriculum implementation focuses on one grade level per year (Year 1 = 3rd; Year 2 = 4th, and Year 3 = 5th), thus building student and teacher literacy in ocean sciences. The coach-mentor model of teacher professional development was also used for the implementation of the program which differs from the traditional 'train the trainer' method in allowing for more frequent and consistent interaction by COSEE SE staff with the students and teachers during the school year. The coach mentor model enabled the creation of a community of practice where teachers served as both learners and practitioners of student learning. Methods for student engagement aligned with the NGSS and included hands-on classroom activities, use of 'hook' species such as loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta), diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) and smooth cord grass (Spartina alterniflora), field experiences to explore local ecosystems, interactions with marine scientists, and a capstone project incorporating STEM and inquiry skills. Specifically, third grade students learn about coastal habitats, animal and plant adaptations, and human impacts to the environment, and engage in a salt marsh restoration capstone project. This part of the curriculum aligns with the NGSS Core Ideas 3-LS1, 3-LS3, 3-LS4, 3-ESS3. The fourth grade students learn about weather, organism responses to the environment, and engage in a weather buoy construction capstone project. This part of the curriculum aligns with the NGSSS Core Ideas 4-LS1, 4-ESS2, 4-ESS3, 3-5-ETS1. In 5th grade, students focus specifically on the ocean ecosystem, human impacts on the environment and engage in a capstone project of designing and constructing remotely operated vehicles. This part of the curriculum aligns with NGSS Core Ideas 5-PS2, 5-LS1, 5-LS2, 5-ESS2, 3-5-ETS1. Initial evaluation results indicate that the SCAC teachers value the coach mentor approach for teacher professional development as well as the impact of field based experiences, place-based learning, and a culminating capstone project on student learning. Teacher feedback also indicates elements of sustainability that extend beyond the scope of the pilot project.These initial evaluation results poise the SCAC curriculum to be replicated in other southeastern states.

Service Learning in an FCS: A Community-Campus Collaboration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friesen, Carol A.; Whitaker, Sue H.; Piotrowicz, Kay

2004-01-01

The new core for the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences at Ball State University was designed to provide students with a better understanding of the integrative nature of the family and consumer sciences (FCS) profession. The resultant 9-credit core includes an introductory course, a capstone course, and one student-selected course. The…

Simulation Performance and National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses Outcomes: Field Research Perspectives.

PubMed

Brackney, Dana E; Lane, Susan Hayes; Dawson, Tyia; Koontz, Angie

2017-11-01

This descriptive field study examines processes used to evaluate simulation for senior-level Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students in a capstone course, discusses challenges related to simulation evaluation, and reports the relationship between faculty evaluation of student performance and National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) first-time passing rates. Researchers applied seven terms used to rank BSN student performance (n = 41, female, ages 22-24 years) in a senior-level capstone simulation. Faculty evaluation was correlated with students' NCLEX-RN outcomes. Students evaluated as "lacking confidence" and "flawed" were less likely to pass the NCLEX-RN on the first attempt. Faculty evaluation of capstone simulation performance provided additional evidence of student preparedness for practice in the RN role, as evidenced by the relationship between the faculty assessment and NCLEX-RN success. Simulation has been broadly accepted as a powerful educational tool that may also contribute to verification of student achievement of program outcomes and readiness for the RN role.

ESL Mentoring for Secondary Rural Educators: Math and Science Teachers Become Second Language Specialists through Collaboration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hansen-Thomas, Holly; Grosso Richins, Liliana

2015-01-01

This article draws on data from the capstone graduate course in a specially designed professional development program for rural math and science teachers that describes how participant teachers translated their newly acquired knowledge about English as a second language (ESL) into a mentoring experience for their rural content specialist peers.…

Whole Farm Nutrient Management: Capstone Course on Environmental Management of Dairy Farms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Albrecht, Gregory L.; Ketterings, Quirine M.; Czymmek, Karl J.; van Amburgh, Michael E.; Fox, Danny G.

2006-01-01

Whole Farm Nutrient Management is an upper-level, undergraduate course offered through the Department of Animal Science (AS) and Department of Crop and Soil Sciences (CSS) at Cornell University. The course (AS/CSS 412) is designed for students interested in agricultural careers and aims to help them develop a working knowledge of agricultural…

Using a Functional Model to Develop a Mathematical Formula

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Otto, Charlotte A.; Everett, Susan A.; Luera, Gail R.

2008-01-01

The unifying theme of models was incorporated into a required Science Capstone course for pre-service elementary teachers based on national standards in science and mathematics. A model of a teeter-totter was selected for use as an example of a functional model for gathering data as well as a visual model of a mathematical equation for developing…

The Business Policy Course: Multiple Methods for Multiple Goals.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Anisya S.

1998-01-01

Outlines the objectives of a capstone business policy and strategy course; the use of case analysis, article critiques, storytelling, and computer simulation; and contextual factors in matching objectives and methods. (SK)

Principles and Practices Fostering Inclusive Excellence: Lessons from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Capstone Institutions

PubMed Central

DiBartolo, Patricia Marten; Gregg-Jolly, Leslie; Gross, Deborah; Manduca, Cathryn A.; Iverson, Ellen; Cooke, David B.; Davis, Gregory K.; Davidson, Cameron; Hertz, Paul E.; Hibbard, Lisa; Ireland, Shubha K.; Mader, Catherine; Pai, Aditi; Raps, Shirley; Siwicki, Kathleen; Swartz, Jim E.

2016-01-01

Best-practices pedagogy in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) aims for inclusive excellence that fosters student persistence. This paper describes principles of inclusivity across 11 primarily undergraduate institutions designated as Capstone Awardees in Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s (HHMI) 2012 competition. The Capstones represent a range of institutional missions, student profiles, and geographical locations. Each successfully directed activities toward persistence of STEM students, especially those from traditionally underrepresented groups, through a set of common elements: mentoring programs to build community; research experiences to strengthen scientific skill/identity; attention to quantitative skills; and outreach/bridge programs to broaden the student pool. This paper grounds these program elements in learning theory, emphasizing their essential principles with examples of how they were implemented within institutional contexts. We also describe common assessment approaches that in many cases informed programming and created traction for stakeholder buy-in. The lessons learned from our shared experiences in pursuit of inclusive excellence, including the resources housed on our companion website, can inform others’ efforts to increase access to and persistence in STEM in higher education. PMID:27562960

Integrating IS Curriculum Knowledge through a Cluster-Computing Project--A Successful Experiment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kitchens, Fred L.; Sharma, Sushil K.; Harris, Thomas

2004-01-01

MIS curricula in business schools are challenged to provide MIS courses that give students a strong practical understanding of the basic technologies, while also providing enough hands-on experience to solve real life problems. As an experimental capstone MIS course, the authors developed a cluster-computing project to expose business students to…

75 FR 9007 - National Science and Technology Council, Committee on Technology Capstone Workshop Risk...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-26

... Nanotechnology: Public Meeting ACTION: Notice of public meeting. SUMMARY: The National Nanotechnology... and Ethical, Legal, and Societal Implications (ELSI) of Nanotechnology. Risk Management Methods is one... document Strategy for Nanotechnology-Related Environmental, Health, and Safety Research ( http://www.nano...

A National Comparison of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Capstone Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aguanno, Ann; Mertz, Pamela; Martin, Debra; Bell, Ellis

2015-01-01

Recognizing the increasingly integrative nature of the molecular life sciences, the "American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology" (ASBMB) recommends that Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BMB) programs develop curricula based on concepts, content, topics, and expected student outcomes, rather than courses. To that end,…

The Capstone Experience for the Religious Studies Major

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Upson-Saia, Kristi

2013-01-01

The purpose of this essay is to offer a survey of religious studies capstones from twenty-nine U.S. colleges and universities, to identify the most common frustrations about the capstone, and to observe how departments resolve such frustrations. I conclude that the most successful capstones--in terms of students' performance and faculty…

Where Are We Now? Statistics on Capstone Courses Nationwide

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howe, Susannah

2010-01-01

Capstone design courses are an increasingly common component of engineering curricula nationwide, but how much do we really know about the current practices? How do capstone courses differ across departments and institutions? How have capstone courses changed in the past 10 years? This paper highlights data from a survey of engineering capstone…

Using History and Philosophy as the Capstone to a Biology Major

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haave, Neil C.

2017-01-01

Capstone experiences have high educational impact with a number of approaches for biology. In most capstones, students produce a major project, typically as an undergraduate research experience, with a primary goal to integrate students' learning. At Augustana, our senior biology capstone uses history and philosophy to frame students' reflections…

76 FR 34215 - Notice of Department of Energy-Quadrennial Technology Review Capstone Workshop

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-13

... Council of Advisors on Science & Technology. This Administration's national energy goals are to: Reduce..., 2011)], the Department requested public comment on the questions related to the DOE-QTR and the framing... framing document: In the mobile sector, these are vehicle efficiency, electrification, and advanced fuels...

Learning as a Dissonant Act

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kutnowski, Martin

2005-01-01

In this article, the author recounts his experience teaching MU-241, Music Harmony and Counterpoint, which is a capstone course for the music electronics program--a two-year associate of arts and sciences degree--at Queensborough Community College, City University of New York. The class, a difficult one, combines harmony, counterpoint, and piano,…

Addressing Problems Encountered in Case-Based Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turgeon, A. J.

2007-01-01

TURF 436 (Case Studies in Turfgrass Management) is the capstone course for turfgrass science majors at the Pennsylvania State University. Students are introduced to problems and complex problematic situations encountered in the management of golf and sports turf and in professional lawn-care operations. Following completion of the orientation case…

Using Technology to Engage Preservice Elementary Teachers in Learning about Scientific Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Loretta L.; MacArthur, James R.; Akaygün, Sevil

2011-01-01

Elementary teachers are often required to teach inquiry in their classrooms despite having had little exposure to inquiry learning themselves. In a capstone undergraduate science course preservice elementary teachers experience scientific inquiry through the completion of group projects, activities, readings and discussion, in order to develop a…

Shifting Paradigms in Management Education: What Happens When We Take Groups Seriously.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mundell, Bryan; Pennarola, Ferdinando

1999-01-01

An Italian university's capstone business administration course is designed around andragogical principles. Students spend 90% of their time in independent teamwork on multidisciplinary problems. The course uses information technology in the form of databases and networked computers. (SK)

Review Sessions and Results: Competency Testing in the Capstone Business Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parente, Diane H.; Brown, Randy C.; Warner, Alfred G.

2005-01-01

Capstone is defined in the dictionary as "putting the final stone in place." Business Policy or Strategic Management is typically the capstone class in a business management degree program. As such, there are prerequisite requirements in terms of courses and specific knowledge. We have implemented a competency test for the capstone class and…

Survey of Biology Capstone Courses in American and Canadian Higher Education: Requirement, Content, and Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haave, Neil C.

2015-01-01

Capstone experiences have high educational impact with various approaches available for biology. However, no information exists regarding the pervasiveness of capstone courses in Canadian and American biology programs. This study surveyed the prevalence and character of biology capstone courses in the USA and Canada. The survey included a majority…

A Collaborative Capstone to Develop a Mobile Hospital Clinic Application through a Student Team Competition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wong, Wilson; Pepe, James; Stahl, James; Englander, Irv

2013-01-01

A new collaborative capstone model is presented that consists of three synergistic elements: (1) a capstone course component; (2) a business component; and (3) an advanced technical course component geared towards enhancing the student capstone learning experience. The model was fully implemented at Bentley University in spring 2012 with…

How Student Written Communication Skills Benefit during Participation in an Industry-Sponsored Civil Engineering Capstone Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fries, Ryan; Cross, Brad; Zhou, Jianpeng; Verbais, Chad

2017-01-01

Because many engineering programs use capstone design courses and value strong communication abilities, authors sought to identify how student written communication skills changed because of industry-sponsored capstone design projects. A student exit survey was collected at the end of the capstone design course during faculty-led projects and…

Accounting Capstone Course Design: Using the Internet to Modernize a Graduate Accounting Capstone Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bloom, Diane S.; Ehoff, Clemense, Jr.

2012-01-01

This second paper describes how the Internet was used to modernize a graduate accounting capstone course to enhance student interest and learning, and is an extension of an earlier paper that examined a similar approach with an undergraduate accounting capstone course. Course content was developed from contemporary issues and cases obtained from…

Parallel Structures of Computer-Assisted Signature Pedagogy: The Case of Integrated Spreadsheets

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abramovich, Sergei; Easton, Jonathan; Hayes, Victoria O.

2012-01-01

This article was motivated by the authors' work on a project with a group of 2nd-grade students in a computer lab of a rural school in upstate New York. From this project, one goal of which was to provide a capstone experience for a teacher candidate in teaching application-oriented mathematics with technology, the ideas about parallel structures…

Principles and Practices Fostering Inclusive Excellence: Lessons from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Capstone Institutions.

PubMed

DiBartolo, Patricia Marten; Gregg-Jolly, Leslie; Gross, Deborah; Manduca, Cathryn A; Iverson, Ellen; Cooke, David B; Davis, Gregory K; Davidson, Cameron; Hertz, Paul E; Hibbard, Lisa; Ireland, Shubha K; Mader, Catherine; Pai, Aditi; Raps, Shirley; Siwicki, Kathleen; Swartz, Jim E

Best-practices pedagogy in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) aims for inclusive excellence that fosters student persistence. This paper describes principles of inclusivity across 11 primarily undergraduate institutions designated as Capstone Awardees in Howard Hughes Medical Institute's (HHMI) 2012 competition. The Capstones represent a range of institutional missions, student profiles, and geographical locations. Each successfully directed activities toward persistence of STEM students, especially those from traditionally underrepresented groups, through a set of common elements: mentoring programs to build community; research experiences to strengthen scientific skill/identity; attention to quantitative skills; and outreach/bridge programs to broaden the student pool. This paper grounds these program elements in learning theory, emphasizing their essential principles with examples of how they were implemented within institutional contexts. We also describe common assessment approaches that in many cases informed programming and created traction for stakeholder buy-in. The lessons learned from our shared experiences in pursuit of inclusive excellence, including the resources housed on our companion website, can inform others' efforts to increase access to and persistence in STEM in higher education. © 2016 P. M. DiBartolo, L. Gregg-Jolly, D. Gross, C. A. Manduca, E. Iverson, et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2016 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Transforming the Capstone: Transformative Learning as a Pedagogical Framework and Vehicle for Ethical Reflection in the Capstone Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Jason M.; Strawser, Michael G.

2017-01-01

This study emphasizes the importance of faculty development and training as a means to prepare faculty to design the capstone course as a high-impact educational practice. Specifically, this research explores transformative learning in the capstone class as a vehicle for reflection on personal and professional ethics. Students enrolled in a…

Assessing Graduate Student Work: An Emotional and Relational Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schwartz, Harriet L.; Holloway, Elizabeth L.

2017-01-01

Assessment is a critical activity in the life of a professor. The authors' interest in professors' internal experiences of assessment led them to conduct a grounded theory study in which they interviewed 16 faculty teaching in social science and pre-professional programs, asking them to reflect on assessing master's thesis and capstone projects.…

Structuring a Competency-Based Accounting Communication Course at the Graduate Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharifi, Mohsen; McCombs, Gary B.; Fraser, Linda Lussy; McCabe, Robert K.

2009-01-01

The authors describe a graduate capstone accounting class as a basis for building communication skills desired by both accounting practitioners and accounting faculty. An academic service-learning (ASL) component is included. Adopted as a required class for a master of science degree in accounting at two universities, this course supports…

Team Culture and Business Strategy Simulation Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ritchie, William J.; Fornaciari, Charles J.; Drew, Stephen A. W.; Marlin, Dan

2013-01-01

Many capstone strategic management courses use computer-based simulations as core pedagogical tools. Simulations are touted as assisting students in developing much-valued skills in strategy formation, implementation, and team management in the pursuit of superior strategic performance. However, despite their rich nature, little is known regarding…

Developing a Capstone Course within a Health Informatics Program

PubMed Central

Hackbarth, Gary; Cata, Teuta; Cole, Laura

2012-01-01

This article discusses the ongoing development of a health informatics capstone program in a Midwest university from the hiring of a program coordinator to the development of a capstone course, through initial student results. University health informatics programs require a strong academic program to be successful but also require a spirited program coordinator to manage resources and organize an effective capstone course. This is particularly true of health informatics master's programs that support health industry career fields, whereby employers can locate and work with a pool of qualified applicants. The analysis of students’ logs confirms that students’ areas of focus and concern are consistent with course objectives and company work requirements during the work-study portion of the student capstone project. The article further discusses lessons learned and future improvements to be made in the health informatics capstone course. PMID:22783150

Reviving a medical wearable computer for teaching purposes.

PubMed

Frenger, Paul

2014-01-01

In 1978 the author constructed a medical wearable computer using an early CMOS microprocessor and support chips. This device was targeted for use by health-conscious consumers and other early adopters. Its expandable functions included weight management, blood pressure control, diabetes care, medication reminders, smoking cessation, pediatric growth and development, simple medical database, digital communication with a doctor’s office and emergency alert system. Various physiological sensors could be plugged-into the calculator-sized chassis. The device was shown to investor groups but funding was not obtained; by 1992 the author ceased pursuing it. The Computing and Mathematics Chair at a local University, a NASA acquaintance, approached the author to mentor a CS capstone course for Summer 2012. With the author’s guidance, five students proceeded to convert this medical wearable computer design to an iPhone-based implementation using the Apple Xcode Developer Kit and other utilities. The final student device contained a body mass index (BMI) calculator, an emergency alert for 911 or other first responders, a medication reminder, a Doctor’s appointment feature, a medical database, medical Internet links, and a pediatric growth & development guide. The students’ final imple-mentation was successfully demonstrated on an actual iPhone 4 at the CS capstone meeting in mid-Summer.

Two Demonstrations with a New Data-Acquisition System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kraftmakher, Yaakov

2014-01-01

Nowadays, the use of data-acquisition systems in undergraduate laboratories is routine. Many computer-assisted experiments became possible with the PASCO scientific data-acquisition system based on the 750 Interface and DataStudio software. A new data-acquisition system developed by PASCO includes the 850 Universal Interface and Capstone software.…

Student scientific inquiry in the core curriculum.

PubMed

Vaidean, Georgeta D; Vansal, Sandeep S; Moore, Ronnie J; Feldman, Stuart

2013-10-14

To design and implement a required student-driven research program as a capstone experience in the doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) curriculum. A research proposal in the form of a competitive grant application was required for each of 65 fourth-year students in an inaugural PharmD class at Touro College of Pharmacy in New York. The focus of the proposals was on hypothesis-driven research in basic science, clinical research, health outcomes, and public health. Students' research proposals were graded using a standardized grading instrument. On a post-experience survey, most students rated the overall experience positively, indicating increased confidence in their research skills. About two-thirds of faculty members were satisfied with their students' performance, and the great majority thought the experience would be useful in the students' careers. The capstone research project was a positive experience for fourth-year students.

COMS Day as a Communication Senior Capstone Team Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozley, Raymond R.; Wang, Tiffany R.; Ford, Sherry Greenwood; Hardig, Sally Bennett

2017-01-01

Courses: Senior Seminar. Objectives: (1) To provide graduating students a semester-long capstone experience where they can apply communication theories/skills in a professional context. (2) To create a capstone project that contributes to programmatic assessment.

Educational Effectiveness Review

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-08-01

Capstone Initiative ...................................................24 Student Engagement Initiative...Program ɢ Extending Direct Assessments – The Capstone Initiative ɢ Student Engagement Initiative ɢ Leveraging Professional Accreditation Practices...time graduation Student Outcomes • Quality Point Ratings (QPRs) • Capstone assessments • Employer, Sponsor assessments Student Engagement • Challenge

What Makes a Superhero "Super"? Graphic Novels Inspire a Gravity Investigation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gross, Lisa A.; Bradbury, Leslie Upson; Frye, Elizabeth M.; Watkins, Bonnie

2016-01-01

To further students' understanding about gravity, forces, and motion, multiple types of text were integrated into instruction. As part of a 5E lesson (Bybee et al. 2006), the authors used a selection from Capstone Press's Graphic Science series, "A Crash Course in Forces and Motion with Max Axiom" (Sohn and Barnett 2007) to support…

Integrating Cost Engineering and Project Management in a Junior Engineering Economics Course and a Senior Capstone Project Design Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tickles, Virginia C.; Li, Yadong; Walters, Wilbur L.

2013-01-01

Much criticism exists concerning a lack of focus on real-world problem-solving in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) infrastructures. Many of these critics say that current educational infrastructures are incapable in preparing future scientists and engineers to solve the complex and multidisciplinary problems this society…

"Physiology in the News": Using Press Releases to Enhance Lay Communication and Introduce Current Physiology Research to Undergraduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelly, Kevin L.; Poteracki, James M.; Steury, Michael D.; Wehrwein, Erica A.

2015-01-01

Michigan State University's senior-level undergraduate physiology capstone laboratory uses a simple exercise termed "Physiology in the News," to help students explore the current research within the field of physiology while also learning to communicate science in lay terms. "Physiology in the News" is an activity that charges…

End of Program Assessments and Their Association with Early Career Success in LIS

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rathbun-Grubb, Susan

2016-01-01

Analyses of North American LIS program alumni survey data indicate that the completion of any end of program assessment (EPA) or capstone is associated with certain early-career success measures. Using data collected in the Workforce Issues in Library and Information Science 2 project (WILIS 2), we examined the type of EPAs (internships,…

A Unique Methodology for Implementing High School Capstone Experiences through Teacher Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chin, Jessica; Zeid, Abe; Duggan, Claire; Kamarthi, Sagar

2011-01-01

Innovators and abstract thinkers--students who question why are going to be the future of engineering, of science and cures for diseases. Rarely do students ask where and how innovation is created. Students, particularly post-secondary students have lost their curiosity and they have lost their ability to question. Why? Because the relationship…

BioTAP: A Systematic Approach to Teaching Scientific Writing and Evaluating Undergraduate Theses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reynolds, Julie; Smith, Robin; Moskovitz, Cary; Sayle, Amy

2009-01-01

Undergraduate theses and other capstone research projects are standard features of many science curricula, but participation has typically been limited to only the most advanced and highly motivated students. With the recent push to engage more undergraduates in research, some faculty are finding that their typical approach to working with thesis…

Coal and Open-pit surface mining impacts on American Lands (COAL)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, T. A.; McGibbney, L. J.

2017-12-01

Mining is known to cause environmental degradation, but software tools to identify its impacts are lacking. However, remote sensing, spectral reflectance, and geographic data are readily available, and high-performance cloud computing resources exist for scientific research. Coal and Open-pit surface mining impacts on American Lands (COAL) provides a suite of algorithms and documentation to leverage these data and resources to identify evidence of mining and correlate it with environmental impacts over time.COAL was originally developed as a 2016 - 2017 senior capstone collaboration between scientists at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and computer science students at Oregon State University (OSU). The COAL team implemented a free and open-source software library called "pycoal" in the Python programming language which facilitated a case study of the effects of coal mining on water resources. Evidence of acid mine drainage associated with an open-pit coal mine in New Mexico was derived by correlating imaging spectrometer data from the JPL Airborne Visible/InfraRed Imaging Spectrometer - Next Generation (AVIRIS-NG), spectral reflectance data published by the USGS Spectroscopy Laboratory in the USGS Digital Spectral Library 06, and GIS hydrography data published by the USGS National Geospatial Program in The National Map. This case study indicated that the spectral and geospatial algorithms developed by COAL can be used successfully to analyze the environmental impacts of mining activities.Continued development of COAL has been promoted by a Startup allocation award of high-performance computing resources from the Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment (XSEDE). These resources allow the team to undertake further benchmarking, evaluation, and experimentation using multiple XSEDE resources. The opportunity to use computational infrastructure of this caliber will further enable the development of a science gateway to continue foundational COAL research.This work documents the original design and development of COAL and provides insight into continuing research efforts which have potential applications beyond the project to environmental data science and other fields.

Broadcast Journalism Education and the Capstone Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tanner, Andrea; Forde, Kathy Roberts; Besley, John C.; Weir, Tom

2012-01-01

This study assesses the current state of the television news capstone experience in accredited journalism and mass communication programs in the United States. Specifically, the authors employed a mixed-methods approach, interviewing 20 television news capstone instructors and conducting an analysis of broadcast journalism curriculum information…

Abstract of Capstone

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pack, Della F.

2013-01-01

At the end of the Fall 2011 semester at Big Sandy Community and Technical College (BSCTC) a comparison of grade patterns in multiple CIS 100-Introduction to Computers courses was analyzed. This analysis found online courses returned a higher failure rate than those taught in a classroom setting. Why was there a difference? Is the platform of…

Undergraduate optics program for the 21st Century

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palmer, James M.

2002-05-01

We have been offering a successful BS degree in optical engineering for the past ten years. We have produced more than 100 graduates, highly trained in basic optics and electronics. Our Industrial Affiliates, while very pleased with our graduates, requested that we produce some with greater mechanical engineering skills and knowledge. Our response was the creation of a new degree program, retaining the virtues of the previous one, but allowing a high degree of flexibility through the inclusion of minors within the program. The new program allows sufficient room for a variety of minors. Engineering minors identified include aerospace, computer, electrical, materials and mechanical. Science minors include astronomy, computer science, math and physics. Non-science minors accommodated include business, pre-health and pre-law. The new BSO program features: (1) Better structure and flow, more tightly coupling related classes; (2) New laboratory classes for juniors, linked to lecture classes; (3) Expanded optical deign, fabrication and testing classes; (4) New class in electronics for optics; (5) New classes in fiber optics and optical communications; (6) New capstone/senior project class for ABET compliance. This new BSO program will produce better entry-level optical scientists and engineers, and better candidates for graduate school. Our interactions with the external community will provide inputs concerning industrial needs, leading towards improved student counseling and program development. We will better serve national needs for skilled personnel in optics, and contribute even more to the optics workforce pipeline.

The Accounting Undergraduate Capstone: Promoting Synthesis, Reflection, Transition, and Competencies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Grace F.; Halabi, Abdel K.

2011-01-01

The authors review 24 midwestern institutions that have an undergraduate capstone course. Specifically they focus on accounting capstone courses, discovering that these are used to promote personal and functional skill development in 8 areas: research, problem solving, critical thinking, reflection, synthesis, teamwork, communication, and…

Strengthening Capstone Skills in STEM Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eppes, Tom A.; Milanovic, Ivana; Sweitzer, H. Fredrick

2012-01-01

In this article we describe a curricular strategy that improves the full range of skillsets critical to capstone success. Improved Capstone (ICap) was developed and implemented across the thermo-fluids topical area in the undergraduate Mechanical Engineering Technology Program at the University of Hartford. ICap experiential courses sequentially…

Capstone Course Innovation: Bloomberg Professional Service

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Payette, Dennis L.; Libertella, Anthony F.

2012-01-01

This paper reports on the introduction of a curricular innovation in a required capstone course: namely the Business Policy and Strategy course in the School of Business at Adelphi University. The curriculum capstone courses have tended to primarily include business related case studies and business simulation exercises. Consequently, curriculum…

Student Scientific Inquiry in the Core Curriculum

PubMed Central

Vansal, Sandeep S.; Moore, Ronnie J.; Feldman, Stuart

2013-01-01

Objective. To design and implement a required student-driven research program as a capstone experience in the doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) curriculum. Design. A research proposal in the form of a competitive grant application was required for each of 65 fourth-year students in an inaugural PharmD class at Touro College of Pharmacy in New York. The focus of the proposals was on hypothesis-driven research in basic science, clinical research, health outcomes, and public health. Assessment. Students’ research proposals were graded using a standardized grading instrument. On a post-experience survey, most students rated the overall experience positively, indicating increased confidence in their research skills. About two-thirds of faculty members were satisfied with their students’ performance, and the great majority thought the experience would be useful in the students’ careers. Conclusion. The capstone research project was a positive experience for fourth-year students. PMID:24159217

Experiences Gained Creating a Biophysics Major at a Predominately Undergraduate Institution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Link, Justin; Herbert, Steven

2014-03-01

Xavier University, a liberal arts predominately undergraduate institution (PUI) located in Cincinnati, OH, implemented a Biophysics major in the Department of Physics in spring 2012. The program is built upon foundational physics courses and is unique due to the possible selection of upper-division courses that students elect to take towards their undergraduate degree. A capstone course is offered to bring all prior knowledge in the fundamental sciences together to approach complex problems in biology. Due to the flexibility of the program, it serves students well who are interested in pursuing advanced degrees in Biophysics or Biomedical Engineering. It also offers students interested in the health professions an alternate path towards medical school which can be advantageous in the application process. This session will express some of the advantages and challenges to creating such a program at a liberal arts PUI and discuss the capstone course within the major.

Leadership for Dummies: A Capstone Project for Leadership Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Lori L.; Odom, Summer F.; Wied, Lexi M.

2011-01-01

Capstone courses in leadership provide students opportunities to synthesize prior knowledge about various aspects of leadership. This article describes the "Leadership for Dummies" project, which could be used as a capstone experience for leadership majors. Based on his experiences as a psychological researcher, Gardner (2008) identified five…

General Education: Curriculum. A Capstone Course.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bunker Hill Community Coll., Boston, MA.

Prepared by the General Education (GE) Review Steering Committee of Massachusetts' Bunker Hill Community College in 1991, this guide provides a model of a Capstone course, a component of the College's newly developed GE Cornerstone Curriculum. Chapter 1 reviews the purpose of Capstone, a mandatory interdisciplinary course designed to integrate the…

Describing Typical Capstone Course Experiences from a National Random Sample

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grahe, Jon E.; Hauhart, Robert C.

2013-01-01

The pedagogical value of capstones has been regularly discussed within psychology. This study presents results from an examination of a national random sample of department webpages and an online survey that characterized the typical capstone course in terms of classroom activities and course administration. The department webpages provide an…

Capstone Experiences in Small MPA Programs in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Younhee

2017-01-01

A capstone experience, as an exit degree requirement, allows Master of Public Administration (MPA) students to build quasi-experimental practices by applying learned knowledge and skills throughout their curriculum in the United States. Accredited MPA programs have implemented their capstone courses differently to achieve required standards. Small…

ETV/COMBINED HEAT AND POWER AT A COMMERCIAL SUPERMARKET CAPSTONE 60 KW MICROTURBINE SYSTEM

EPA Science Inventory

The Environmental Technology Verification report discusses the technology and performance of the Capstone 60 Microturbine CHP System manufactured by Capstone Microturbine Corporation. This system is a 60 kW electrical generator that puts out 480 v AC at 60 Hz and that is driven b...

The Senior Capstone, Dome or Spire?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heinemann, Robert L.

This paper examines a basic philosophical issue involved with the purpose of a senior capstone communication course required of all majors. The issue involves two opposites: closure, represented by the dome, and further exploration, represented by the spire. Both approaches have legitimate claims for a capstone course. There is definitely a need…

Service-Learning in a Capstone Modeling Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berkove, Ethan

2013-01-01

A capstone course is often synthetic, bringing together many components of a student's educational background. For this reason, a project-based course in mathematical modeling makes a great capstone, as modeling problems often require a broad collection of mathematical tools for their solution. The addition of a service-learning component can…

A Survey of Statistical Capstone Projects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martonosi, Susan E.; Williams, Talithia D.

2016-01-01

In this article, we highlight the advantages of incorporating a statistical capstone experience in the undergraduate curriculum, where students perform an in-depth analysis of real-world data. Capstone experiences develop statistical thinking by allowing students to engage in a consulting-like experience that requires skills outside the scope of…

Capstone Business Course Assessment: Exploring Student Readiness Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Payne, Stephen L.; Flynn, Jan; Whitfield, J. Michael

2008-01-01

In addition to assessment of student-learning outcomes in capstone business courses, an assessment concern is student readiness for these typical capstone experiences. A review of both (a) the literature on learning retention or application and student dispositions for undertaking significant learning challenges and (b) the authors' preliminary…

Developing Online Tutorials to Improve Information Literacy Skills for Second-Year Nursing Students of University College Dublin

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walters, Kirsteen; Bolich, Cecilia; Duffy, Daniel; Quinn, Ciarán; Walsh, Kathryn; Connolly, Sarah

2015-01-01

This article explores the process of developing online tutorials for a specified student group, in this case Second-Year Nursing students in University College Dublin. The product was commissioned by the Health Sciences Library and the UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery, and Health Systems. It was developed as a "Capstone Project" for part…

Converting a Biology Course into a Writing-Intensive Capstone Course: Using Collaboration between a Professor and Graduate Teaching Assistant

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lankford, Deanna; vom Saal, Fredrick

2012-01-01

In order to be effective competitors in the marketplace, students must be able to think critically, communicate complex ideas through writing, collaborate with peers, and apply their knowledge of biological science to generate solutions for issues facing society. In this paper we examine the nature of the instructional tools, strategies, and…

Kuwaiti engineers' perspectives of the engineering senior design (Capstone) course as related to their professional experiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alsagheer, Abdullah

This study looks into transfer of learning and its application in the actual employment of engineering students after graduation. At Kuwait University, a capstone course is being offered that aims to ensure that students amalgamate all kinds of engineering skills to apply to their work. Within a basic interpretive, qualitative study-design methodology, I interviewed 12 engineers who have recently experienced the senior design course at Kuwait University and are presently working in industry. From the analysis, four basic themes emerged that further delineate the focus of the entire study. The themes are 1) need for the capstone course, 2) applicability of and problems with the capstone course, 3) industry problems with training, and 4) students' attitudes toward the capstone course. The study concludes that participants are not transferring engineering skills; rather, they are transferring all types of instructions they have been given during their course of study at the university. A frequent statement is that the capstone course should be improved and specifically that it is necessary to improve upon the timing, schedule, teachers' behavior, contents, and format. The study concludes that Kuwaiti engineers on the whole face problems with time management and management support. The study includes some implications for Kuwait University and recommendations that can provide significant support for the development of the Senior Design (Capstone) Course. For examples: the project must be divided into phases to ensure timely completion of deliverables. In order to motivate students for hard work and to achieve true transfer of learning, Kuwait University is required to communicate with certain organizations to place its students at their research centers for capstone projects. All universities, including Kuwait University, should hire faculty specifically to run the capstone course. In conclusion, the study includes some suggestions for further research studies focused on issues related to the Senior Design (Capstone) Course. Future researchers should focus on developing the project-based course in earlier stages of students' educational program by investigating more about the relationship between student achievement and the market demand.

Capping Them Off! Exploring and Explaining the Patterns in Undergraduate Capstone Subjects in Australian Business Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Acker, Liz; Bailey, Janis; Wilson, Keithia; French, Erica

2014-01-01

Universities are increasingly offering capstone subjects as part of curricula to prepare final-year undergraduates for employment through consolidating and integrating their knowledge and skills while bridging the gap between academic learning and professional work. This study investigates capstone subjects offered by Australian business schools,…

Common Elements of Capstone Projects in the World's Top-Ranked Engineering Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ward, Thomas A.

2013-01-01

"Capstone" is a metaphor used to describe a final achievement that builds upon previous works and encapsulates them. Capstone projects are included in engineering curricula to integrate multi-disciplinary subjects and teach professional skills that are difficult to impart in a traditional lectured course. Since these projects serve to…

Framework for Implementing Engineering Senior Design Capstone Courses and Design Clinics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Franchetti, Matthew; Hefzy, Mohamed Samir; Pourazady, Mehdi; Smallman, Christine

2012-01-01

Senior design capstone projects for engineering students are essential components of an undergraduate program that enhances communication, teamwork, and problem solving skills. Capstone projects with industry are well established in management, but not as heavily utilized in engineering. This paper outlines a general framework that can be used by…

The Impact of a Capstone Farm Management Course on Critical Thinking Abilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perry, Dustin K.; Paulsen, Thomas H.; Retallick, Michael S.

2015-01-01

Current research demonstrates a need to explore the effects of specific course designs or directed activities on higher education students' critical thinking abilities. Specifically, such research on the effect of an experiential learning-based capstone course is limited. All students (N = 54) enrolled in a capstone farm management course…

Capstone Experiences in Career and Technical Education. Practice Application Brief No. 16.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kerka, Sandra

Capstones are culminating experiences in which students synthesize subject-matter knowledge they have acquired, integrate cross-disciplinary knowledge, and connect theory and application in preparation for entry into a career. Capstone courses should be both a synthesis and a bridge to students' future after graduation. In career and technical…

The Biology Major Capstone Experience: Measurements of Accountability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Thomas A.

2011-01-01

Loras College senior biology and biology research majors are required to take a comprehensive exam, give an oral presentation, write this talk into their thesis and participate in an exit interview with a non-biology faculty member before they graduate. Details of these capstone experiences will be discussed further. Other capstone experiences…

Aerosol sampling system for collection of Capstone depleted uranium particles in a high-energy environment.

PubMed

Holmes, Thomas D; Guilmette, Raymond A; Cheng, Yung Sung; Parkhurst, Mary Ann; Hoover, Mark D

2009-03-01

The Capstone Depleted Uranium (DU) Aerosol Study was undertaken to obtain aerosol samples resulting from a large-caliber DU penetrator striking an Abrams or Bradley test vehicle. The sampling strategy was designed to (1) optimize the performance of the samplers and maintain their integrity in the extreme environment created during perforation of an armored vehicle by a DU penetrator, (2) collect aerosols as a function of time post perforation, and (3) obtain size-classified samples for analysis of chemical composition, particle morphology, and solubility in lung fluid. This paper describes the experimental setup and sampling methodologies used to achieve these objectives. Custom-designed arrays of sampling heads were secured to the inside of the target in locations approximating the breathing zones of the crew locations in the test vehicles. Each array was designed to support nine filter cassettes and nine cascade impactors mounted with quick-disconnect fittings. Shielding and sampler placement strategies were used to minimize sampler loss caused by the penetrator impact and the resulting fragments of eroded penetrator and perforated armor. A cyclone train was used to collect larger quantities of DU aerosol for measurement of chemical composition and solubility. A moving filter sample was used to obtain semicontinuous samples for DU concentration determination. Control for the air samplers was provided by five remotely located valve control and pressure monitoring units located inside and around the test vehicle. These units were connected to a computer interface chassis and controlled using a customized LabVIEW engineering computer control program. The aerosol sampling arrays and control systems for the Capstone study provided the needed aerosol samples for physicochemical analysis, and the resultant data were used for risk assessment of exposure to DU aerosol.

Aerosol Sampling System for Collection of Capstone Depleted Uranium Particles in a High-Energy Environment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Holmes, Thomas D.; Guilmette, Raymond A.; Cheng, Yung-Sung

2009-03-01

The Capstone Depleted Uranium Aerosol Study was undertaken to obtain aerosol samples resulting from a kinetic-energy cartridge with a large-caliber depleted uranium (DU) penetrator striking an Abrams or Bradley test vehicle. The sampling strategy was designed to (1) optimize the performance of the samplers and maintain their integrity in the extreme environment created during perforation of an armored vehicle by a DU penetrator, (2) collect aerosols as a function of time post-impact, and (3) obtain size-classified samples for analysis of chemical composition, particle morphology, and solubility in lung fluid. This paper describes the experimental setup and sampling methodologies used tomore » achieve these objectives. Custom-designed arrays of sampling heads were secured to the inside of the target in locations approximating the breathing zones of the vehicle commander, loader, gunner, and driver. Each array was designed to support nine filter cassettes and nine cascade impactors mounted with quick-disconnect fittings. Shielding and sampler placement strategies were used to minimize sampler loss caused by the penetrator impact and the resulting fragments of eroded penetrator and perforated armor. A cyclone train was used to collect larger quantities of DU aerosol for chemical composition and solubility. A moving filter sample was used to obtain semicontinuous samples for depleted uranium concentration determination. Control for the air samplers was provided by five remotely located valve control and pressure monitoring units located inside and around the test vehicle. These units were connected to a computer interface chassis and controlled using a customized LabVIEW engineering computer control program. The aerosol sampling arrays and control systems for the Capstone study provided the needed aerosol samples for physicochemical analysis, and the resultant data were used for risk assessment of exposure to DU aerosol.« less

Deception Detection in a Computer-Mediated Environment: Gender, Trust, and Training Issues

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-03-01

to the understanding of deception detection from both a practical and academic point of view. The lessons learned from the limitations of this...has truly been a learning experience and a great capstone to a challenging Master’s program. I also owe great appreciation to individuals that...83 Academic Implications and Suggestions

Collaborative Invention in Computer Prototype Design: Negotiating Group Processes and Artifacts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Werner, Mark

A study looked at four groups of mostly senior graphic and industrial design students in their final semester capstone course--a collaborative studio project intended to give them the opportunity to apply their design expertise to real-world problems for real clients. The study examined the ways in which one of these groups used arguments to…

The Company Approach to Software Engineering Project Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Broman, D.; Sandahl, K.; Abu Baker, M.

2012-01-01

Teaching larger software engineering project courses at the end of a computing curriculum is a way for students to learn some aspects of real-world jobs in industry. Such courses, often referred to as capstone courses, are effective for learning how to apply the skills they have acquired in, for example, design, test, and configuration management.…

Structuring Assignments to Improve Understanding and Presentation Skills: Experiential Learning in the Capstone Strategic Management Team Presentation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Helms, Marilyn M.; Whitesell, Melissa

2017-01-01

In the strategic management course, students select, analyze, and present viable future alternatives based on information provided in cases or computer simulations. Rather than understanding the entire process, the student's focus is on the final presentation. Chickering's (1977) research on active learning suggests students learn more effectively…

Integrated Spreadsheets as a Paradigm of Type II Technology Applications in Mathematics Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abramovich, Sergei

2016-01-01

The paper presents the use of spreadsheets integrated with digital tools capable of symbolic computations and graphic constructions in a master's level capstone course for secondary mathematics teachers. Such use of spreadsheets is congruent with the Type II technology applications framework aimed at the development of conceptual knowledge in the…

Individualizing a capstone project: a cruise ship nurse creates a brochure about the Norwalk virus.

PubMed

Campbell, William T; Benn, Sonja

2011-01-01

An MS capstone is a summative academic project where the student is expected to combine personal experience, previous nursing knowledge, and newly acquired graduate nursing skills and integrate them into practice. The authors discuss the challenges of a capstone project from the committee chair and student perspectives. This family nurse practitioner student was a cruise ship nurse who identified a need related to the Norwalk virus. The committee chair needed to direct the student through the capstone formal process while helping her to create a professional brochure to educate future travelers.

Cultivating Sustainable and Authentic Service-Learning Partnerships in the Environmental Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivanochko, Tara; Grain, Kari

2017-04-01

The two-term, community service-learning capstone course for Environmental Sciences at the University of British Columbia, Canada, aims to support both community and students using authentic science practice in service of the community. During the course development, we implemented a routine process for student and community feedback, instructor reflection and course revision. Drawing on data from 23 interviews and 9 focus groups collected over three years, findings from this study highlight ways that community partnerships can be sustained while students have an authentic science experience. Based on data collected from community partners, we highlight the key processes, challenges, successes, and practical considerations in the creation and sustainability of a scientifically robust service-learning course.

From Mountaintop to Corporate Ladder--What New Professionals Really Really Want in a Capstone Experience!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

French, Erica; Bailey, Janis; van Acker, Elizabeth; Wood, Leigh

2015-01-01

Capstone subjects are increasingly used in Universities worldwide to complete the undergraduate program experience and to transition graduates into the workplace. As such, capstones fulfil a large role consolidating one experience and traversing the gap to another. Yet, little is known or understood about their design, their implementation or…

Teaching Management Information Systems as a General Education Requirement (GER) Capstone

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoanca, Bogdan

2012-01-01

Although many IS programs nationwide use capstone courses in the major, this paper reports on the use of an upper division Management Information Systems (MIS) class as a general education requirements (GER) capstone. The class is a core requirement for all majors in the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) program at the University of Alaska…

Developing a Mathematics Capstone Experience at The U.S. Air Force Academy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herzinger, Kurt; Holcomb, Trae; Peterson, Dale; Schaubroeck, Beth

2013-01-01

There are many details to consider when designing a capstone experience. Expectations of students, faculty workload, resources, logistics, and timing all play a part in the value of this endeavor. We discuss the experience of creating a research capstone experience from scratch including the components of our current course as well as lessons…

Developing and Implementing an Undergraduate Finance Capstone Course for Both Onground and Online Course Delivery

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiechowski, Linda S.

2010-01-01

Capstone courses provide an opportunity to integrate several topics and to help prepare students for the real world. This paper examines the process of developing an undergraduate finance capstone course for both onground (face-to-face) and online course delivery. The process begins with the determination of the core competencies employers require…

The MBA Capstone Course: Building Theoretical, Practical, Applied, and Reflective Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Inamdar, Syeda Noorein; Roldan, Malu

2013-01-01

The capstone strategy course is used in many management education programs to provide practical business relevance as a means for students to transition to the business world. We conducted an empirical study to determine to what extent capstone strategy courses are teaching the following four skills that prepare students to meet business job…

Systematically Evaluating the Effectiveness of an Information Systems Capstone Course: Implications for Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gill, T. Grandon; Ritzhaupt, Albert D.

2013-01-01

The information systems capstone experience for undergraduate majors is a topic frequently discussed in academic circles within the field. Though very little consensus exists on this topic, there are core themes that emerge in the design, development, and delivery of the undergraduate capstone courses. Our analysis of prior literature reveals four…

How is the United States Naval Academy Developing and Preparing Surface Warfare Officers: A Needs Analysis of the SWO Leadership Capstone Course

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-06-01

the ship. These cognitive needs can be thought of as what would be taught at the five-month SWOSDOC, the DOSP computer -based training modules, at a...137 a. Can NL401 Provide both Closure and Further Exploration? ...................138 b. Can Both be Accomplished in the Time Allotted...Warfare Officer Community, has no follow-on school; SWO Ensigns are trained by coupling the Division Officer at Sea Program (DOSP) computer based

Climate Change Education at the University of Washington: Bridging Academic Degrees, Departments and Disciplines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, L.; Bertram, M. A.

2012-12-01

Education on climate change occurs in many departments at large research universities, but providing a coordinated educational experience for students in this topic is challenging. Departmental boundaries, accounting for student credit hours, and curricula inertia create roadblocks to the creation of interdisciplinary curriculum for both graduate and undergraduate students. We describe a hierarchy of interdisciplinary programs that reach students from seniors in high school to graduate students, targeting students from a variety of disciplines. The UWHS (University of Washington in the High School) program allows high school teachers to be trained to teach UW courses to their own high school students at their own school. The students who enroll receive a UW grade and credit for the course (as well as high school credit). A UWHS course on Climate and Climate Change (Atmospheric Sciences 211) was created in 2011 supported by training to high school science teachers on the fundamentals of climate science. For the 2012-13 academic year we anticipate at least 5 schools in Washington State will be offering this course. Once students matriculate at UW, 211 serves as a prerequisite for the Climate Minor that began in 2011. The minor is hosted by the departments of Atmospheric Sciences, Earth and Space Sciences and Oceanography, offering instruction in three focus areas: climate chemistry and biology, the physical climate, and past climate and ice. Students also take an integrative seminar where they are required to communicate to both scientific and non-scientific audiences some topic in climate science. Students enrolled in graduate programs at UW can participate in the Graduate Certificate in Climate Science that began 2008. The certificate gives students instruction in climate science covering the same topic areas as the minor and with a capstone project where student communicate some aspect of climate science to a non-physical science audience. Projects have included describing to policy students how rainfall is expected to impact crops in Africa, the development of a series of talks on the health impacts of climate change for County Health officials, and the development of hands on curriculum modules for the 211 course. A climate and society track is under development for the Environmental Studies BA students who are also required to take 211. For these students capstone project will focus on societal implications of climate change. A track will be added to the Graduate Certificate focusing on impact, vulnerability and adaptation. This will serve students in natural resource sciences, public health, and social science programs. We are also working to linkage with the Graduate Certificate in Global Health so that group capstone experiences could focus on the climate impacts and adaption strategies for the most vulnerable people in the world. The richness of offerings at a large research intensive university can allow students to engage in all aspects of climate science, with the programs described above providing the structure that students need to be guided towards a deep and nuanced understanding of all aspects of climate change.

GSBPP CAPSTONE REVIEW

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-01

including the GSBPP exit survey , archived GSBPP capstones, faculty advisement data, faculty interviews, and a new GSBPP student survey in order to detail...analysis from multiple sources, including the GSBPP exit survey , archived GSBPP capstones, faculty advisement data, faculty interviews, and a new...GSBPP student survey in order to detail the capstone’s process, content, and value to multiple stakeholders. The project team also employs the Plan-Do

Streamlining the Capstone Process: A Time-Saving Approval System for Graduate Theses/Projects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grooms, James; Kline, Douglas; Cummings, Jeffrey

2016-01-01

Capstones have become an integral part of many information systems programs, both at the undergraduate and graduate level. One of the challenges can be tracking the process from the start of the capstone to completion. This paper describes the analysis, design and implementation of a web application for the approval workflow of a master's program…

The Application of Self-Directed Learning in a Marketing Strategy Capstone Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gray, David M.

2011-01-01

Capstone courses can create a space for students and educators to act as co-producers of desired learning outcomes which are directly relevant to the world of work. This study uses an auto-ethnographic case study approach to demonstrate how a mixed model learning approach evolved in a capstone marketing strategy unit in a marketing major at an…

Taking a Case Method Capstone Course Online: A Comparative Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gill, T. Grandon; Mullarkey, Matthew T.

2015-01-01

A capstone course is normally offered at the end of a program of study with the goal of helping students synthesize what they have learned in the courses preceding it. The paper describes such a course--an undergraduate capstone course for MIS majors--that was built around case discussions and projects and originally offered in a face-to-face…

Online Community-Based Learning as the Practice of Freedom: The Online Capstone Experience at Portland State University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arthur, Deborah Smith; Newton-Calvert, Zapoura

2015-01-01

Given the design of Portland State University's (PSU) undergraduate curriculum culminating in a capstone experience, the dramatic growth in online courses and online enrollments required a re-thinking of the capstone model to ensure all students could participate in this effective learning model and have a powerful learning experience. In recent…

Thinking Skills by Design: Using a Capstone ePortfolio to Promote Reflection, Critical Thinking, and Curriculum Integration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morreale, Cathleen; Van Zile-Tamsen, Carol; Emerson, Cheryl A.; Herzog, Matthew

2017-01-01

A capstone ePortfolio is a digital space where students can gather and integrate their learning experiences from their undergraduate careers into a meaningful whole, demonstrate their growth as learners, and connect their learning to the world. The process of creating a capstone ePortfolio equips students with the digital composition skills…

Textbook to Reality: Using Corporate Earnings Reports as an Effective Teaching Tool for a Business Capstone Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chowdhury, Manzoor E.

2016-01-01

Business curriculums in many universities now include a senior Capstone course that integrates topics or materials from all business areas. This capstone course is designed to teach the skills of strategic thinking and analysis rather than mere facts or concepts. With that goal in mind, the ideal course is structured in such a way so that students…

Developing a Team-taught Capstone Course in Neuroscience.

PubMed

Kennedy, Susan; Hassebrock, Frank

2012-01-01

Capstone courses are becoming increasingly visible on college and university campuses. In this paper, we describe a capstone experience for undergraduate students pursuing our neuroscience concentration. The course is intended to provide an in-depth and interdisciplinary examination of contemporary topics in the field of neuroscience, and is designed for students who have completed the majority of requirements for the concentration. We describe the evolution of such a course, the goals and objectives of the course, and offer a workable model for similar courses in the context of a liberal arts institution. We summarize the positive aspects of such a course, describe the challenges involved in creating a course of this nature, and offer suggestions for successful similar capstone courses in Neuroscience.

Developing a Team-taught Capstone Course in Neuroscience

PubMed Central

Kennedy, Susan; Hassebrock, Frank

2012-01-01

Capstone courses are becoming increasingly visible on college and university campuses. In this paper, we describe a capstone experience for undergraduate students pursuing our neuroscience concentration. The course is intended to provide an in-depth and interdisciplinary examination of contemporary topics in the field of neuroscience, and is designed for students who have completed the majority of requirements for the concentration. We describe the evolution of such a course, the goals and objectives of the course, and offer a workable model for similar courses in the context of a liberal arts institution. We summarize the positive aspects of such a course, describe the challenges involved in creating a course of this nature, and offer suggestions for successful similar capstone courses in Neuroscience. PMID:23493882

System design projects for undergraduate design education

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Batill, S. M.; Pinkelman, J.

1993-01-01

Design education has received considerable in the recent past. This paper is intended to address one aspect of undergraduate design education and that is the selection and development of the design project for a capstone design course. Specific goals for a capstone design course are presented and their influence on the project selection are discussed. The evolution of a series of projects based upon the design of remotely piloted aircraft is presented along with students' perspective on the capstone experience.

Multifaceted Learning Objective Assessment in a Mechanical Engineering Capstone Design Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baker, Nicholas S.

This thesis details multi method research approaches that have been used to study student learning objective instruction and assessment in the mechanical engineering (ME) capstone course at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). A primary focus of the research is to evaluate the pilot implementation of a Writing Fellows (WF) program in the ME capstone course, which has been assessed using a variety of techniques. The assessment generally indicates positive results. In particular, students favor the continuation of the program and find it more helpful than group consultations within the University Writing Center (UWC) alone. Self-assessment by the students indicates higher confidence in their communication skills, while preliminary analysis suggests that the writing fellow improved the scores of graded assignments by approximately one-third of a letter grade overall. Assessment efforts also highlight the need for deeper interaction between the WF and engineering faculty. A secondary focus of this research presents a methodology that has been developed and used to analyze how the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology's (ABET's) current Criterion 3 Student Outcomes (SOs) have been assessed in UNR's ME capstone class over several academic years. The methodology generally finds levels of ABET SO assessment in agreement with departmental and industry-held expectations for capstone courses at large. Finally, an analysis of student grades in the capstone course finds significant differences across semesters and identifies several potential causes.

Undergraduate design projects for assistive technology needs: assisted fishing.

PubMed

Borrego, Nick; Bilan, Kristi; Gebes, T J; Barrett, S F; Morton, S A

2012-01-01

In 2010 the University of Wyoming, College of Engineering and Applied Science was funded for a five year increment of the National Science Foundation’s Research to Aid Persons with Disabilities. This program provides a vital link between challenged individuals who require custom assistive technology devices with senior capstone design students who require challenging, meaningful projects. The program also provides education for our next generation of engineers on the needs of all individuals. In this paper we describe the program organization including project partners in the College and Wyoming Institute for Disabilities (WIND). We also provide a case study of a recently completed project for an assistive fishing device.

A Capstone Experience in Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ba, Jean-Claude; Lott, Trina

1997-04-01

This is an intergrated science course required for all AS/AA degree seeking students. It includes; ethical issues in science, the scientific method and interpretation of scientific results. This paper will present the work done by the only student enrolled in the course Autumn Quarter 1996. This course is in its 2 nd year at Columbus State Community College and may open the door to the development of more programs/courses that will introduce students from two-year Colleges to the different steps of a research project of a research project. In the future such projects could be completed in a local company as part of an internship.

Geoethics As a Key Component to an Undergraduate Capstone Experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geissman, J. W.; McFadden, L. D.

2014-12-01

We have taught a required, senior, capstone course, with a focus on geoscience communication, for almost 35 years. While both of us were at the University of New Mexico, we alternated responsibility for teaching this course. The first author continues to teach a similar course at the University of Texas at Dallas. As the course has evolved and new approaches taken, we have incorporated more and more subject matter related to ethics in science and in particular the geological sciences. Our experiences indicate that (1) students are typically enthralled by and curious about the subject, (2) students have received little if any exposure to the subject in any form of formal classroom environment, and (3) students have personally experienced situations or have learned of situations from their peers that have left them in an uncomfortable position and left them questioning the appropriateness of the actions witnessed. We typically introduce the subject of GeoEthics by drawing students' attention to the many Codes of Ethics or Professional Conduct assembled by Geoscience societies. Many students are quick to volunteer their experiences related to specific topics. For example, the statement in the Geological Society of America Code of Conduct, "Geoscientists should treat associates with respect, regardless of the level of their formal education, encourage them, learn with them, share ideas honestly, and give credit for their contributions" often incites lively discussion and reveals repeated behavior by some individuals.

CaPOW! Using Problem Sets in a Capstone Course to Improve Fourth-Year Medical Students' Confidence in Self-Directed Learning.

PubMed

Clay, Alison S; Ming, David Y; Knudsen, Nancy W; Engle, Deborah L; Grochowski, Colleen O'Connor; Andolsek, Kathryn M; Chudgar, Saumil M

2017-03-01

Despite the importance of self-directed learning (SDL) in the field of medicine, individuals are rarely taught how to perform SDL or receive feedback on it. Trainee skill in SDL is limited by difficulties with self-assessment and goal setting. Ninety-two graduating fourth-year medical students from Duke University School of Medicine completed an individualized learning plan (ILP) for a transition-to-residency Capstone course in spring 2015 to help foster their skills in SDL. Students completed the ILP after receiving a personalized report from a designated faculty coach detailing strengths and weaknesses on specific topics (e.g., pulmonary medicine) and clinical skills (e.g., generating a differential diagnosis). These were determined by their performance on 12 Capstone Problem Sets of the Week (CaPOWs) compared with their peers. Students used transitional-year milestones to self-assess their confidence in SDL. SDL was successfully implemented in a Capstone course through the development of required clinically oriented problem sets. Coaches provided guided feedback on students' performance to help them identify knowledge deficits. Students' self-assessment of their confidence in SDL increased following course completion. However, students often chose Capstone didactic sessions according to factors other than their CaPOW performance, including perceived relevance to planned specialty and session timing. Future Capstone curriculum changes may further enhance SDL skills of graduating students. Students will receive increased formative feedback on their CaPOW performance and be incentivized to attend sessions in areas of personal weakness.

The ongoing educational anomaly of earth science placement

USGS Publications Warehouse

Messina, P.; Speranza, P.; Metzger, E.P.; Stoffer, P.

2003-01-01

The geosciences have traditionally been viewed with less "aCademic prTstige" than other science curricula. Among the results of this perception are depressed K-16 enrollments, Earth Science assignments to lower-performing students, and relegation of these classes to sometimes under-qualified educators, all of which serve to confirm the widely-held misconceptions. An Earth Systems course developed at San Jos??e State University demonstrates the difficulty of a standard high school Earth science curriculum, while recognizing the deficiencies in pre-college Earth science education. Restructuring pre-college science curricula so that Earth Science is placed as a capstone course would greatly improve student understanding of the geosciences, while development of Earth systems courses that infuse real-world and hands-on learning at the college level is critical to bridging the information gap for those with no prior exposure to the Earth sciences. Well-crafted workshops for pre-service and inservice teachers of Earth Science can heIp to reverse the trends and unfortunate "sTatus" in geoscience education.

The evolution of a doctor of nursing practice capstone process: programmatic revisions to improve the quality of student projects.

PubMed

Nelson, Joan M; Cook, Paul F; Raterink, Ginger

2013-01-01

The past several years have seen explosive growth in the number of doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree programs offered by colleges of nursing in the United States. Through a process of trial and error since 2005, the faculty at the University of Colorado, College of Nursing, have revised the course structure and procedures related to the DNP capstone project to improve the quality and usefulness of these student projects. Efforts have focused on educating and involving all nursing faculty in the DNP capstone process, distinguishing between competencies for our PhD and DNP projects, clearly aligning the DNP capstone project with quality improvement methods rather than with research, working with our campus institutional review board to clarify regulatory review requirements for quality improvement studies, developing a review committee to oversee DNP students' projects, and structuring our sequential course requirements to encourage students' professional presentations and publications. Our current capstone process reflects 7 years of iterative work, which we summarize in this article in hopes that it will help institutions currently in the process of developing a DNP program. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Benefits of Peer Review and a Multisemester Capstone Writing Series on Inquiry and Analysis Skills in an Undergraduate Thesis

PubMed Central

Weaver, K. F.; Morales, V.; Nelson, M.; Weaver, P. F.; Toledo, A.; Godde, K.

2016-01-01

This study examines the relationship between the introduction of a four-course writing-intensive capstone series and improvement in inquiry and analysis skills of biology senior undergraduates. To measure the impact of the multicourse write-to-learn and peer-review pedagogy on student performance, we used a modified Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education rubric for Inquiry and Analysis and Written Communication to score senior research theses from 2006 to 2008 (pretreatment) and 2009 to 2013 (intervention). A Fisher-Freeman-Halton test and a two-sample Student’s t test were used to evaluate individual rubric dimensions and composite rubric scores, respectively, and a randomized complete block design analysis of variance was carried out on composite scores to examine the impact of the intervention across ethnicity, legacy (e.g., first-generation status), and research laboratory. The results show an increase in student performance in rubric scoring categories most closely associated with science literacy and critical-thinking skills, in addition to gains in students’ writing abilities. PMID:27789531

The Accounting Capstone Problem

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elrod, Henry; Norris, J. T.

2012-01-01

Capstone courses in accounting programs bring students experiences integrating across the curriculum (University of Washington, 2005) and offer unique (Sanyal, 2003) and transformative experiences (Sill, Harward, & Cooper, 2009). Students take many accounting courses without preparing complete sets of financial statements. Accountants not only…

Surface operations usability study utilizing Capstone phase I avionics : quick look report

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-10-07

Evaluate usability, suitability and acceptability of of the surface moving map implemented within Capstone Phase 1 Avionics for surface operations : Task 1: Airport Surface Situational Awareness (ASSA) : Task 2: Surface-Final Approach Runway Occupanc...

Negotiating the Client-Based Capstone Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reifenberg, Steve; Long, Sean

2017-01-01

Many graduate programs for professionals (public policy, public administration, business, international affairs, and others) use client-based experiential learning projects, often termed "capstones," in which students combine theory and practice to benefit an outside client. Increasingly, undergraduate programs use client-based capstones…

Building Efficiency Technologies by Tomorrow’s Engineers and Researchers (BETTER) Capstone. Final Technical Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yee, Shannon

BETTER Capstone supported 29 student project teams consisting of 155 students over two years in developing transformative building energy efficiency technologies through a capstone design experience. Capstone is the culmination of an undergraduate student’s engineering education. Interdisciplinary teams of students spent a semester designing and prototyping a technological solution for a variety building energy efficiency problems. During this experience students utilized the full design process, including the manufacturing and testing of a prototype solution, as well as publically demonstrating the solution at the Capstone Design Expo. As part of this project, students explored modern manufacturing techniques and gained hands-on experiencemore » with these techniques to produce their prototype technologies. This research added to the understanding of the challenges within building technology education and engagement with industry. One goal of the project was to help break the chicken-and-egg problem with getting students to engage more deeply with the building technology industry. It was learned however that this industry is less interested in trying innovative new concept but rather interested in hiring graduates for existing conventional building efforts. While none of the projects yielded commercial success, much individual student growth and learning was accomplished, which is a long-term benefit to the public at large.« less

Capstone: A Geometry-Centric Platform to Enable Physics-Based Simulation and Design of Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-10-05

foundation for the air-vehicle early design tool DaVinci being developed by CREATETM-AV project to enable development of associative models of air...CREATETM-AV solvers Kestrel [11] and Helios [16,17]. Furthermore, it is the foundation for the CREATETM-AV’s DaVinci [9] tool that provides a... Tools and Environments (CREATETM) program [6] aimed at developing a suite of high- performance physics-based computational tools addressing the needs

A Cross-Discipline Modeling Capstone Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frazier, Marian L.; LoFaro, Thomas; Pillers Dobler, Carolyn

2018-01-01

The Mathematical Association of America (MAA) and the American Statistical Association (ASA) have both updated and revised their curriculum guidelines. The guidelines of both associations recommend that students engage in a "capstone" experience, be exposed to applications, and have opportunities to communicate mathematical and…

Capstone 3 electronic flight bag (EFB) - airport moving map operational evaluation : human factors report

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-05-30

This report documents the human factors activities conducted as part of the Capstone 3 Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) Airport Moving Map operational evaluation. The purpose of that operational evaluation was to understand the safety implications of ...

The Development and Assessment of Particle Physics Summer Program for High School Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prefontaine, Brean; Kurahashi Neilson, Naoko, , Dr.; Love, Christina, , Dr.

2017-01-01

A four week immersive summer program for high school students was developed and implemented to promote awareness of university level research. The program was completely directed by an undergraduate physics major and included a hands-on and student-led capstone project for the high school students. The goal was to create an adaptive and shareable curriculum in order to influence high school students' views of university level research and what it means to be a scientist. The program was assessed through various methods including a survey developed for this program, a scientific attitudes survey, weekly blog posts, and an oral exit interview. The curriculum included visits to local laboratories, an introduction to particle physics and the IceCube collaboration, an introduction to electronics and computer programming, and their capstone project: planning and building a scale model of the IceCube detector. At the conclusion of the program, the students participated an informal outreach event for the general public and gave an oral presentation to the Department of Physics at Drexel University. Assessment results and details concerning the curriculum and its development will be discussed.

The Benefits of Peer Review and a Multisemester Capstone Writing Series on Inquiry and Analysis Skills in an Undergraduate Thesis.

PubMed

Weaver, K F; Morales, V; Nelson, M; Weaver, P F; Toledo, A; Godde, K

2016-01-01

This study examines the relationship between the introduction of a four-course writing-intensive capstone series and improvement in inquiry and analysis skills of biology senior undergraduates. To measure the impact of the multicourse write-to-learn and peer-review pedagogy on student performance, we used a modified Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education rubric for Inquiry and Analysis and Written Communication to score senior research theses from 2006 to 2008 (pretreatment) and 2009 to 2013 (intervention). A Fisher-Freeman-Halton test and a two-sample Student's t test were used to evaluate individual rubric dimensions and composite rubric scores, respectively, and a randomized complete block design analysis of variance was carried out on composite scores to examine the impact of the intervention across ethnicity, legacy (e.g., first-generation status), and research laboratory. The results show an increase in student performance in rubric scoring categories most closely associated with science literacy and critical-thinking skills, in addition to gains in students' writing abilities. © 2016 K. F. Weaver et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2016 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Integrating research into clinical internship training bridging the science/practice gap in pediatric psychology.

PubMed

McQuaid, Elizabeth L; Spirito, Anthony

2012-03-01

Existing literature highlights a critical gap between science and practice in clinical psychology. The internship year is a "capstone experience"; training in methods of scientific evaluation should be integrated with the development of advanced clinical competencies. We provide a rationale for continued exposure to research during the clinical internship year, including, (a) critical examination and integration of the literature regarding evidence-based treatment and assessment, (b) participation in faculty-based and independent research, and (c) orientation to the science and strategy of grantsmanship. Participation in research provides exposure to new empirical models and can foster the development of applied research questions. Orientation to grantsmanship can yield an initial sense of the "business of science." Internship provides an important opportunity to examine the challenges to integrating the clinical evidence base into professional practice; for that reason, providing research exposure on internship is an important strategy in training the next generation of pediatric psychologists.

Use of the AAVSO's International Variable Star Index (VSX) in an Undergraduate Astronomy Course Capstone Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larsen, Kristine

2017-06-01

The author discusses a capstone project that utilizes the AAVSO's International Variable Star Index (VSX), ASAS light curves and phase plots, and the SIMBAD astronomical data repository in a laboratory-based undergraduate Stellar and Galactic Astronomy course.

Calculating Capstone Depleted Uranium Aerosol Concentrations from Beta Activity Measurements

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Szrom, Fran; Falo, Gerald A.; Parkhurst, MaryAnn

2009-03-01

Beta activity measurements were used as surrogate measurements of uranium mass in aerosol samples collected during the field testing phase of the Capstone Depleted Uranium (DU) Aerosol Study. These aerosol samples generated by the perforation of armored combat vehicles were used to characterize the depleted uranium (DU) source term for the subsequent human health risk assessment (HHRA) of Capstone aerosols. Establishing a calibration curve between beta activity measurements and uranium mass measurements is straightforward if the uranium isotopes are in equilibrium with their immediate short-lived, beta-emitting progeny. For DU samples collected during the Capstone study, it was determined that themore » equilibrium between the uranium isotopes and their immediate short lived, beta-emitting progeny had been disrupted when penetrators had perforated target vehicles. Adjustments were made to account for the disrupted equilibrium and for wall losses in the aerosol samplers. Correction factors for the disrupted equilibrium ranged from 0.16 to 1, and the wall loss correction factors ranged from 1 to 1.92.« less

Design of a solar tracking interactive kiosk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greene, Nathaniel R.; Brunskill, Jeffrey C.

2017-01-01

A two-axis solar tracker and its interactive kiosk were designed by an interdisciplinary team of students and faculty. The objective was to develop a publicly accessible kiosk that would facilitate the study of energy usage and production on campus. Tracking is accomplished by an open-loop algorithm, microcontroller, and ham radio rotator. Solar panel output is monitored in real time and displayed to the public with lights and digits that can be read by the casual passersby. While maximum power point tracking is the most accurate means of quantifying the output power of a photovoltaic panel, simplicity and design constraints dictated the use of short-circuit current as a proxy for power. A touchscreen display allows kiosk visitors to compare two solar panels, an automatic tracker that faces the sun, and an identical panel whose elevation and azimuth can be controlled with a virtual joystick. This project was a capstone experience for students in physics/engineering, computer science, and instructional technology. We discuss technical challenges and design choices, as well as the educational goals of the kiosk.

Investigating Teaching Leadership in the Capstone Marketing Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Facca-Miess, Tina M.

2015-01-01

Marketing graduates are ultimately expected to perform in managerial roles, yet limited course work is devoted to leadership training for marketing management. In the capstone marketing course, group projects with partner organizations can serve as an opportunity for student leadership development. Marketing students working in groups on…

Bush School Capstone course support : the regional impact of climate change on transportation infrastructure and decision making.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-09-01

The Master of Public Service and Administration program at Texas A&Ms Bush School of Government : and Public Service requires that all second year graduate students participate in a two semester Capstone : course. These courses represent the pract...

A Capstone Mathematics Course for Prospective Secondary Mathematics Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Artzt, Alice F.; Sultan, Alan; Curcio, Frances R.; Gurl, Theresa

2012-01-01

This article describes an innovative capstone mathematics course that links college mathematics with school mathematics and pedagogy. It describes how college juniors in a secondary mathematics teacher preparation program engage in leadership experiences that enable them to learn mathematics for teaching while developing student-centered…

19. Walkway on top of caisson and capston heads. View ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

19. Walkway on top of caisson and capston heads. View shows water from Paget Sound on right and an empty drydock on left. Camera is pointed E from a raised platforms. - Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Drydock No. 3, Farragut Avenue, Bremerton, Kitsap County, WA

The association between tolerance for ambiguity and fear of negative evaluation: A study of engineering technology capstone courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dubikovsky, Sergey I.

For many students in engineering and engineering technology programs in the US, senior capstone design courses require students to form a team, define a problem, and find a feasible technical solution to address this problem. Students must integrate the knowledge and skills acquired during their studies at the college or university level. These truly integrative design activities do not have a single "correct" solution. Instead, there is an array of solutions, many of which could be used to achieve the final result. This ambiguity can cause students to experience anxiety during the projects. This study examined the main topics: • To what extent is a social anxiety (measured as fear of negative evaluation) related to tolerance for ambiguity in senior engineering capstone courses? • How does exposure to ambiguity prior to and during capstone courses affect tolerance for ambiguity? The study looked at the standard educational practices to see if they have unintended consequences, such a social anxiety in dealing with ambiguity. Those consequences are highly undesirable because they reduce students' learning. It was hypothesized that the lecture-based approaches that are more common in the first three years of study would not prepare students for self-directed capstone courses because the students would rarely have experienced problem-based learning before. The study used a quantitative approach and examined students' perceptions of their tolerance for ambiguity, and social anxiety before and after their senior capstone design experience. A survey instrument was adapted to measure exposure to ambiguity, which was studied as a potential moderator of the relationship between social anxiety and tolerance for ambiguity. The study indicated that social anxiety, as measured by fear of negative evaluation, does not play a major role in capstone courses. The second finding is that a single course, even if it was administered as a problem-based senior class, failed to increase students' tolerance for ambiguity. Students with low tolerance have more problems with ambiguity, whereas students with high tolerance can more easily endure changes and find it easier to act in the absence of complete information. The third important finding was that exposure to ambiguity prior to capstone courses does affect tolerance for ambiguity while controlling for instructor and if exposure to ambiguity is included as a moderator. It was not in the scope of this study to explore the effect of instructor more deeply, but this provides a direction for future research, especially in this time of expanding implementation of project- and problem-based learning methods in technical curricula.

ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY VERIFICATION REPORT, SWINE WASTE ELECTRIC POWER AND HEAT PRODUCTION--CAPSTONE 30KW MICROTURBINE SYSTEM

EPA Science Inventory

Under EPA’s Environmental Technology Verification program, which provides objective and scientific third party analysis of new technology that can benefit the environment, a combined heat and power system was evaluated based on the Capstone 30kW Microturbine developed by Cain Ind...

Creating International Community Service Learning Experiences in a Capstone Marketing-Projects Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Metcalf, Lynn E.

2010-01-01

This article outlines the development of a project-based capstone marketing course, specifically designed to provide marketing students with an international community service learning experience. It differs significantly from previous studies, which focus on integrating service learning into existing marketing courses and on helping local…

A Proposed Design for the Business Capstone Course with Emphasis on Improving Students' Information Competency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilinsky, Armand, Jr.; Robison, Richard

2008-01-01

Business school accrediting agencies and employers increasingly demand evidence that students are mastering information competency (IC) skills. The authors present an innovative approach to inculcate IC skills in the strategic management "capstone" class, integrating cross-departmental student training in using electronic information sources,…

Use of the AAVSO's International Variable Star Index (VSX) in an Undergraduate Astronomy Course Capstone Project (Abstract)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larsen, K.

2017-12-01

(Abstract only) The author discusses a capstone project that utilizes the AAVSO's International Variable Star Index (VSX), ASAS light curves and phase plots, and the SIMBAD astronomical data repository in a laboratory-based undergraduate Stellar and Galactic Astronomy course.

Development and Testing of Assessment Instruments for Multidisciplinary Engineering Capstone Design Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gerlick, Robert Edward

2010-01-01

The research presented in this manuscript was focused on the development of assessments for engineering design outcomes. The primary goal was to support efforts by the Transferrable Integrated Design Engineering Education (TIDEE) consortium in developing assessment instruments for multidisciplinary engineering capstone courses. Research conducted…

Capstone Portfolios and Geography Student Learning Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mossa, Joann

2014-01-01

Due to increasing demands regarding student learning outcomes and accreditation, a capstone portfolio was added to assess critical thinking and communication skills of geography majors at a large public university in the USA. The portfolio guidelines were designed to be adaptable to a flexible curriculum where about half of the requirements within…

Capstone Senior Research Course in Economics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Ishuan; Simonson, Robert

2016-01-01

In this article, the authors describe the structure and assessment of a capstone course in economics. The outcomes are noteworthy for three reasons. First, among cited evidence to date, this is the only undergraduate economics program from a nonselective public university reporting similar achievements in undergraduate research paper publications.…

Designing and Implementing a Capstone Gerontology Seminar: Synthesis and Action

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sasser, Jennifer R.

2005-01-01

This paper focuses on the design and implementation of Gerontology: Synthesis and Action, the capstone seminar for the undergraduate and graduate certificate in gerontology program at Marylhurst University, a small, private liberal arts university in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area. The institutional and programmatic context in which this…

From Curricular Alignment to the Culminating Project: The Peabody College Ed.D. Capstone

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smrekar, Claire; McGraner, Kristin

2009-01-01

The Department of Leadership, Policy, and Organizations (LPO) at Peabody College, Vanderbilt University, recently replaced the conventional Ed.D. dissertation with a team-produced, client-consultant oriented, culminating report. This article describes the purpose and principles associated with the "capstone" project and describes the…

Team-Teaching a Digital Senior Capstone Project in CTE

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ryan, Melanie D.; Tews, Nichole M.; Washer, Barton A.

2012-01-01

Secondary career and technical education (CTE) students are faced with the unique challenge of learning not only specific content-related knowledge and skills, but also postsecondary preparation, 21st century technology, employability and self-marketing skills. At Cass Career Center in Harrisonville, Missouri, a senior capstone project was…

What Makes a Senior Thesis Good?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trosset, Carol; Weisler, Steven

2018-01-01

Kuh (2008) describes the capstone as a "culminating experience" students undertake close to graduation often involving "a project of some sort that integrates and applies what they've learned" (p. 11). The senior thesis is one form of the capstone in which students write an analytic paper under faculty supervision, typically as…

Improving Communication Skills through a Capstone Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ackerman, Michael; Fenton, William E.; Raymond, Anne M.

2013-01-01

In the early 1990s, in an effort to enhance their majors' ability to communicate mathematical ideas, the Mathematics Department at Bellarmine University added a capstone course, "Readings in Mathematics," to the curriculum of each degree program in the department. We provide an overview of the course, noting its unique aspects, with…

The Capstone Strategy Course: What Might Real Integration Look Like?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kachra, Ariff; Schnietz, Karen

2008-01-01

The traditional master of business administration (MBA) capstone strategy course is intended to integrate the prior course work of the MBA program but is doing this less and less well in today's high-velocity and complex business environment. The traditional strategy course structures, emphasizing formulation-implementation and the…

"Why" and "How" We Can Teach Social Entrepreneurship in a Capstone Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fenton, Mark

2012-01-01

Social entrepreneurship, while not a new term, does not have a universal definition. Teaching entrepreneurship in a comprehensive university capstone course often includes a formal business plan project. By incorporating concepts of social entrepreneurship, students develop an awareness of entrepreneurship beyond a more traditional approach. This…

Experiences with Flipping the Marketing Capstone Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scovotti, Carol

2016-01-01

This article reviews the experiences of a flipped classroom approach in a marketing capstone course. Students completed readings, watched lecture videos, took a quiz, and submitted a short assignment for 10 course modules. While a few minutes were devoted to clarifying confusion from lecture topics, class time was used for experiential-learning…

Industrial Sponsor Perspective on Leveraging Capstone Design Projects to Enhance Their Business

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weissbach, Robert S.; Snyder, Joseph W.; Evans, Edward R., Jr.; Carucci, James R., Jr.

2017-01-01

Capstone design projects have become commonplace among engineering and engineering technology programs. These projects are valuable tools when assessing students, as they require students to work in teams, communicate effectively, and demonstrate technical competency. The use of industrial sponsors enhances these projects by giving these projects…

Development of Capstone Project Attitude Scales

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bringula, Rex P.

2015-01-01

This study attempted to develop valid and reliable Capstone Project Attitude Scales (CPAS). Among the scales reviewed, the Modified Fennema-Shermann Mathematics Attitude Scales was adapted in the construction of the CPAS. Usefulness, Confidence, and Gender View were the three subscales of the CPAS. Four hundred sixty-three students answered the…

Drug Synthesis and Analysis on a Dime: A Capstone Medicinal Chemistry Experience for the Undergraduate Biochemistry Laboratory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Streu, Craig N.; Reif, Randall D.; Neiles, Kelly Y.; Schech, Amanda J.; Mertz, Pamela S.

2016-01-01

Integrative, research-based experiences have shown tremendous potential as effective pedagogical approaches. Pharmaceutical development is an exciting field that draws heavily on organic chemistry and biochemistry techniques. A capstone drug synthesis/analysis laboratory is described where biochemistry students synthesize azo-stilbenoid compounds…

Implementation of Effective Capstone Projects in Undergraduate Manufacturing Design Engineering Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Viswanathan, Shekar

2017-01-01

Final program projects (capstone course) in manufacturing design engineering technology at National University are intensive experiences in critical thinking and analysis, designed to broaden students' perspectives and provide an opportunity for integration of coursework in the area of manufacturing design engineering. This paper focuses on three…

Promoting Liberal Learning in a Capstone Accounting Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahlawat, Sunita; Miller, Gerald; Shahid, Abdus

2012-01-01

This paper describes our efforts to integrate liberal learning principles in a capstone course within the overwhelmingly career-focused discipline of accountancy. Our approach was based on the belief that business and liberal learning courses are complementary, rather than competitive, elements of a well-rounded education. The ability to deal with…

Robotics Focused Capstone Senior Design Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rios-Gutierrez, Fernando; Alba-Flores, Rocio

2017-01-01

This work describes the educational experiences gained teaching the Senior Design I & II courses, a senior level, two-semester sequence in the Electrical Engineering (EE) program at Georgia Southern University (GSU). In particular, the authors present their experiences in using robotics as the main area to develop the capstone senior design,…

Assessing a Writing Intensive General Education Capstone: Research as Faculty Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parrish, Juli; Hesse, Doug; Bateman, Geoffrey

2016-01-01

We explain how collaboratively assessing a writing-intensive general education capstone seminar constituted a high-impact practice for faculty development. Students at the University of Denver complete an Advanced Seminar taught by faculty across the curriculum. Topics and themes vary widely, as do types of assigned writing, making assessment an…

Using Wikis to Investigate Communication, Collaboration and Engagement in Capstone Engineering Design Projects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berthoud, L.; Gliddon, J.

2018-01-01

In today's global Aerospace industry, virtual workspaces are commonly used for collaboration between geographically distributed multidisciplinary teams. This study investigated the use of wikis to look at communication, collaboration and engagement in 'Capstone' team design projects at the end of an engineering degree. Wikis were set up for teams…

The Role of the Web Server in a Capstone Web Application Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Umapathy, Karthikeyan; Wallace, F. Layne

2010-01-01

Web applications have become commonplace in the Information Systems curriculum. Much of the discussion about Web development for capstone courses has centered on the scripting tools. Very little has been discussed about different ways to incorporate the Web server into Web application development courses. In this paper, three different ways of…

The Molecular Biology Capstone Assessment: A Concept Assessment for Upper-Division Molecular Biology Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Couch, Brian A.; Wood, William B.; Knight, Jennifer K.

2015-01-01

Measuring students' conceptual understandings has become increasingly important to biology faculty members involved in evaluating and improving departmental programs. We developed the Molecular Biology Capstone Assessment (MBCA) to gauge comprehension of fundamental concepts in molecular and cell biology and the ability to apply these concepts in…

Survey Tools for Faculty to Quickly Assess Multidisciplinary Team Dynamics in Capstone Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Solnosky, Ryan; Fairchild, Joshua

2017-01-01

Many engineering faculty have limited skills and/or assessment tools to evaluate team dynamics in multidisciplinary team-based capstone courses. Rapidly deployable tools are needed here to provide proactive feedback to teams to facilitate deeper learning. Two surveys were developed based on industrial and organizational psychology theories around…

An Integrated Approach to Research Methods and Capstone

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Postic, Robert; McCandless, Ray; Stewart, Beth

2014-01-01

In 1991, the AACU issued a report on improving undergraduate education suggesting, in part, that a curriculum should be both comprehensive and cohesive. Since 2008, we have systematically integrated our research methods course with our capstone course in an attempt to accomplish the twin goals of comprehensiveness and cohesion. By taking this…

Chemical Research Writing: A Preparatory Course for Student Capstone Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schepmann, Hala G.; Hughes, Laura A.

2006-01-01

A research writing course was developed to prepare chemistry majors to conduct and report on their capstone research projects. The course guides students through a multistep process of preparing a literature review and research proposal. Students learn how to identify and avoid plagiarism, critically read and summarize a scientific article,…

Reflective Practice in a Capstone Business Internship Subject

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lang, Roselynn; McNaught, Keith

2013-01-01

Purpose: Capstone subjects which link students approaching graduation with significant experiential learning and relevant industry placements, have the potential to be very valuable to students. This is particularly evident if they are able to critically reflect on the experience. In light of this, the School of Business at the University of Notre…

Integration, Reflection, Interpretation: Realizing the Goals of a General Education Capstone Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fernandez, Nancy Page

2006-01-01

For the past 23 years, students at California State Polytechnic University at Pomona have benefited from its Interdisciplinary General Education Program (IGE)--a sequential, interdisciplinary general education program that culminates in a capstone course. IGE's history and structure support a strong culture of assessment. The program, founded in…

The Sociology Research Experience Capstone Course at Three Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKinney, Kathleen; Busher, Melissa

2011-01-01

This study describes the objectives, structures, and outcomes of a one-semester, required sociology research capstone course as taught at three institutions. Pre- and postquestionnaires from students, syllabi from instructors, and a random sample of final research papers were analyzed. Results indicate that the main foci of the course are to…

Capstone Engineering Design Projects for Community Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walz, Kenneth A.; Christian, Jon R.

2017-01-01

Capstone engineering design courses have been a feature at research universities and four-year schools for many years. Although such classes are less common at two-year colleges, the experience is equally beneficial for this population of students. With this in mind, Madison College introduced a project-based Engineering Design course in 2007.…

Balancing Instructional Techniques and Delivery Formats in Capstone Business Strategy Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alstete, Jeffrey W.; Beutell, Nicholas J.

2016-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to contend that collegiate programs should carefully plan their capstone courses in light of the educational mission, pedagogical content knowledge, instructional techniques and delivery formats. Design/methodology/approach: This is a concept paper with elements of theory building from the case of business…

Developing a Generic Review Framework to Assure Capstone Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hammer, Sara; Abawi, Lindy; Gibbings, Peter; Jones, Hazel; Redmond, Petrea; Shams, Syed

2018-01-01

Within the higher education context, capstone units can be viewed as a significant means of assuring intended learning outcomes for programmes. They provide students with the opportunity to consolidate and apply prior and new disciplinary learning, as well as employability skills and graduate attributes. This paper describes the first stage of an…

Full Speed Ahead: Using a Senior Capstone Course to Facilitate Students' Professional Transition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Appleby, Karen M.; Foster, Elaine; Kamusoko, Sibongile

2016-01-01

In recent years, institutions of higher education have become more focused on preparing students for their professional lives through senior seminars and capstone courses. Specifically in the fields of physical education, recreation and dance (PERD), it is strongly recommended by both the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation and SHAPE…

Case Study: The Capstone Project at Chelsea High School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Priti Johari

2017-01-01

Capstone projects serve as the centerpiece for an assessment system that values problem-solving and frames assessment as learning opportunities for students and teachers. Every January and May for one week, Chelsea High School, in Chelsea, Massachusetts, breaks from their traditional, four- periods-a-day bell schedule and the fast pace of a…

Reconsidering the International Business Capstone: Capping, Bridging, or Both?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Starr-Glass, David

2010-01-01

The capstone experience has become ubiquitous in undergraduate education. Originally, it served as a terminal display of academic excellence and bridging experience between study and work; more recently, however, it has been seen in terms of academic completion and consolidation. In times of increased turbulence for new business graduates, and in…

Navigating Multiple ePortfolios: Lessons Learned from a Capstone Seminar

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richards-Schuster, Katie; Galura, Joseph

2017-01-01

ePortfolios are a growing trend in higher education, implemented by an increasing number of curricular and co-curricular programs. Given the de-centralized nature of many colleges and universities, it is inevitable that faculty requiring ePortfolios, especially as capstone experiences, will engage with students who have completed one or more…

Real World Projects, Real World Problems: Capstones for External Clients

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reinicke, Bryan; Janicki, Thomas

2011-01-01

Capstones form an important part of the curriculum in many undergraduate and graduate programs in Information Systems. These projects give the students a chance to synthesize and apply the skills they have been acquiring throughout their academic program. These projects can be integrated with another recent initiative in higher education: service…

Investigating the Use of Design Methods by Capstone Design Students at Clemson University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, W. Stuart; Summers, Joshua D.

2013-01-01

The authors describe a preliminary study to understand the attitude of engineering students regarding the use of design methods in projects to identify the factors either affecting or influencing the use of these methods by novice engineers. A senior undergraduate capstone design course at Clemson University, consisting of approximately fifty…

Virginia's College and Career Ready Initiative Grade 12 English Capstone Course Content and Performance Expectations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Virginia Department of Education, 2011

2011-01-01

Virginia's "College and Career Ready English Performance Expectations" grade 12 capstone course contains high-interest contextualized content designed to give certain students an additional boost for competent and successful entry into college and careers. The course will add to students' preparation for critical reading, college and…

Writing in a History of Mathematics Capstone Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carter, John

2014-01-01

This article presents two approaches to using original sources in a capstone writing project for a History of Mathematics course. One approach involves searching local libraries and is best suited to schools in metropolitan areas. A second approach involves online resources available anywhere. Both projects were used in a course intended for…

Advanced Internship: A High-Impact, Low-Cost, Super-Capstone Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fernald, Peter S.; Goldstein, Gary S.

2013-01-01

In an earlier issue of this journal, the authors described a capstone course, Internship, that both "caps" the undergraduate experience and functions as a "bridge" to the world beyond college. Here, they describe a sequel to that course, Advanced Internship, which both extends and enhances the "capping" and "bridging" experiences. The bridging…

A Professional Development Manual for Online Learning at Savannah State University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nyatuame, Patrice C.

2017-01-01

This capstone is designed to support instructions, learning, and assessment at Savannah State University. The concepts that frame this capstone include Johnson and Aragon's (2004) pedagogical model that was used to develop the HRE Online Master's Degree Program. The manual addresses the new faculty member with a getting started systematic guide…

Detached and Unsustainable: Central Tensions in Teacher Research Capstones and the Possibilities for Reimagined Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fulmer, Ellie Fitts; Bodner, Jill

2017-01-01

With increased frequency, teacher education programs require candidates to engage in practice-based research capstones (e.g., Lattimer, 2012; Mule, 2006). Yet, experience provides evidence that newly credentialed teachers regularly disregard the practice of teacher inquiry immediately after graduation, prompting the authors to ask, "how can…

Secondary School Senior Capstone Projects: A Descriptive and Interpretive Case Study on Post-Secondary Students' Perspectives of Learning Transfer

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yasuda, Vanessa Applbaum

2017-01-01

This descriptive and interpretive case study investigates how 12 undergraduate college students perceived participation in their high school Senior Capstone Project (SCP) impacted their college academic experience. Learning transfer was explored from the learner's perspective. Data was collected using qualitative methods in three sequential phases…

Instructional Design, Active Learning, and Student Performance: Using a Trading Room to Teach Strategy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, Alice C.; Houghton, Susan M.; Rogers, Patrick R.

2012-01-01

This research used a quasi-experimental design with two conditions to test the impact of active learning in the context of integrated instructional design. The control condition was a traditional approach to teaching an undergraduate strategy capstone class. The intervention condition was an undergraduate strategy capstone class that was designed…

The Effects of a Collaborative Problem-Based Learning Experience on Students' Motivation in Engineering Capstone Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Brett D.; Epler, Cory M.; Mokri, Parastou; Bryant, Lauren H.; Paretti, Marie C.

2013-01-01

We identified and examined how the instructional elements of problem-based learning capstone engineering courses affected students' motivation to engage in the courses. We employed a two-phase, sequential, explanatory, mixed methods research design. For the quantitative phase, 47 undergraduate students at a large public university completed a…

Planning "and" Sprinting: Use of a Hybrid Project Management Methodology within a CIS Capstone Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baird, Aaron; Riggins, Frederick J.

2012-01-01

An increasing number of information systems projects in industry are managed using hybrid project management methodologies, but this shift in project management methods is not fully represented in our CIS curriculums. CIS capstone courses often include an applied project that is managed with traditional project management methods (plan first,…

A Multi- and Cross-Disciplinary Capstone Experience in Engineering Art: Animatronic Polar Bear

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sirinterlikci, Arif; Toukonen, Kayne; Mason, Steve; Madison, Russel

2005-01-01

An animatronic robot was designed and constructed for the 2003 Annual Student Robotic Technology and Engineering Challenge organized by the Robotics International (RI) association of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME). It was also the senior capstone design project for two of the design team members. After a thorough study of body and…

Benefits of Including a Capstone Simulation Course in Community College Business Curricula.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Black, William L.

This article makes an argument for including a capstone, or end-of-term, business simulation course in community college business curricula. The International Business Practice Firm (IBPF), a worldwide virtual business network, is proposed as a foundation for such a course. The author argues that, in general, graduates of college business programs…

Use of Engineering Design Competitions for Undergraduate and Capstone Projects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kundu, Sumit; Fowler, Michael W.

2009-01-01

There are many professional benefits to pursuing undergraduate design opportunities and capstone projects to both students and faculty advisors. Using a case study on a group of graduates and undergraduates who took part in the Hydrogen Ambassador Competition in 2005 this study will examine the benefits and challenges from the point of view of all…

Creating an Alternate Reality: Critical, Creative, and Empathic Thinking Generated in the "Global Village Playground" Capstone Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dondlinger, Mary Jo; Wilson, Douglas A.

2012-01-01

The "Global Village Playground" ("GVP") was a capstone learning experience designed to address institutional assessment needs while providing an integrated and authentic learning experience for students aimed at fostering critical and creative thinking. In the "GVP", students work on simulated and real-world problems as a design team tasked with…

Documenting Critical Thinking in a Capstone Course: Moving Students toward a Professional Disposition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kiener, Michael; Ahuna, Kelly H.; Tinnesz, Christine Gray

2014-01-01

This study describes a university capstone course designed to increase student critical thinking skills and preparation for the workforce. Principles of action research and qualitative methods were used to focus on how pedagogical choices of the instructor would influence student learning in these areas. Through extensive use of case studies,…

Why Phishing Works: Project for an Information Security Capstone Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pollacia, Lissa; Ding, Yan Zong; Yang, Seung

2015-01-01

This paper presents a project which was conducted in a capstone course in Information Security. The project focused on conducting research concerning the various aspects of phishing, such as why phishing works and who is more likely to be deceived by phishing. Students were guided through the process of conducting research: finding background and…

Designing an Elective Course on Gelotology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haynes, Gene C.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this capstone project was to design a course description on gelotology, the study of laughter, at a XYZ Institute. The course provides a detailed analysis of the background of gelotology, how the course was designed and how to put the course into application at the capstone site. The course was designed using a sample curriculum as…

Systems Engineering Capstone Marketplace

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-02-01

Contract Number: HQ0034-13-D-0004 Report No. SERC -2016-TR-102 February 2016 UNCLASSIFIED Systems Engineering Capstone Marketplace A013...Technical Report SERC -2016-TR-102 February 2016 Principal Investigator: Michael DeLorme Megan Clifford Stevens Institute of Technology...WHS TO 026 RT 43 WHS TO 027.RT 042 Report No. SERC -2013-TR-102 July 16, 2014 UNCLASSIFIED

Business and Industry Project-Based Capstone Courses: A Reflection on the Performance of Student Teams

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maleki, Reza A.

2009-01-01

This is the second of two articles in which the author shares experiences gained from the development and delivery of a business/industry project-based capstone course. The course integrates research, proposal development and design experience based on knowledge and skills acquired in earlier coursework. It also incorporates standards and…

Business and Industry Project-Based Capstone Courses: Selecting Projects and Assessing Learning Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maleki, Reza A.

2009-01-01

This is the first of two articles in which the author shares experiences gained from the development and delivery of a business/industry project-based capstone course. The course integrates research, proposal development and design experience based on knowledge and skills acquired in earlier coursework. The course also incorporates standards and…

Incorporating Current Research, Wikis, and Discussion Lists in a Mathematics Capstone Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Narasimhan, Revathi

2009-01-01

This article shows how current mathematical research and innovative internet technologies such as wikis and email discussion lists can enliven a senior seminar or capstone course. We give example of assignments as well as examples of how new technologies can enhance a course. This paper grew out of the author's experience of teaching a senior…

Promoting Active Engagement in Health Research: Lessons from an Undergraduate Gerontology Capstone Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robbins, Emily J.; Kinney, Jennifer M.; Kart, Cary S.

2008-01-01

With National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Aging (NIH/NIA) (R15/AREA) funding, the authors offered a four-credit hour undergraduate research course that was cross-listed in gerontology and sociology. This capstone course was aimed at providing students with the opportunity to (1) gain knowledge about diabetes and racial/ethnic…

A Practice-Centered Approach to Professional Development: Teacher-Librarian Collaboration in Capstone Projects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harada, Violet H.

2016-01-01

This paper reports on a professional development initiative that targeted teams of teachers and librarians working with high school students on strengthening an inquiry approach to capstone projects. While much has been written about student-focused models for information search and use, little has been reported on how training for the…

A Capstone Course on Agile Software Development Using Scrum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahnic, V.

2012-01-01

In this paper, an undergraduate capstone course in software engineering is described that not only exposes students to agile software development, but also makes it possible to observe the behavior of developers using Scrum for the first time. The course requires students to work as Scrum Teams, responsible for the implementation of a set of user…

Using Reengineering as an Integrating Capstone Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matos, Victor; Grasser, Rebecca

2007-01-01

This paper presents an example of integrating IT skills using an interesting real life problem. We describe how the reverse- and forward-engineering of the USA National Do Not Call registry was used in our capstone course to illustrate the fusion of different (but interdependent) issues and techniques learned in the IT program. The purpose of the…

Raising the Bar: Challenging Students in a Capstone Project Course with an Android and Mobile Web Parallel Development Team Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wong, Wilson; Pepe, James; Englander, Irv

2017-01-01

Information systems capstone projects aim to prepare students for what they will encounter in the industry after graduation. Corporate application development is often a complex endeavor that requires coordination between related products. For example, software development in the mobile application sector may require a coordinated parallel…

Inclusion-Based Afterschool Program Evaluation: A Capstone Research Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Earl, Kristine N.

2013-01-01

Autism spectrum disorder is characterized as a complex brain disorder that impacts the life of an individual (Autism Society, n.d.; Autism Speaks, 2013). The prevalence of autism is on the rise (Baio, 2012; CDC, 2012), impacting the stress of the family (Haimer, 2012; Hall & Graff) and the need for services (Haney, 2012). This capstone study…

Using implementation science as the core of the doctor of nursing practice inquiry project.

PubMed

Riner, Mary E

2015-01-01

New knowledge in health care needs to be implemented for continuous practice improvement. Doctor of nursing practice (DNP) programs are designed to increase clinical practice knowledge and leadership skills of graduates. This article describes an implementation science course developed in a DNP program focused on advancing graduates' capacity for health systems leadership. Curriculum and course development are presented, and the course is mapped to depict how the course objectives and assignments were aligned with DNP Essentials. Course modules with rational are described, and examples of how students implemented assignments are provided. The challenges of integrating this course into the life of the school are discussed as well as steps taken to develop faculty for this capstone learning experience. This article describes a model of using implementation science to provide DNP students an experience in designing and managing an evidence-based practice change project. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Photonics outreach and education through partnerships in Puerto Rico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friedman, Jonathan S.; Diaz, Andres; Saltares, Roger; Luciano, Sarah; Molina, Nerivette; Martinez, Smailyn; Hernandez, Alejandro; de Jesus, Johan; Rivera, Yesenia; Capeles, Antonio; Alvear, Felipe; Lopez, Jesus; Rivera, Miguel; Saurez, Rey; Trujillo, Elsa

2015-10-01

As the only photonics center in Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rico Photonics Institute (PRPI) has developed education and outreach projects, partnering with other institutions and private companies to optimize the use of available resources. We present our experience, challenges, rewards, and results for the following projects: - Tours: K-12 students visit our facilities in a science tour including a presentation on the Arecibo Observatory (AO) and the Digital Planet Geodome. We present optics demonstrations and other information. In the first three months we hosted fifteen schools impacting over 1,400 students. - Outreach: We have newly active outreach and recruiting activities for Puerto Rico (PR) schools. - Teachers: With the PR Math-Science Partnership (MSP) Program, we have given a full-day workshop on optics and photonics experiments for 5th-12th grade teachers, and a master class at the annual MSP Congress. We have impacted over 500 teachers through these initiatives. - Continuing Education: We have given continuing education courses in addition to the MSP workshops. - General Public: We partner with museums in PR, the University of Turabo, and the AO Visitor Center to build optics exhibits, many developed by students. - Video: PRPI is promoting the 2015 International Year of Light, creating: 1. A short video with students and faculty from the Universidad Metropolitana (UMET) Schools of Communication and Business Administration; 2. A longer video with the production company Geoambiente. - Apps: Our website will include ray tracing and wave propagation applications, developed by UMET Computer Science students. - Capstone: Engineering students at the School of Engineering at Universidad del Turabo are developing laser pattern generators.

Integrating Research Into Clinical Internship Training Bridging the Science/Practice Gap in Pediatric Psychology

PubMed Central

Spirito, Anthony

2012-01-01

Existing literature highlights a critical gap between science and practice in clinical psychology. The internship year is a “capstone experience”; training in methods of scientific evaluation should be integrated with the development of advanced clinical competencies. We provide a rationale for continued exposure to research during the clinical internship year, including, (a) critical examination and integration of the literature regarding evidence-based treatment and assessment, (b) participation in faculty-based and independent research, and (c) orientation to the science and strategy of grantsmanship. Participation in research provides exposure to new empirical models and can foster the development of applied research questions. Orientation to grantsmanship can yield an initial sense of the “business of science.” Internship provides an important opportunity to examine the challenges to integrating the clinical evidence base into professional practice; for that reason, providing research exposure on internship is an important strategy in training the next generation of pediatric psychologists. PMID:22286345

Empowering Students to Create Better Virtual Reality Applications: A Longitudinal Study of a VR Capstone Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Takala, Tuukka M.; Malmi, Lauri; Pugliese, Roberto; Takala, Tapio

2016-01-01

In this paper we present our experiences of teaching an annually organized virtual reality (VR) capstone course. We review three iterations of the course, during which a total of 45 students completed the course and 16 VR applications were implemented. Our comparative analysis describes the students' evaluation of the course, the applications…

Kuwaiti Engineers' Perspectives of the Engineering Senior Design (Capstone) Course as Related to Their Professional Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

AlSagheer, Abdullah

2010-01-01

This study looks into transfer of learning and its application in the actual employment of engineering students after graduation. At Kuwait University, a capstone course is being offered that aims to ensure that students amalgamate all kinds of engineering skills to apply to their work. Within a basic interpretive, qualitative study-design…

Secrets to Success: Business Skills and Knowledge That Students Find Most Useful in Succeeding in a Capstone Course Simulation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gresch, Eric; Rawls, Janita

2017-01-01

This exploratory research examines students' perceptions of a capstone business simulation game by identifying (a) courses that were most useful in preparing students for the simulation and (b) interpersonal skills students found most helpful when working with teammates on the simulation. Also identified are the simulation's impact on student…

Sharing the Treats of Mathematics in a Senior Capstone Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shifflet, Daniel R.

2013-01-01

In this paper we discuss why a senior capstone course is the perfect setting to reward graduating seniors with some of the more fun and interesting aspects of advanced mathematics. We provide a beginner's list of topics to consider as well as a method of implementing these tidbits outside of the classroom if time is an issue.

Increasing Student Responsibility and Active Learning in an Undergraduate Capstone Finance Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, David; Bianco, Candy

2013-01-01

This paper focuses on the effectiveness of factors in designing and delivering a complex, capstone course in an undergraduate major in finance. The course uses an instructional delivery system that is contrasted to the standard lecture format and has a broader set of objectives than is usually specified for a finance course. An objective of the…

Solving Real World Problems with Alternate Reality Gaming: Student Experiences in the Global Village Playground Capstone Course Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dondlinger, Mary Jo; McLeod, Julie K.

2015-01-01

The Global Village Playground (GVP) was a capstone learning experience designed to address institutional assessment needs while providing an integrated and authentic learning experience for students aimed at fostering complex problem solving, as well as critical and creative thinking. In the GVP, students work on simulated and real-world problems…

The Capstone Sales Course: An Integral Part of a University Level Professional Selling Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Titus, David; Harris, Garth; Gulati, Rajesh; Bristow, Dennis

2017-01-01

The Capstone Sales course is the final in a sequence of five required courses in a 15 credit Professional Selling program housed in the Marketing Department at St. Cloud State University. The course is heavily focused on experiential learning activities for senior-level sales students. In this paper details of the course design, instructor and…

Notes on Accounting Capstone Course Design: Contemporary Issues versus Case Analysis Enhances Student Interest and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ehoff, Clemense, Jr.

2010-01-01

This paper presents how the Internet can be used to bring contemporary issues into the accounting capstone course to enhance student interest and learning. While existing cases have been reviewed and structured, they focus on issues that may not be at the forefront of the items currently under examination and/or debate by the accounting…

Reducing the Boundaries between the Community and the Academy with a Full-Time Service Learning Capstone

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ballard, Andy

2013-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to share my experiences as the instructor of a full-time, single semester, service-learning capstone course. In this innovative course students already volunteering in the Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) organization work in teams to identify community needs and address them using their business skills and knowledge…

US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) Robotics Collaborative Technology Alliance 2014 Capstone Experiment

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-07-01

ARL-TR-7729 ● JULY 2016 US Army Research Laboratory US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) Robotics Collaborative Technology Alliance...TR-7729 ● JULY 2016 US Army Research Laboratory US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) Robotics Collaborative Technology Alliance 2014 Capstone...National Robotics Engineering Center, Pittsburgh, PA Robert Dean, Terence Keegan, and Chip Diberardino General Dynamics Land Systems, Westminster

Service-Learning by Doing: How a Student-Run Consulting Company Finds Relevance and Purpose in a Business Strategy Capstone Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, David F.; Sherwood, Arthur Lloyd; DePaolo, Concetta A.

2010-01-01

A challenge for undergraduate learning in strategy is that the students lack professional work experiences. Without a rich background of experience, many strategic management topics are difficult to grasp. Our solution has been to develop a strategic management capstone course that combines service-learning and problem-based learning. The…

A Service Learning Structural Engineering Capstone Course and the Assessment of Technical and Non-Technical Objectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dinehart, David W.; Gross, Shawn P.

2010-01-01

The primary role of a civil engineer is to serve the community; thus, it is essential that students understand the impact of engineering projects on, and the context of engineering projects within, society. One goal of an engineering capstone design course should be to mesh the technical knowledge of the discipline with an encompassing engineering…

Evidence-Based Conclusions Concerning Practice, Curriculum Design and Curriculum Reform in a Civil Engineering Capstone Design Course in Hong Kong

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chan, Cecilia K. Y.; Wong, George C. K.; Law, Ada K. H.; Zhang, T.; Au, Francis T. K.

2017-01-01

This study aimed to provide evidence-based conclusions from students concerning a capstone-design course in a civil engineering programme in Hong Kong. The evidence was generated by designing a student-experience questionnaire. The questionnaire instrument was assessed for internal consistency in four scales (curriculum and structure changes;…

A Multi-Institutional Study of Students' Perceptions and Experiences in the Research-Based Capstone Course in Sociology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKinney, Kathleen; Day, Melissa D.

2012-01-01

In this article, we describe student perceptions of, and experiences in, a one-semester, required sociology research capstone course. The data come from 106 students in eight sections of the course taught at three institutions. We used multiple methods for data collection: questionnaires, focus groups, and learning reflection essays. Our results…

The Association between Tolerance for Ambiguity and Fear of Negative Evaluation: A Study of Engineering Technology Capstone Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dubikovsky, Sergey I.

2016-01-01

For many students in engineering and engineering technology programs in the US, senior capstone design courses require students to form a team, define a problem, and find a feasible technical solution to address this problem. Students must integrate the knowledge and skills acquired during their studies at the college or university level. These…

Integrating Chemical Information Instruction into the Chemistry Curriculum on Borrowed Time: A Multiyear Case Study of a Capstone Research Report for Organic Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacobs, Danielle L.; Dalal, Heather A.; Dawson, Patricia H.

2016-01-01

To develop information literacy skills in chemistry and biochemistry majors at a primarily undergraduate institution, a multiyear collaboration between chemistry faculty and librarians has resulted in the establishment of a semester-long capstone project for Organic Chemistry II. Information literacy skills were instilled via a progressive…

Team-Based Learning in a Capstone Course in Speech-Language Pathology: Learning Outcomes and Student Perceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wallace, Sarah E.

2015-01-01

Team-based learning (TBL), although found to increase student engagement and higher-level thinking, has not been examined in the field of speech-language pathology. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of integrating TBL into a capstone course in evidence-based practice (EBP). The researcher evaluated 27 students' understanding of…

Students' Perceptions of Communications Provided by Faculty and Peer Leaders, Course Motivation, and Final Project Innovativeness in Capstone Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evert, Amanda Faith

2011-01-01

Scope and Method of Study. The purpose of this study was to assess students' perceptions of communications provided by faculty and peer leaders in relationship to both students' perceptions of their course motivation as well as their perceptions of the innovativeness of their final project in single and multidisciplinary capstone courses. The…

Implementing Service-Learning to the Information Systems and Technology Management Program: A Study of an Undergraduate Capstone Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wei, Kangning; Siow, Jane; Burley, Diana L.

2007-01-01

Service-learning has been identified as an extremely valuable educational tool and applied to different disciplines and areas, but literature review on service learning has indicated that service-learning is little used in Information Systems education. This paper presents our design and development of a service-learning capstone course for…

"Reflecting on Reflections:" Curating ePortfolios for Integrative Learning and Identity Development in a General Education Senior Capstone

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schrand, Tom; Jones, Katharine; Hanson, Valerie

2018-01-01

By embedding an ePortfolio process in a general education core that culminates with a senior capstone course, Thomas Jefferson University has created an opportunity for students to use their completed ePortfolios as archives of primary sources that they can curate to produce narratives about their intellectual development. The result was a…

Moving from the Classroom to the Workplace: A Service-Learning Case Study of a Media Production Capstone Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Giese, Mark

2013-01-01

This is a case study of how a capstone course, Producing and Directing, evolved into a service-learning course designed to provide graduating students with real-world workplace experience. It will examine issues including course structure, grading issues, course and client logistics, unaddressed skill sets, group work, and work-product quality…

Using a Movie as a Capstone Activity for the Introductory Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blessing, Stephen B.; Blessing, Jennifer S.

2015-01-01

A capstone experience serves as a culminating exercise for students to assimilate the information learned in a course and to realize how to use the material and skills in different contexts. Both majors and nonmajors benefit from having the material in the introductory course consolidated in such a way, for later study in the field and to more…

The Live In-Class CEO Intervention: A Capstone Experiential Technique for Leadership Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rashford, Nicholas S.; de Figueiredo, Joao Neiva

2011-01-01

This article describes a pedagogical technique that has been used successfully for more than 35 years in business education, primarily as a capstone experience in MBA and Executive MBA programs: the live in-class CEO intervention method. This method consists of a CEO bringing to the classroom a strategic issue that she or he is currently…

Systems Engineering Capstone Marketplace

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-05

well. There have been unconventional teams in previous CM  projects  that operated  outside  of  the  typical  capstone  design  format  and  managed   great... projects  do not need the full $10,000 delegated, and the  lack of charging  the expected personnel  to help  manage   the Capstone Marketplace  impacted  the...University Affiliated  Research  Center  managed  by Stevens Institute of Technology.      This material  is based upon work  supported,  in whole or  in part

An international capstone experience for pharmacy students.

PubMed

Gourley, Dick R; Vaidya, Varun A; Hufstader, Meghan A; Ray, Max D; Chisholm-Burns, Marie A

2013-04-12

This report describes the experiences of the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy over 20 years with an international capstone educational experience for students. Although the university provides reciprocal opportunities to international students, this report focuses on the experiences of the college's pharmacy students who have participated in the program. This capstone course is offered as an elective course in the advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) component of the college's experiential program. Goals of the program and a brief description of its organizational structure are provided. Results of a structured student satisfaction survey and a survey covering the most recent 3 years of the program are presented. This program has greatly broadened participants' cultural horizons and expanded their global view and understanding of the contributions of pharmacy to health care.

What to do when the Universities reject High School Earth Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Norden, W.

2011-12-01

It is hard to imagine a state of the union more affected by Earth processes than the state of California. However, the University of California actively discourages High School students from taking Earth Science courses. For admission into the University of California students are required to take at least 2 years of courses that offer a fundamental knowledge in at least two of these three foundational subjects: biology, chemistry, and physics. Earth Science courses simply don't qualify as laboratory science courses. The UC Admissions will sometimes make an exception for an Earth Science course only if it is shown to contain a large component of biology, chemistry and physics topics. Since students don't get credit for admission for taking Earth Science, High Schools are quick to drop Earth Science courses for their college-bound students. A group of teachers and University professors have been working to reverse this policy by creating a rigorous capstone Earth Science course that clearly merits laboratory status. Getting this course accepted by the University of California is well on its way, but getting the course into the High Schools will take a lot of work and probably some extra funding.

Bridging the gap with a duel-credit Earth Science course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Norden, W.

2011-12-01

College-bound high school students rarely have any exposure to the Earth Sciences. Earth Science may be offered to Middle School students. What is offered in High School, however, is usually a watered-down course offered to the weakest students. Meanwhile, our best and brightest students are steered towards biology, chemistry, and physics, what most schools consider the "real sciences". As a direct result, our population is not literate in the Earth Sciences and few students choose to study the Earth Science in college. One way to counteract this trend is to offer a rigorous capstone Earth Science course to High School Juniors and Seniors. Offering a course does not guarantee enrollment, however. Top science students are too busy taking Advanced Placement courses to consider a non-AP course. For that reason, the best way to lure top students into studying Earth Science is to create a duel-credit course, for which students receive both high school and college credit. A collaboration between high school teachers and college professors can result in a quality Earth Science course that bridges the huge gap that now exists between middle school science and college Earth Science. Harvard-Westlake School has successfully offered a duel-credit course with UCLA, and has created a model that can be used by other schools.

Practicing What We Teach, Teaching What They'll Practice: Developing "Reflective Practitioners" through a Capstone Business Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grinnell, James; Muise, Cristina; Litvin, Deborah

2009-01-01

Business education is failing to prepare undergraduates for success in the 21st century workplace. In this paper we contribute one example of a course specifically designed to confront and close this gap between what we know and what we do as business educators. Our example is an innovative, student-centered, senior-level capstone course developed…

Sustaining Change: Successes, Challenges, and Lessons Learned from Twenty Years of Empowering Students through Community-Based Learning Capstones

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kerrigan, Seanna M.

2015-01-01

More than four thousand students engage in the community-based learning capstone program every year by enrolling in one of 240 senior-level courses that culminate their undergraduate education. In this article, the author shares the context and history of the program, its foundational principles and processes, and the nuts-and-bolts details of the…

Reserve Component Training under CAPSTONE

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-03-15

that promotes aggressive, bold, initiative-seeking performances by their sub- ordinates and units. Emphasis on innovative training must continue to...their subordinates and units. Emphasis on innovative training must continue to ensure winning results on tomorrow’s battlefield. CAPSTONE, a Total Army...Department of the Army (HQDA) managed program that brings units up to a designated structure by filling organizational voids with units from a different

The Benefits of Peer Review and a Multisemester Capstone Writing Series on Inquiry and Analysis Skills in an Undergraduate Thesis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weaver, K. F.; Morales, V.; Nelson, M.; Weaver, P. F.; Toledo, A.; Godde, K.

2016-01-01

This study examines the relationship between the introduction of a four-course writing-intensive capstone series and improvement in inquiry and analysis skills of biology senior undergraduates. To measure the impact of the multicourse write-to-learn and peer-review pedagogy on student performance, we used a modified Valid Assessment of Learning in…

A Capstone Project: Closing the Achievement Gap of English Learners in Literacy at Sunshine Elementary School Using the Gap Analysis Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herrera, Juan Carlos

2013-01-01

This project was an alternative capstone dissertation conducted by a team of three doctoral students. The project focused on systematic and long-term underachievement of the English Language (EL) population of a single school, Sunshine Elementary, using the gap analysis model (Clark and Estes, 2008). More specifically, the purpose of the analysis…

A Capstone Project: Closing the Achievement Gap of English Language Learners at Sunshine Elementary School Using the Gap Analysis Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mingo-Long, Enyetta

2013-01-01

This project was an alternative capstone dissertation conducted by a team of three doctoral students. The project focused on systematic and long-term underachievement of the English Language Learner (ELL) population of a single school, Sunshine Elementary, using the gap analysis model (Clark and Estes, 2008). More specifically, the purpose of the…

Positive Effects of Restricting Student Note-Taking in a Capstone Psychology Course: Reducing the Demands of Divided Attention in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Long, Gerald M.

2014-01-01

Two versions of a senior-level capstone course with differing note-taking strategies were compared. In one semester, a traditional student note-taking format was used; in another semester, student note-taking was rendered unnecessary by providing students with complete instructor notes. Student performance in the course as well as student opinions…

A Cultured Learning Environment: Implementing a Problem- and Service-Based Microbiology Capstone Course to Assess Process- and Skill-Based Learning Objectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watson, Rachel M.; Willford, John D.; Pfeifer, Mariel A.

2018-01-01

In this study, a problem-based capstone course was designed to assess the University of Wyoming Microbiology Program's skill-based and process-based student learning objectives. Students partnered with a local farm, a community garden, and a free downtown clinic in order to conceptualize, propose, perform, and present studies addressing problems…

NASA Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Research Project Capstone Even

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-05-05

Dr. Amber Straughn, Lead Scientist for James Webb Space Telescope Education & Public Outreach at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, speaks to students from Mapletown Jr/Sr High School and Margaret Bell Middle School during the NASA Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Research Project Capstone Event in the James E. Webb Auditorium at NASA Headquarters on Monday, May 5, 2014 Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Authentic Diversity: A Case Study on College Students' Engagement with Diversity Competencies in an Integrative Studies Degree Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saunders, Kimberly

2009-01-01

This qualitative study provided a lens into the context of a senior capstone experience in an Integrative Studies degree program. The primary aim of this case study was to explore the use of capstone portfolio pedagogy as a reflection tool to demonstrate how students engage with authentic diversity competencies in an Integrative Studies degree…

2011 National Survey of Senior Capstone Experiences: Institutional-Level Data on the Culminating Experience. Research Reports on College Transitions No. 3

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Padgett, Ryan D.; Kilgo, Cindy A.

2012-01-01

In 2011, the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition revisited its 1999 National Survey of Senior Seminars and Capstone Courses to explore the current state of culminating experiences in American higher education. Drawn from a sample of public and private colleges and universities across the country, the…

Argument as Professional Development: Impacting Teacher Knowledge and Beliefs About Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crippen, Kent J.

2012-12-01

Using a case study method, the experiences of a group of high school science teachers participating in a unique professional development method involving an argue-to-learn intervention were examined. The participants ( N = 42) represented 25 different high schools from a large urban school district in the southwestern United States. Data sources included a multiple-choice science content test and artifacts from a capstone argument project. Findings indicate although it was intended for the curriculum to be a robust and sufficient collection of evidence, participant groups were more likely to use the Web to find unique evidence than to they were to use the provided materials. Content knowledge increased, but an issue with teacher conceptions of primary data was identified, as none of the participants chose to use any of their experimental results in their final arguments. The results of this study reinforce multiple calls for science curricula that engage students (including teachers as students) in the manipulation and questioning of authentic data as a means to better understanding complex socioscientific issues and the nature of science.

Teaching Risk Analysis in an Aircraft Gas Turbine Engine Design Capstone Course

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-01-01

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics 1 Teaching Risk Analysis in an Aircraft Gas Turbine Engine Design Capstone Course...development costs, engine production costs, and scheduling (Byerley A. R., 2013) as well as the linkage between turbine inlet temperature, blade cooling...analysis SE majors have studied and how this is linked to the specific issues they must face in aircraft gas turbine engine design. Aeronautical and

A Systems Analysis and Design Case Study for a Business Modeling Learning Experience for a Capstone CIS/IS Systems Development Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russell, Jack; Russell, Barbara

2015-01-01

The goal is to provide a robust and challenging problem statement for a capstone, advanced systems analysis and design course for CIS/MIS/CS majors. In addition to the problem narrative, a representative solution for much of the business modeling deliverables is presented using the UML paradigm. A structured analysis deliverable will be the topic…

A Capstone Project Using the Gap Analysis Model: Closing the College Readiness Gap for Latino English Language Learners with a Focus on School Support and School Counseling Resources

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jimenez, Evelyn

2013-01-01

This capstone project applied Clark and Estes' (2008) gap analysis framework to identify performance gaps, develop perceived root causes, validate the causes, and formulate research-based solutions to present to Trojan High School. The purpose was to examine ways to increase the academic achievement of ELL students, specifically Latinos, by…

SE Capstone Project: Building Systems Engineering Education and Workforce Capacity

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-04-01

This project developed a system to improve fuel efficiency by means of regenerative braking . The team designed a simple system that allows "bolt-on...air traffic control, social networking, credit/debit cards, and anti-lock brakes are only a few functions enabled by complex systems of systems . We...Building Systems Engineering Education and Workforce Capacity SE Capstone Project APRIL 2012 Report Documentation Page Form ApprovedOMB No. 0704

Warrior Ethos Revisited: Implications for the Future

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-15

ambiguous circumstances which will require a high degree of moral judgment in the reasoned application of force. Adapting Army culture to meet these...relationships and places high priority on the development of moral character. The Army Capstone Concept 2016-2028 argues that while the character of war...assessment of the situation”.5 As the Army through its Capstone Concept seeks to define required future capabilities, what cultural changes if any

Graduate Student and High School Teacher Partnerships Implementing Inquiry-Based Lessons in Earth Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, M. A.; Preston, L.; Graham, K.

2007-12-01

Partnering science graduate students with high school teachers in their classroom is a mutually beneficial relationship. Graduate students who may become future university level faculty are exposed to teaching, classroom management, outreach scholarship, and managing time between teaching and research. Teachers benefit by having ready access to knowledgeable scientists, a link to university resources, and an additional adult in the classroom. Partnerships in Research Opportunities to Benefit Education (PROBE), a recent NSF funded GK-12 initiative, formed partnerships between science and math graduate students from the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and local high school science teachers. A primary goal of this program was to promote inquiry-based science lessons. The teacher-graduate student teams worked together approximately twenty hours per week on researching, preparing, and implementing new lessons and supervising student-led projects. Several new inquiry-based activities in Geology and Astronomy were developed as a result of collaboration between an Earth Science graduate student and high school teacher. For example, a "fishbowl" activity was very successful in sparking a classroom discussion about how minerals are used in industrial materials. The class then went on to research how to make their own paint using minerals. This activity provided a capstone project at the end of the unit about minerals, and made real world connections to the subject. A more involved geology lesson was developed focusing on the currently popular interest in forensics. Students were assigned with researching how geology can play an important part in solving a crime. When they understood the role of geologic concepts within the scope of the forensic world, they used techniques to solve their own "crime". Astronomy students were responsible for hosting and teaching middle school students about constellations, using a star- finder, and operating an interactive planetarium computer program. In order to successfully convey this information to the younger students, the high school students had to learn their material well. This model of pairing graduate students with science teachers is continuing as a component of the Transforming Earth System Science Education (TESSE) program.

C2 Core and UCore Message Design Capstone: Interoperable Message Structure

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-09-01

there are sufficient resources to carry out a mission. The Team used the Theatre Battle Management Command System ( TBMCS ) to generate sample CMD...System ( TBMCS ) was used to generate CMD messages as inputs for both use cases. These were programmatically transformed into the three-layer message...used for the experiment was generated from the TBMCS in the form of a CMD XML document. The Capstone experiment included transforming that document to

A Capstone Project Using the Gap Analysis Model: Closing the College Readiness Gap for Latino English Language Learners with a Focus on College Affordability and Student Grades

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kurland, Michael A. T.

2013-01-01

This capstone dissertation inquiry project focused on the underperformance of English language learners (ELLs) at a high school. The Clark and Estes' (2008) gap analysis model was the analytical framework used to conduct this inquiry. At the request of the school, the inquiry focus was on gaining a better understanding of the underachievement…

Using wikis to investigate communication, collaboration and engagement in Capstone engineering design projects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berthoud, L.; Gliddon, J.

2018-03-01

In today's global Aerospace industry, virtual workspaces are commonly used for collaboration between geographically distributed multidisciplinary teams. This study investigated the use of wikis to look at communication, collaboration and engagement in 'Capstone' team design projects at the end of an engineering degree. Wikis were set up for teams of engineering students from different disciplinary backgrounds and years. The students' perception of the usefulness of the tool were surveyed and the user contribution statistics and content categorisation were analysed for a case study wiki. Recommendations and lessons learned for the deployment of wikis are provided for interested academic staff from other institutions. Wikis were found to be of limited use to investigate levels of communication and collaboration in this study, but may be of interest in other contexts. Wikis were considered a potentially useful tool to track engagement for Capstone design projects in engineering subjects.

Impact of senior design project for the development of leadership and management skills in construction management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chowdhury, Tamara

2013-08-01

Senior design courses are a core part of curricula across engineering and technology disciplines. Such courses offer Construction Management (CMG) students the opportunity to bring together, assimilate and apply the knowledge they have acquired over their entire undergraduate academic programme to an applied technical project. Senior or Capstone design course engages students in a real-world project, enhance leadership development, and prepare to manage and lead project teams. The CMG programme's multidisciplinary approach at Alabama A&M University, combines essential components of construction techniques with concepts of business management to develop technically qualified individuals for responsible management roles in the design, construction and operation of major construction projects. This paper analyses the performance of the students and improvement due to the interaction with the faculty advisors and industrial panel during the two semester Capstone project. The results of this Capstone sequence have shown a continuous improvement of student performance.

Applications of Capstone depleted uranium aerosol risk data to military combat risk management.

PubMed

Daxon, Eric G; Parkhurst, Mary Ann; Melanson, Mark A; Roszell, Laurie E

2009-03-01

Risks to personnel engaged in military operations include not only the threat of enemy firepower but also risks from exposure to other hazards such as radiation. Combatant commanders of the U.S. Army carefully weigh risks of casualties before implementing battlefield actions using an established paradigm that takes these risks into consideration. As a result of the inclusion of depleted uranium (DU) anti-armor ammunition in the conventional (non-nuclear) weapons arsenal, the potential for exposure to DU aerosols and its associated chemical and radiological effects becomes an element of the commanders' risk assessment. The Capstone DU Aerosol Study measured the range of likely DU oxide aerosol concentrations created inside a combat vehicle perforated with a DU munition, and the Capstone Human Health Risk Assessment (HHRA) estimated the associated doses and calculated risks. This paper focuses on the development of a scientific approach to adapt the risks from DU's non-uniform dose distribution within the body using the current U.S. Department of Defense radiation risk management approach. The approach developed equates the Radiation Exposure Status categories to the estimated radiological risks of DU and makes use of the Capstone-developed Renal Effects Group as a measure of chemical risk from DU intake. Recommendations are provided for modifying Army guidance and policy in order to better encompass the potential risks from DU aerosol inhalation during military operations.

KAPAO first light: the design, construction and operation of a low-cost natural guide star adaptive optics system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Severson, Scott A.; Choi, Philip I.; Badham, Katherine E.; Bolger, Dalton; Contreras, Daniel S.; Gilbreth, Blaine N.; Guerrero, Christian; Littleton, Erik; Long, Joseph; McGonigle, Lorcan P.; Morrison, William A.; Ortega, Fernando; Rudy, Alex R.; Wong, Jonathan R.; Spjut, Erik; Baranec, Christoph; Riddle, Reed

2014-07-01

We present the instrument design and first light observations of KAPAO, a natural guide star adaptive optics (AO) system for the Pomona College Table Mountain Observatory (TMO) 1-meter telescope. The KAPAO system has dual science channels with visible and near-infrared cameras, a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor, and a commercially available 140-actuator MEMS deformable mirror. The pupil relays are two pairs of custom off-axis parabolas and the control system is based on a version of the Robo-AO control software. The AO system and telescope are remotely operable, and KAPAO is designed to share the Cassegrain focus with the existing TMO polarimeter. We discuss the extensive integration of undergraduate students in the program including the multiple senior theses/capstones and summer assistantships amongst our partner institutions. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0960343.

Integration of Innovative Technologies for Enhancing Students' Motivation for Science Learning and Career

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Yichun; Reider, David

2014-06-01

This paper analyzes the outcomes of an innovative technology experience for students and teachers (ITEST) project, Mayor's Youth Technology Corps (MYTCs) in Detroit, MI, which was funded by the NSF ITEST program. The MYTC project offered an integration of two technologies, geographic information system (GIS) and information assurance (IA), to stimulate students' interests in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) career pathways and learning opportunities among high schools in underserved communities of the City of Detroit. Pre- and post-surveys demonstrated that the MYTC students showed growth in nearly every area covered in the surveys, including dispositions about STEM career and learning. A STEM career goal measure showed that overall interest in having a career in STEM increased 9 % throughout the program, with an additional 10 % for those who participated in an internship experience, the capstone of the MYTC project.

Reaching Beyond the Geoscience Stigma: Strategies for Success

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Messina, P.; Metzger, E. P.

2004-12-01

The geosciences have traditionally been viewed with less "academic prestige" than other science curricula. Among the effects of this perception are depressed K-16 enrollments; state standards' relegation of Earth and space science concepts to earlier grades; Earth Science assignments to lower-performing students, and sometimes even to under-qualified teachers: all of which simply confirm the misconceptions. Restructuring pre-college science curricula so that Earth Science is placed as a capstone course is one way to enhance student understanding of the geosciences. Research demonstrates that reversing the traditional science course sequence (by offering Physics in the ninth grade) improves student success in subsequent science courses. The "Physics First" movement continues to gain momentum offering a possible niche for the Earth and space sciences beyond middle school. It is also critical to bridge the information gap for those with little or no prior exposure to the Earth sciences, particularly K-12 educators. An Earth systems course developed at San José State University is aligned to our state's standards; it is approved to satisfy geoscience subject matter competency by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, making it a popular offering for pre- and in-service teachers. Expanding our audience beyond the Bay Area, the Earth Systems Science Education Alliance courses infuse real-world and hands-on learning in a cohesive online curriculum. Through these courses teachers gain knowledge, share effective pedagogies, and build geography-independent communities.

Scanning the Horizon: Implications for Navy Strategy of National, Joint and Other Services’ Strategic Trends

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-02-01

CJCS’s) companion document, the Capstone Concept for Joint Operations (CCJO) (discussed below) "ibid., 28. "That said, it should be noted that it...Capstone Concept for Joint Operations (CCJO) The companion document to the JOE that answers the challenges of the future identified in the JOE (and...Karin E. Kitchens , Aaron Martin, A Review of the Army’s Modular Force Structure" (RAND National Defense Research Institute, Technical Report,Jun. 2011

The U.S. Navy in the World (2001-2010): Context for U.S. Navy Capstone Strategies and Concepts

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-12-01

Merchant Marine ocean- going shipbuilding each down to single digits US shipbuilding industry largely dependent on US Navy orders  Building few commercial...Merchant Marine ships 228 2000s: US shipbuilding industrial base 115 229 2000s: US government shipbuilding policies No US government ship construction ...Context for U.S. Navy Capstone Strategies and Concepts 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT

Teachers, Traditions, and Transformation: Keynote Address Delivered at the 9th Annual Master's Capstone Conference for the Urban Teacher Master's and Certification Program at the University of Pennsylvania on 29 April 2014

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, John F., III

2015-01-01

An alumnus of both Teach For America and the master's program in urban education at the University of Pennsylvania, John F. Smith III delivered the following address on April 29, 2014, to teachers in the 2013 and 2014 cohorts of Teach For America in Philadelphia. Program organizers invited him to provide remarks during the capstone event and to…

Military Review. Special Edition: Center for the Army Profession and Ethic. September 2010

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-01

in more general moral concepts and lessens any gap between the Army and the society it serves and which provides its recruits. It will also serve to...Hartle, Moral Issues in Military Decision Making (Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2004) 29. 6. TRADOC Pam 525-3-0 The Army Capstone Concept ...Army Profession and Ethic (CAPE) White Paper. 17. Case and Underwood. 18. Army Capstone Concept , 9. 19. Jonathan Glover, Humanity: A Moral History of

Building Opportunity Out of Science and Technology (BOOST): Enhancing Capacity for Hydrologic Science in Morocco and Egypt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fryar, A. E.; Milewski, A.; Sultan, M.; Benaabidate, L.; Laftouhi, N.; Fekri, A.; Cherif, O.; Elewa, H.; Garamoon, H.; Ward, J. W.; Hanley, C.

2013-12-01

Across North Africa and the Middle East, absolute water scarcity and impaired water quality pose significant challenges. Another critical issue is suitable employment opportunities for university graduates. With the support of the U.S. State Department, we developed a 2-year pilot project (BOOST) to address both problems by working with graduate students in hydrologic sciences on developing 'hard' (technical) and 'soft' (professional) skills. Two cohorts of six students each were selected from Morocco and Egypt. The Moroccans were geology students from three universities, whereas the Egyptians included four geologists, a soil scientist, and a physical geographer from four universities. English proficiency was emphasized and at least half the participants in each cohort were female. Training began during spring 2012 with an Internet-based course introducing GIS, remote sensing, and hydrologic modeling. Students traveled to the USA in summer 2012 for a week of field training activities and a week-long, 'hands-on' workshop as a capstone to the long-distance course. Field activities in the Concho River watershed of west Texas included mapping of hydraulic heads in an unconfined aquifer, measurements of stream flow and infiltration rates, and analyses of water-quality parameters (temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen, and alkalinity). In a second Internet-based course during fall 2012, students developed resumes and LinkedIn pages, gave written and oral summaries of webinars (on career options for geoscientists and hydrologic topics), and completed a module on research ethics. The capstone activity for the second course was presentation of posters on research topics at the 2012 Geological Society of America Annual Meeting. During winter-spring 2013, students participated in outreach activities such as training other students at their institutions. The group met for final debriefing and discussions with stakeholders (secondary-school educators and staff of water management agencies) in Marrakech in May 2013. At the beginning and twice during the project, students were surveyed anonymously (using both Likert-scaled and open-response questions) about their prior preparation, the value of various activities, and possible changes to the activities. A final survey will be given at the end of 2013.

The University of Washington's Community-Oriented Public Health Practice program and Public Health-Seattle & King County partnership.

PubMed

House, Peter J; Hartfield, Karen; Nicola, Bud; Bogan, Sharon L

2014-01-01

The Community-Oriented Public Health Practice (COPHP) program, a 2-year in-residence MPH degree program in the University of Washington School of Public Health, has partnered with Public Health-Seattle & King County (PHSKC) since 2002 to create a mutually beneficial set of programs to improve teaching and address community-based public health problems in a practice setting. The COPHP program uses a problem-based learning approach that puts students in small groups to work on public health problems. Both University of Washington-based and PHSKC-based faculty facilitate the classroom work. In the first year for students, COPHP, in concert with PHSKC, places students in practicum assignments at PHSKC; in the second year, students undertake a master's project (capstone) in a community or public health agency. The capstone project entails taking on a problem in a community-based agency to improve either the health of a population or the capacity of the agency to improve population health. Both the practicum and the capstone projects emphasize applying classroom learning in actual public health practice work for community-based organizations. This partnership brings PHSKC and COPHP together in every aspect of teaching. In essence, PHSKC acts as the "academic health department" for COPHP. There are detailed agreements and contracts that guide all aspects of the partnership. Both the practicum and capstone projects require written contracts. The arrangements for getting non-University of Washington faculty paid for teaching and advising also include formal contracts.

Applications of Capstone Depleted Uranium Aerosol Risk Data to Military Combat Risk Management

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Daxon, Eric G.; Parkhurst, MaryAnn; Melanson, Mark A.

2009-03-01

Risks to personnel engaged in military operations include not only the threat of enemy firepower but also risks from exposure to other hazards such as radiation. Combatant commanders of the U. S. Army carefully weigh risks of casualties before implementing battlefield actions using an established paradigm that take these risks into consideration. As a result of the inclusion of depleted uranium (DU) anti-armor ammunition in the conventional (non-nuclear) weapons arsenal, the potential for exposure to DU aerosols and its associated chemical and radiological effects becomes an element of the commanders’ risk assessment. The Capstone DU Aerosol Study measured the rangemore » of likely DU oxide aerosol concentrations created inside a combat vehicle perforated with a DU munition, and the Capstone Human Health Risk Assessment (HHRA) estimated the associated doses and calculated risks. This paper focuses on the development of a scientific approach to adapt the risks from DU’s non uniform dose distribution within the body using the current U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) radiation risk management approach. The approach developed equates the Radiation Exposure Status (RES) categories to the estimated radiological risks of DU and makes use of the Capstone-developed Renal Effects Group (REG) as a measure of chemical risk from DU intake. Recommendations are provided for modifying Army guidance and policy in order to better encompass the potential risks from DU aerosol inhalation during military operations.« less

Optical engineering capstone design projects with industry sponsors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bunch, Robert M.; Leisher, Paul O.; Granieri, Sergio C.

2014-09-01

Capstone senior design is the culmination of a student's undergraduate engineering education that prepares them for engineering practice. In fact, any engineering degree program that pursues accreditation by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET must contain "a major design experience based on the knowledge and skills acquired in earlier course work and incorporating appropriate engineering standards and multiple realistic constraints." At Rose-Hulman, we offer an interdisciplinary Optical Engineering / Engineering Physics senior design curriculum that meets this requirement. Part of this curriculum is a two-course sequence where students work in teams on a design project leading to a functional prototype. The students begin work on their capstone project during the first week of their senior year. The courses are deliverable-driven and the students are held accountable for regular technical progress through weekly updates with their faculty advisor and mid-term design reviews. We have found that client-sponsored projects offer students an enriched engineering design experience as it ensures consideration of constraints and standards requirements similar to those that they will encounter as working engineers. Further, client-sponsored projects provide teams with an opportunity for regular customer interactions which help shape the product design. The process that we follow in both soliciting and helping to scope appropriate industry-related design projects will be described. In addition, an outline of the capstone course structure as well as methods used to hold teams accountable for technical milestones will be discussed. Illustrative examples of past projects will be provided.

A transformative model for undergraduate quantitative biology education.

PubMed

Usher, David C; Driscoll, Tobin A; Dhurjati, Prasad; Pelesko, John A; Rossi, Louis F; Schleiniger, Gilberto; Pusecker, Kathleen; White, Harold B

2010-01-01

The BIO2010 report recommended that students in the life sciences receive a more rigorous education in mathematics and physical sciences. The University of Delaware approached this problem by (1) developing a bio-calculus section of a standard calculus course, (2) embedding quantitative activities into existing biology courses, and (3) creating a new interdisciplinary major, quantitative biology, designed for students interested in solving complex biological problems using advanced mathematical approaches. To develop the bio-calculus sections, the Department of Mathematical Sciences revised its three-semester calculus sequence to include differential equations in the first semester and, rather than using examples traditionally drawn from application domains that are most relevant to engineers, drew models and examples heavily from the life sciences. The curriculum of the B.S. degree in Quantitative Biology was designed to provide students with a solid foundation in biology, chemistry, and mathematics, with an emphasis on preparation for research careers in life sciences. Students in the program take core courses from biology, chemistry, and physics, though mathematics, as the cornerstone of all quantitative sciences, is given particular prominence. Seminars and a capstone course stress how the interplay of mathematics and biology can be used to explain complex biological systems. To initiate these academic changes required the identification of barriers and the implementation of solutions.

A Transformative Model for Undergraduate Quantitative Biology Education

PubMed Central

Driscoll, Tobin A.; Dhurjati, Prasad; Pelesko, John A.; Rossi, Louis F.; Schleiniger, Gilberto; Pusecker, Kathleen; White, Harold B.

2010-01-01

The BIO2010 report recommended that students in the life sciences receive a more rigorous education in mathematics and physical sciences. The University of Delaware approached this problem by (1) developing a bio-calculus section of a standard calculus course, (2) embedding quantitative activities into existing biology courses, and (3) creating a new interdisciplinary major, quantitative biology, designed for students interested in solving complex biological problems using advanced mathematical approaches. To develop the bio-calculus sections, the Department of Mathematical Sciences revised its three-semester calculus sequence to include differential equations in the first semester and, rather than using examples traditionally drawn from application domains that are most relevant to engineers, drew models and examples heavily from the life sciences. The curriculum of the B.S. degree in Quantitative Biology was designed to provide students with a solid foundation in biology, chemistry, and mathematics, with an emphasis on preparation for research careers in life sciences. Students in the program take core courses from biology, chemistry, and physics, though mathematics, as the cornerstone of all quantitative sciences, is given particular prominence. Seminars and a capstone course stress how the interplay of mathematics and biology can be used to explain complex biological systems. To initiate these academic changes required the identification of barriers and the implementation of solutions. PMID:20810949

Exploring Pacific Seamounts through Telepresence Mapping on the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lobecker, E.; Malik, M.; Sowers, D.; Kennedy, B. R.

2016-12-01

Telepresence utilizes modern computer networks and a high bandwidth satellite connection to enable remote users to participate virtually in ocean research and exploration cruises. NOAA's Office of Ocean Exploration and Research (OER) has been leveraging telepresence capabilities since the early 2000s. Through telepresence, remote users have provided support for operations planning and execution, troubleshooting hardware and software, and data interpretation during exploratory ocean mapping and remotely operated vehicle missions conducted by OER. The potential for this technology's application to immersive data acquisition and processing during mapping missions, however, has not yet been fully realized. We report the results of the application of telepresence to an 18-day 24 hour / day seafloor mapping expedition with the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer. The mapping team was split between shipboard and shore-based mission team members based at the Exploration Command Center at the University of New Hampshire. This cruise represented the third dedicated mapping cruise in a multi-year NOAA Campaign to Address the Pacific monument Science, Technology, and Ocean Needs (CAPSTONE). Cruise objectives included mapping several previously unmapped seamounts in the Wake Atoll Unit of the recently expanded Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument, and mapping of prominent seamount, ridge, and fracture zone features during transits. We discuss (1) expanded shore-based data processing of multiple sonar data streams leading to enhanced, rapid, initial site characterization, (2) remote access control of shipboard sonar data acquisition and processing computers, and (3) potential for broadening multidisciplinary applications of ocean mapping cruises including outreach, education, and communications efforts focused on expanding societal cognition and benefits of ocean exploration.

Capitalizing on Community: the Small College Environment and the Development of Researchers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stoneking, M. R.

2014-03-01

Liberal arts colleges constitute an important source of and training ground for future scientists. At Lawrence University, we take advantage of our small college environment to prepare physics students for research careers by complementing content acquisition with skill development and project experience distributed throughout the curriculum and with co-curricular elements that are tied to our close-knit supportive physics community. Small classes and frequent contact between physics majors and faculty members offer opportunities for regular and detailed feedback on the development of research relevant skills such as laboratory record-keeping, data analysis, electronic circuit design, computational programming, experimental design and modification, and scientific communication. Part of our approach is to balance collaborative group work on small projects (such as Arduino-based electronics projects and optical design challenges) with independent work (on, for example, advanced laboratory experimental extensions and senior capstone projects). Communal spaces and specialized facilities (experimental and computational) and active on-campus research programs attract eager students to the program, establish a community-based atmosphere, provide unique opportunities for the development of research aptitude, and offer opportunities for genuine contribution to a research program. Recently, we have also been encouraging innovativetendencies in physics majors through intentional efforts to develop personal characteristics, encouraging students to become more tolerant of ambiguity, risk-taking, initiative-seeking, and articulate. Indicators of the success of our approach include the roughly ten physics majors who graduate each year and our program's high ranking among institutions whose graduates go on to receive the Ph.D. in physics. Work supported in part by the National Science Foundation.

Valid and reliable authentic assessment of culminating student performance in the biomedical sciences.

PubMed

Oh, Deborah M; Kim, Joshua M; Garcia, Raymond E; Krilowicz, Beverly L

2005-06-01

There is increasing pressure, both from institutions central to the national scientific mission and from regional and national accrediting agencies, on natural sciences faculty to move beyond course examinations as measures of student performance and to instead develop and use reliable and valid authentic assessment measures for both individual courses and for degree-granting programs. We report here on a capstone course developed by two natural sciences departments, Biological Sciences and Chemistry/Biochemistry, which engages students in an important culminating experience, requiring synthesis of skills and knowledge developed throughout the program while providing the departments with important assessment information for use in program improvement. The student work products produced in the course, a written grant proposal, and an oral summary of the proposal, provide a rich source of data regarding student performance on an authentic assessment task. The validity and reliability of the instruments and the resulting student performance data were demonstrated by collaborative review by content experts and a variety of statistical measures of interrater reliability, including percentage agreement, intraclass correlations, and generalizability coefficients. The high interrater reliability reported when the assessment instruments were used for the first time by a group of external evaluators suggests that the assessment process and instruments reported here will be easily adopted by other natural science faculty.

From the Ground Up: Building an Undergraduate Earth Systems Curriculum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Head, W. D.; Alexander, S. E.; Moore, S. W.; Melton, F. S.

2006-12-01

It is rare that an interdisciplinary group of educators has the opportunity to design a science curriculum without the constraints of pre-existing academic departments. In 1994, California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB) acquired 1,387 acres from the U.S. Department of the Army and began construction of a new campus. CSUMB was developed as a four-year undergraduate university distinctive in its mission to serve the diverse people of California. Inspired by the Earth System Science Education program initiated by NASA and the University Space Research Association, CSUMB embarked upon the development of an interdisciplinary Earth systems curriculum that placed a strong emphasis on experience-based learning, integration of science, policy, and technology, outreach to minority students, and partnerships with the local community. Our cornerstone program is the Bachelor of Science in Earth Systems Science & Policy. It is built on a pyramid- style framework that includes integration, systems approach, and applied technologies (base of the pyramid); junior entry course, case studies, concentrations, service learning, student internships, and research experiences (middle of the pyramid); and senior capstone projects (apex of the pyramid). However, to succeed, new and innovative programs must constantly evaluate where they have been, where they are, and where they need to go to meet the needs of their students today and their students of the future.

Tradeoffs in Capstone Design Courses Involving More Than One Discipline [Senior Design].

PubMed

Goldberg, Jay

2017-01-01

According to a 2015 survey, 5% of capstone design course instructors indicated that their courses involve students from more than one engineering discipline [1]. Students in these courses may hear presentations on topics of common interest and work together on project teams that require knowledge and skills from more than one discipline. Some courses make use of occasional breakout sessions in which discipline-specific topics (such as U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations) of greater value to students in a particular discipline are presented during class sessions where only students of that discipline meet [2].

Delegate, Collaborate, or Consult? A Capstone Simulation for Senior Nursing Students.

PubMed

Nowell, Lorelli S

2016-01-01

Clinical experiences are educational and fulfilling for both students and faculty; however, challenges arise in providing students with a variety of experiences where the leadership skills of prioritizing, collaborating, consulting, and delegating care can be developed. This article reports on a capstone simulation created to develop and sustain the prioritization, organization, and delegation skills of fourth year nursing students. Through the introduction of a multipatient simulation prior to graduation, nursing students will have a better understanding of the high-level leadership skills practicing registered nurses must possess in today's demanding health care environment.

Experiments and Demonstrations in Physics: Bar-Ilan Physics Laboratory (2nd Edition)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kraftmakher, Yaakov

2014-08-01

The following sections are included: * Data-acquisition systems from PASCO * ScienceWorkshop 750 Interface and DataStudio software * 850 Universal Interface and Capstone software * Mass on spring * Torsional pendulum * Hooke's law * Characteristics of DC source * Digital storage oscilloscope * Charging and discharging a capacitor * Charge and energy stored in a capacitor * Speed of sound in air * Lissajous patterns * I-V characteristics * Light bulb * Short time intervals * Temperature measurements * Oersted's great discovery * Magnetic field measurements * Magnetic force * Magnetic braking * Curie's point I * Electric power in AC circuits * Faraday's law of induction I * Self-inductance and mutual inductance * Electromagnetic screening * LCR circuit I * Coupled LCR circuits * Probability functions * Photometric laws * Kirchhoff's rule for thermal radiation * Malus' law * Infrared radiation * Irradiance and illuminance

When Theater Comes to Engineering Design: Oh How Creative They Can Be.

PubMed

Pfeiffer, Ferris M; Bauer, Rachel E; Borgelt, Steve; Burgoyne, Suzanne; Grant, Sheila; Hunt, Heather K; Pardoe, Jennie J; Schmidt, David C

2017-07-01

The creative process is fun, complex, and sometimes frustrating, but it is critical to the future of our nation and progress in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM), as well as other fields. Thus, we set out to see if implementing methods of active learning typical to the theater department could impact the creativity of senior capstone design students in the bioengineering (BE) department. Senior bioengineering capstone design students were allowed to self-select into groups. Prior to the beginning of coursework, all students completed a validated survey measuring engineering design self-efficacy. The control and experimental groups both received standard instruction, but in addition the experimental group received 1 h per week of creativity training developed by a theater professor. Following the semester, the students again completed the self-efficacy survey. The surveys were examined to identify differences in the initial and final self-efficacy in the experimental and control groups over the course of the semester. An analysis of variance was used to compare the experimental and control groups with p < 0.05 considered significant. Students in the experimental group reported more than a twofold (4.8 (C) versus 10.9 (E)) increase of confidence. Additionally, students in the experimental group were more motivated and less anxious when engaging in engineering design following the semester of creativity instruction. The results of this pilot study indicate that there is a significant potential to improve engineering students' creative self-efficacy through the implementation of a "curriculum of creativity" which is developed using theater methods.

Overview of the Capstone Depleted Uranium Study of Aerosols from Impact with Armored Vehicles: Test Setup and Aerosol Generation, Characterization, and Application in Assessing Dose and Risk

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Parkhurst, MaryAnn; Guilmette, Raymond A.

2009-03-01

The Capstone Depleted Uranium (DU) Aerosol Characterization and Risk Assessment Study was conducted to generate data about DU aerosols generated during the perforation of armored combat vehicles with large-caliber DU penetrators, and to apply the data in assessments of human health risks to personnel exposed to these aerosols, primarily through inhalation, during the 1991 Gulf War or in future military operations. The Capstone study consisted of two components: 1) generating, sampling and characterizing DU aerosols by firing at and perforating combat vehicles and 2) applying the source-term quantities and characteristics of the aerosols to the evaluation of doses and risks.more » This paper reviews the background of the study including the bases for the study, previous reviews of DU particles and health assessments from DU used by the U.S. military, the objectives of the study components, the participants and oversight teams, and the types of exposures it was intended to evaluate. It then discusses exposure scenarios used in the dose and risk assessment and provides an overview of how the field tests and dose and risk assessments were conducted.« less

Assessment of the quality and applicability of an e-portfolio capstone assessment item within a bachelor of midwifery program.

PubMed

Baird, Kathleen; Gamble, Jenny; Sidebotham, Mary

2016-09-01

Education programs leading to professional licencing need to ensure assessments throughout the program are constructively aligned and mapped to the specific professional expectations. Within the final year of an undergraduate degree, a student is required to transform and prepare for professional practice. Establishing assessment items that are authentic and able to reflect this transformation is a challenge for universities. This paper both describes the considerations around the design of a capstone assessment and evaluates, from an academics perspective, the quality and applicability of an e-portfolio as a capstone assessment item for undergraduate courses leading to a professional qualification. The e-portfolio was seen to meet nine quality indicators for assessment. Academics evaluated the e-portfolio as an authentic assessment item that would engage the students and provide them with a platform for ongoing professional development and lifelong learning. The processes of reflection on strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, comparison of clinical experiences with national statistics, preparation of professional philosophy and development of a curriculum vitae, whilst recognised as comprehensive and challenging were seen as highly valuable to the student transforming into the profession. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Learning Science Communication Skills Using Improvisation, Video Recordings, and Practice, Practice, Practice †

PubMed Central

Ponzio, Nicholas M.; Alder, Janet; Nucci, Mary; Dannenfelser, David; Hilton, Holly; Linardopoulos, Nikolaos; Lutz, Carol

2018-01-01

Doctoral students in science disciplines spend countless hours learning how to conduct cutting-edge research but very little time learning to communicate the nature and significance of their science to people outside their field. To narrow this disparity, we created an unusual course titled Communicating Science for doctoral science trainees at Rutgers University. Our goal was to help students develop an advanced ability to communicate their research clearly and accurately and to emphasize its value and significance to diverse audiences. Course design included classroom instruction supplemented with improvisation, video recordings, and ample opportunity for students to practice and receive immediate, constructive feedback in a supportive environment. A multidisciplinary faculty with expertise in science, education, communication, and theater arts taught this course. PhD students came from diverse scientific disciplines, ranging from biology and chemistry to civil engineering. Students also completed a capstone project in which they worked with a professional in the academic or private sector to explore a possible career aspiration. Assessment was in the form of feedback on students’ oral and poster presentations, and written abstracts about their research. Student evaluations and comments about course format and content were mostly positive and also provided input for ways to improve the course. We discovered that the diversity of scientific backgrounds among our students enhanced their ability to learn how to communicate their science to others outside their disciplines. We are leveraging the success of our initial course offering to reach other student and faculty groups at Rutgers. PMID:29904514

Value Added: History of Physics in a ``Science, Technology, and Society'' General Education Undergraduate Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neuenschwander, Dwight

2016-03-01

In thirty years of teaching a capstone ``Science, Technology, and Society'' course to undergraduate students of all majors, I have found that, upon entering STS, to most of them the Manhattan Project seems about as remote as the Civil War; few can describe the difference between nuclear and large non-nuclear weapons. With similar lack of awareness, many students seem to think the Big Bang was dreamed up by science sorcerers. One might suppose that a basic mental picture of weapons that held entire populations hostage should be part of informed citizenship. One might also suppose that questions about origins, as they are put to nature through evidence-based reasoning, should be integral to a culture's identity. Over the years I have found the history of physics to be an effective tool for bringing such subjects to life for STS students. Upon hearing some of the history behind (for example) nuclear weapons and big bang cosmology, these students can better imagine themselves called upon to help in a Manhattan Project, or see themselves sleuthing about in a forensic science like cosmology. In this talk I share sample student responses to our class discussions on nuclear weapons, and on cosmology. The history of physics is too engaging to be appreciated only by physicists.

Integrated Concentration in Science (iCons): Undergraduate Education Through Interdisciplinary, Team-Based, Real-World Problem Solving

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuominen, Mark

2013-03-01

Attitude, Skills, Knowledge (ASK) - In this order, these are fundamental characteristics of scientific innovators. Through first-hand practice in using science to unpack and solve complex real-world problems, students can become self-motivated scientific leaders. This presentation describes the pedagogy of a recently developed interdisciplinary undergraduate science education program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst focused on addressing global challenges with scientific solutions. Integrated Concentration in Science (iCons) is an overarching concentration program that supplements the curricula provided within each student's chosen major. iCons is a platform for students to perform student-led research in interdisciplinary collaborative teams. With a schedule of one course per year over four years, the cohort of students move through case studies, analysis of real-world problems, development of potential solutions, integrative communication, laboratory practice, and capstone research projects. In this presentation, a track emphasizing renewable energy science is used to illustrate the iCons pedagogical methods. This includes discussion of a third-year laboratory course in renewable energy that is educationally scaffolded: beginning with a boot camp in laboratory techniques and culminating with student-designed research projects. Among other objectives, this course emphasizes the practice of using reflection and redesign, as a means of generating better solutions and embedding learning for the long term. This work is supported in part by NSF grant DUE-1140805.

Aircraft integrated design and analysis: A classroom experience

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weisshaar, Terrence A.

1989-01-01

AAE 451 is the capstone course required of all senior undergraduates in the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Purdue University. During the past year the first steps of a long evolutionary process were taken to change the content and expectations of this course. These changes are the result of the availability of advanced computational capabilities and sophisticated electronic media availability at Purdue. This presentation will describe both the long range objectives and this year's experience using the High Speed Commercial Transport design, the AIAA Long Duration Aircraft design and RPV design proposal as project objectives. The central goal of these efforts is to provide a user-friendly, computer-software-based environment to supplement traditional design course methodology. The Purdue University Computer Center (PUCC), the Engineering Computer Network (ECN) and stand-alone PC's are being used for this development. This year's accomplishments center primarily on aerodynamics software obtained from NASA/Langley and its integration into the classroom. Word processor capability for oral and written work and computer graphics were also blended into the course. A total of ten HSCT designs were generated, ranging from twin-fuselage aircraft, forward swept wing aircraft to the more traditional delta and double-delta wing aircraft. Four Long Duration Aircraft designs were submitted, together with one RPV design tailored for photographic surveillance.

Revitalizing Support for the Physical Sciences: The American Competitiveness Initiative

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rooney, Peter

2006-11-01

In January 2006, during his State of the Union Address, President Bush announced a renewed commitment on the part of his Administration to funding math and science education, and science and engineering research. Two weeks later, in February 2006, the President submitted his budget request to Congress, including The American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI), a budget initiative that proposes to double federal investments in fundamental research in the physical sciences at three civilian science agencies---the Office of Science in the Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)---over ten years. To date, ACI has fared well in Congress. The House of Representatives has already approved the increases for the Office of Science (up 14 percent), NSF (up 8 percent), and NIST (core laboratory research and infrastructure up 24 percent). Key Senate Subcommittees have approved similar increases. Of equal significance to the budget proposal, the President's pronouncements represent an effort to change the public perception of the value of science. This is the capstone of a fifteen-year effort on the part of the scientific community, including the American Physical Society, to develop a new rationale for funding physical science research in the post-Cold War era. 30 years of economic research suggests there is a strong correlation between the government investments in education and research, particularly physical science and engineering research, and future economic performance. The President made this connection explicit for the public in his State of the Union Address and in subsequent speeches and town hall meetings. The author will discuss these trends and the outlook for ACI going forward.

Case Studies in Application of System Engineering Practices to Capstone Projects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murphy, Gloria; vanSusante, Paul; Carmen, Christina; Morris, Tommy; Schmidt, Peter; Zalewski, Janusz

2011-01-01

The Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) sponsors a faculty fellowship program that engages researchers with interests aligned with current ESMD development programs. The faculty-members are committed to run a capstone senior design project based- on the materials and experience gained during the fellowship. For the 2010 - 2011 academic year, 5 projects were approved. These projects are in the areas of mechanical and electrical hardware design and optimization, fault prediction and extra planetary civil site preparation. This work summarizes the projects, describes the student teams performing the work, and comments on the integration of Systems Engineering principles into the projects, as well as the affected course curriculums.

University of Texas Safeguards by Design Problem Statement

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rauch, Eric Benton; Scherer, Carolynn P.; Ruggiero, Christy E.

This document describes the problem statement that students at the University of Texas will use for their senior level capstone design class. The purpose of this project is to introduce students to Safeguards by Design concepts as part of their capstone design course at the culmination of their degree program. This work is supported by Los Alamos National Laboratory with FY17 and FY18 programmatic funding from the U. S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), through the Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation (DNN), Office of International Nuclear Safeguards (INS), Next Generation Safeguards Initiative (NGSI), Human Resource Developmentmore » Program, Safeguards by Design Project.« less

Increasing Minority Participation and Matriculation in the Geosciences at El Paso Community College

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villalobos, J. I.

2011-12-01

Community colleges currently serve 44% of all undergraduate students and 45% of all of all first time freshmen in the US. Hispanics now constitute 15% of the general population and 19% of the college population in the US. This increase has led to more institutions emerging as HSI (Hispanic Serving Institution) by the federal government. These facts illustrate the potential community colleges hold to encourage STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) majors to minorities as well as non-minorities. But the reality is the number of STEM degrees awarded at community colleges has not followed the same trends in enrollment. El Paso Community College (EPCC) currently enrolls 27,000 students with 85% of the student body being Hispanic. More than 130 programs of study are offered including an Associate of Science degree in Geological Sciences. Over the past three years we have implemented several initiatives in our effort to increase the number of Geological Science (GS) majors at EPCC. These efforts are aimed to decrease attrition rates of science majors by; streamlining the GS degree plan along with the process of course registration, introduce field-based research projects to students to allow hands on research, develop a work relationships with students and university faculty, increase the number of geology courses offered at EPCC including a field-based capstone course (GEOL 2407- Geological Field Methods), and strengthening the educational-bridge between the geological science departments of EPCC and University of Texas at El Paso.

Using local research sites to engage undergraduates in environmental science research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varner, R. K.

2016-12-01

For the first time in their undergraduate experience, students in the University of New Hampshire's Techniques in Environmental Science course are immersed in learning approaches to scientific investigation that they can implement as part of their senior capstone research experience or other REU type programs. The course begins with an understanding of the value of note taking in the field and working collaboratively in groups. The students then embark upon a series of field experiences that include using both simple and complex tools for mapping elevation, species composition and above ground biomass estimates in a forest and wetland, carbon cycling through measurement of greenhouse gas exchange at both a wetland and at an organic dairy farm, assessing hydrology and water quality through both ground and surface water measurements at locations on campus, and finally analysis of atmospheric chemistry data collected locally. Over the course of a semester the students learn how to describe their methodology and the importance of their work concisely. Eventually the students are given instrumentation and a field site and learn to ask their own research question and develop their approach to answering it. This course model provides a foundation for students to pursue their capstone research experiences but also for understanding complex environmental questions such as the impact of land use change on water and air quality and carbon cycling and its role in our climate system. Students are provided a unique opportunity to address questions at field sites that are local and are part of larger research programs which allows for a larger context to place their work. This course has also been a framework for the NSF funded REU program- Northern Ecosystems Research for Undergraduates (EAR#1063037). Sallie's Fen, a wetland research site, is used as an initial field setting for students to learn techniques, build their ability to ask research questions and to plan research approaches, all skills required for them to be successful in their research in northern Sweden where they spend the next four weeks studying the impact of climate change in a region of thawing permafrost.

Pediatric medical device development by surgeons via capstone engineering design programs.

PubMed

Sack, Bryan S; Elizondo, Rodolfo A; Huang, Gene O; Janzen, Nicolette; Espinoza, Jimmy; Sanz-Cortes, Magdalena; Dietrich, Jennifer E; Hakim, Julie; Richardson, Eric S; Oden, Maria; Hanks, John; Haridas, Balakrishna; Hury, James F; Koh, Chester J

2018-03-01

There is a need for pediatric medical devices that accommodate the unique physiology and anatomy of pediatric patients that is increasingly receiving more attention. However, there is limited literature on the programs within children's hospitals and academia that can support pediatric device development. We describe our experience with pediatric device design utilizing collaborations between a children's hospital and two engineering schools. Utilizing the academic year as a timeline, unmet pediatric device needs were identified by surgical faculty and matched with an engineering mentor and a team of students within the Capstone Engineering Design programs at two universities. The final prototypes were showcased at the end of the academic year and if appropriate, provisional patent applications were filed. All twelve teams successfully developed device prototypes, and five teams obtained provisional patents. The prototypes that obtained provisional patents included a non-operative ureteral stent removal system, an evacuation device for small kidney stone fragments, a mechanical leech, an anchoring system of the chorio-amniotic membranes during fetal surgery, and a fetal oxygenation monitor during fetoscopic procedures. Capstone Engineering Design programs in partnership with surgical faculty at children's hospitals can play an effective role in the prototype development of novel pediatric medical devices. N/A - No clinical subjects or human testing was performed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The molecular biology capstone assessment: a concept assessment for upper-division molecular biology students.

PubMed

Couch, Brian A; Wood, William B; Knight, Jennifer K

2015-03-02

Measuring students' conceptual understandings has become increasingly important to biology faculty members involved in evaluating and improving departmental programs. We developed the Molecular Biology Capstone Assessment (MBCA) to gauge comprehension of fundamental concepts in molecular and cell biology and the ability to apply these concepts in novel scenarios. Targeted at graduating students, the MBCA consists of 18 multiple-true/false (T/F) questions. Each question consists of a narrative stem followed by four T/F statements, which allows a more detailed assessment of student understanding than the traditional multiple-choice format. Questions were iteratively developed with extensive faculty and student feedback, including validation through faculty reviews and response validation through student interviews. The final assessment was taken online by 504 students in upper-division courses at seven institutions. Data from this administration indicate that the MBCA has acceptable levels of internal reliability (α=0.80) and test-retest stability (r=0.93). Students achieved a wide range of scores with a 67% overall average. Performance results suggest that students have an incomplete understanding of many molecular biology concepts and continue to hold incorrect conceptions previously documented among introductory-level students. By pinpointing areas of conceptual difficulty, the MBCA can provide faculty members with guidance for improving undergraduate biology programs. © 2015 B. A. Couch et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2015 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Design, Implementation and Impact of the MS PHD’S Professional Development Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williamson Whitney, V.

2009-12-01

The Minorities Striving and Pursuing Higher Degrees of Success (MS PHD'S)® in Earth System Science initiative facilitates the involvement of underrepresented minority undergraduate and graduate Earth system science students in a series of activities designed to: (1) increase exposure to and engagement in the Earth system science community, via participation in scientific conferences, mentoring relationships, virtual activities, and field trips; (2) enhance professional skills, grantsmanship, oral and written communication; (3) provide funding, education and career opportunity resources; (4) facilitate networking opportunities with established researchers and educators; (5) and sustain on-going interaction, communication and support via membership within a virtual community comprised of peers, junior/senior-level researchers, and educators actively involved in facilitating full participation of minorities in the Earth system sciences. These activities, conducted in three phases, occur during professional society meetings, field trips, visits to several federal agencies, and a 'capstone' event at the National Academies. Nearly 150 Earth system science undergraduate, graduate and recent minority graduates have participated in MS PHD’S activities and are better prepared to successfully achieve their academic and professional goals. It is also expected that because of mentor-mentee partnerships, science exposure, and networking activities, MS PHD'S participants will remain actively engaged in their fields of specialization and respective professional societies. Evaluation data for MS PHD’S activities indicate that virtual and face-to-face mentoring, on-site professional development and community-building activities resulted in increased participant exposure to and engagement in the Earth system science professional community and served to better equip student participants to make informed post-baccalaureate academic and professional career decisions.

Why Games Work and the Science of Learning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murphy, Curtiss

2012-01-01

In 2010, the Navy formally added the Damage Control Trainer (DCT) to the recruit training program at Great Lakes, Illinois. Despite the incredibly dense training schedule at the Navy's boot camp, the instructors were willing to set aside two hours of time for recruits to play a game. Why? Because it worked. Even with just one hour of play, research showed that recruits gained a 50-80% improvement in performance that transferred to Battle Stations 21 (B821), the Navy's capstone training event. This paper explores why games makes these kinds of results possible. It argues that the things that are known to improve learning are almost exactly the same reasons why games work: the time-honored laws of learning. It concludes that the traditional gulf between instructional design and game design is really an issue of perspective, rather than fundamentals.

Increasing Bellevue School District's elementary teachers' capacity for teaching inquiry-based science: Using ideas from contemporary learning theory to inform professional development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maury, Tracy Anne

This Capstone project examined how leaders in the Bellevue School District can increase elementary teachers' capacity for teaching inquiry-based science through the use of professional learning activities that are grounded in ideas from human learning theory. A framework for professional development was constructed and from that framework, a set of professional learning activities were developed as a means to support teacher learning while project participants piloted new curriculum called the Isopod Habitat Challenge. Teachers in the project increased their understanding of the learning theory principles of preconceptions and metacognition. Teachers did not increase their understanding of the principle of learning with understanding, although they did articulate the significance of engaging children in student-led inquiry cycles. Data from the curriculum revision and professional development project coupled with ideas from learning theory, cognition and policy implementation, and learning community literatures suggest Bellevue's leaders can encourage peer-to-peer interaction, link professional development to teachers' daily practice, and capitalize on technology as ways to increase elementary teachers' capacity for teaching inquiry-based science. These lessons also have significance for supporting teacher learning and efficacy in other subject areas and at other levels in the system.

USGS Gulf Coast Science Conference and Florida Integrated Science Center Meeting: Proceedings with abstracts, October 20-23, 2008, Orlando, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lavoie, Dawn L.; Rosen, Barry H.; Sumner, Dave; Haag, Kim H.; Tihansky, Ann B.; Boynton, Betsy; Koenig, Renee; Lavoie, Dawn L.; Rosen, Barry H.; Sumner, Dave; Haag, Kim H.; Tihansky, Ann B.; Boynton, Betsy; Koenig, Renee

2008-01-01

Welcome! The USGS is the Nation's premier source of information in support of science-based decision making for resource management. We are excited to have the opportunity to bring together a diverse array of USGS scientists, managers, specialists, and others from science centers around the Gulf working on biologic, geologic, and hydrologic issues related to the Gulf of Mexico and the State of Florida. We've organized the meeting around the major themes outlined in the USGS Circular 1309, Facing Tomorrow's Challenges - U.S. Geological Survey Science in the Decade 2007-2017. USGS senior leadership will provide a panel discussion about the Gulf of Mexico and Integrated Science. Capstone talks will summarize major topics and key issues. Interactive poster sessions each evening will provide the opportunity for you to present your results and talk with your peers. We hope that discussions and interactions at this meeting will help USGS scientists working in Florida and the Gulf Coast region find common interests, forge scientific collaborations and chart a direction for the future. We hope that the meeting environment will encourage interaction, innovation and stimulate ideas among the many scientists working throughout the region. We'd like to create a community of practice across disciplines and specialties that will help us address complex scientific and societal issues. Please take advantage of this opportunity to visit with colleagues, get to know new ones, share ideas and brainstorm about future possibilities. It is our pleasure to provide this opportunity. We are glad you're here.

Methods used to calculate doses resulting from inhalation of Capstone depleted uranium aerosols.

PubMed

Miller, Guthrie; Cheng, Yung Sung; Traub, Richard J; Little, Tom T; Guilmette, Raymond A

2009-03-01

The methods used to calculate radiological and toxicological doses to hypothetical persons inside either a U.S. Army Abrams tank or Bradley Fighting Vehicle that has been perforated by depleted uranium munitions are described. Data from time- and particle-size-resolved measurements of depleted uranium aerosol as well as particle-size-resolved measurements of aerosol solubility in lung fluids for aerosol produced in the breathing zones of the hypothetical occupants were used. The aerosol was approximated as a mixture of nine monodisperse (single particle size) components corresponding to particle size increments measured by the eight stages plus the backup filter of the cascade impactors used. A Markov Chain Monte Carlo Bayesian analysis technique was employed, which straightforwardly calculates the uncertainties in doses. Extensive quality control checking of the various computer codes used is described.

Undergraduate design projects to aid persons with disabilities: reflections.

PubMed

Barret, Steven F; Morton, Scott A; Root-Elledge, Sandy

2007-01-01

In Spring 2002 the University of Wyoming, College of Engineering, received a five year grant from the National Science Foundation to link senior capstone design projects with the custom requirements of the assistive technology (AT) community. This serendipitous collaboration has been highly beneficial to our senior design students as well as individuals with a disability requiring one-of-a-kind AT devices. Now that the program is coming to a close on its five year term, we believe there are lessons we have learned that would be valuable to others considering participation in such a program. We will briefly review program development and organization, highlight lessons learned, and discuss program benefits and pitfalls. Paper emphasis will be on the practical implementation and management of this valuable program. Due to the rich benefits received from participating in the program, we plan on applying for a second five year program funding increment.

Faculty Engagement with Integrative Assignment Design: Connecting Teaching and Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Kimberly; Hutchings, Pat

2018-01-01

Building on an initiative of the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment, Washington State University faculty have worked to develop more effective integrative capstone assignments in ways that support ongoing improvement.

A capstone research experience for physics majors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jackson, David

2013-03-01

Dickinson College is a small liberal arts college with a thriving physics program. For years, one of the key features of our program has been a year-long senior research project that was required for each student. Unfortunately, as our number of majors increased, it became more and more difficult to supervise such a large number of senior research projects. To deal with this growing challenge, we developed a capstone research experience that involves a larger number of students working together on an independent group project. In this talk I will give a broad overview of our new senior research model and provide a few examples of projects that have been carried out over the past few years. I will also briefly describe the positive and negative aspects of this model from the perspective of faculty and students.

Inquiry-based examination of chemical disruption of bacterial biofilms.

PubMed

Redelman, Carly V; Hawkins, Misty A W; Drumwright, Franklin R; Ransdell, Beverly; Marrs, Kathleen; Anderson, Gregory G

2012-01-01

Inquiry-based instruction in the sciences has been demonstrated as a successful educational strategy to use for both high school and college science classrooms. As participants in the NSF Graduate STEM Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12) Program, we were tasked with creating novel inquiry-based activities for high school classrooms. As a way to introduce microbiology, molecular biology, ecology, and human health to students, we created a laboratory activity involving formation of biofilms composed of environmental bacteria from pond water and investigation into the resistance of these biofilms to antimicrobial agents. Two high schools participated in this study in different ways. Pike High School biology and advanced environmental science classrooms obtained pond water samples and grew biofilms from the bacteria in the pond water on plastic plates. They also observed killing of these biofilms by common household antimicrobial agents. As a senior capstone project, students at Arsenal Technical High School built on these research findings by isolating two different bacterial strains from the pond water and demonstrating the stimulatory effect of ethanol on biofilms formed by isolated bacterial strains. These activities were successful at introducing complex biological topics to high school students in a unique and exciting way. The students scored significantly higher on postactivity surveys compared with preactivity surveys that measured microbiology knowledge and experimental design knowledge. Furthermore, these projects seemed to elicit an excitement for science in the students who participated. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Renewable Microgrid STEM Education & Colonias Outreach Program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None, None

To provide Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) outreach and education to secondary students to encourage them to select science and engineering as a career by providing an engineering-based problem-solving experience involving renewable energy systems such as photovoltaic (PV) panels or wind turbines. All public and private schools, community colleges, and vocational training programs would be eligible for participation. The Power Microgrids High School Engineering Experience used renewable energy systems (PV and wind) to provide a design capstone experience to secondary students. The objective for each student team was to design a microgrid for the student’s school using renewable energymore » sources under cost, schedule, performance, and risk constraints. The students then implemented their designs in a laboratory environment to evaluate the completeness of the proposed design, which is a unique experience even for undergraduate college students. This application-based program was marketed to secondary schools in the 28th Congressional District through the Texas Education Agency’s (TEA) Regional Service Centers. Upon application, TEES identified regionally available engineers to act as mentors and supervisors for the projects. Existing curriculum was modified to include microgrid and additional renewable technologies and was made available to the schools.« less

Learning by doing at the Colorado School of Mines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furtak, Thomas E.; Ruskell, Todd G.

2013-03-01

With over 260 majors, the undergraduate physics program at CSM is among the largest in the country. An underlying theme in this success is experiential learning, starting with a studio teaching method in the introductory calculus-based physics courses. After their second year students complete a 6-week full-time summer course devoted to hands-on practical knowledge and skills, including machine shop techniques, high-vacuum technology, applied optics, electronic control systems, and computational tools. This precedes a two-semester laboratory sequence that can be taught at an advanced level because of the students' experience. The required capstone senior course is a year-long open-ended challenge in which students partner with members of the faculty to work on authentic research projects, teaming with grad students or post-docs as contributing members to the department's externally funded scholarship. All of these features are important components of our B.S. degree, Engineering Physics, which is officially accredited by ABET.

USEPA CAPSTONE REPORT: DISINFECTION

EPA Science Inventory

Wet-weather flow (WWF), including combined-sewer overflow (CSO), sanitary-sewer overflow, and stormwater (SW) is a significant contributor of microbial contamination to surface water and ground water. Contamination with human-origin fecal coliform (FC) is of great concern for san...

8. VIEW NORTH DURING CONSTRUCTION, DECEMBER 1995, FACE OF ORIGINAL ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

8. VIEW NORTH DURING CONSTRUCTION, DECEMBER 1995, FACE OF ORIGINAL 1882 MASONRY DAM WITH CAPSTONES - Norwich Water Power Company, Dam, West bank of Shetucket River opposite Fourteenth Street, Greenville section, Norwich, New London County, CT

MANAGEMENT OF COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOW: RESEARCH PROGRAM CAPSTONE

EPA Science Inventory

Combined-sewer overflow (CSO) is a mixture of urban storm drainage, municipal-industrial wastewater, and subterranean infiltration. Untreated discharges of CSOs have caused substantial pollution impacts on the quality of receiving-water bodies. Problem constituents include visi...

MANAGEMENT OF COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOW RESEARCH PROGRAM CAPSTONE

EPA Science Inventory

Combined-sewer overflow (CSO) is a mixture of urban storm drainage, municipal-industrial wastewater, and subterranean infiltration. Untreated discharges of CSOs have caused substantial pollution impacts on the quality of receiving-water bodies. Problem constituents include ...

Staging a Reflective Capstone Course to Transition PharmD Graduates to Professional Life

PubMed Central

Hobson, Eric H.; Spinelli, Alisa J.

2015-01-01

Objective. To develop and implement a capstone course that would allow students to reflect on their development as a professional, assess and share their achievement of the college’s outcomes, complete a professional portfolio, establish a continuing professional development plan, and prepare to enter the pharmacy profession. Design. Students were required to complete a hybrid course built around 4 online and inclass projects during the final semester of the curriculum. Assessment. Faculty used direct measures of learning, such as reading student portfolios and program outcome reflections, evaluating professional development plans, and directly observing each student in a video presentation. All projects were evaluated using standardized rubrics. Since 2012, all graduating students met the course’s minimum performance requirements. Conclusion. The course provided an opportunity for student-based summative evaluation, direct observation of student skills, and documentation of outcome completion as a means of evaluating readiness to enter the profession. PMID:25741030

Using business plan development as a capstone project for MPH programs in Canada: validation through the student perspective.

PubMed

Papadopoulos, Andrew; Britten, Nicole; Hatcher, Meghan; Rainville, Keira

2013-10-01

Master of Public Health (MPH) programs have been developed across Canada as a response to the need for adequately trained individuals to work in the public health sector. Educational institutions that deliver MPH programs have a responsibility to ensure that graduates of their program have the essential knowledge, skills and attitudes to begin a successful career in public health. The Public Health Agency of Canada has created the core competencies for public health to guide the development, delivery and evaluation of MPH programs. In Canada, a capstone project is the recommended method of evaluating the MPH graduate's ability to demonstrate proficiency in the public health core competencies. A business plan that develops the framework for a public health program is an ideal capstone project currently used in practice within the University of Guelph MPH program. This group assignment incorporates all 36 of the public health core competencies while providing students with a real-world public health experience, and should be considered for inclusion within MPH programs across Canada. Business planning provides students the opportunity to engage in practice-based learning, applying theoretical knowledge to practice. Further, the ability to develop realistic but financially feasible public health problems is an invaluable skill for MPH graduates. As the development of programs becomes more restricted and the continuation of other programs are under constant threat, the ability to develop a sound business plan is a required skill for individuals entering the public health sector, and will ensure students are able to maximize outcomes given tight fiscal budgets and limited resources.

Capstone Depleted Uranium Aerosol Biokinetics, Concentrations, and Doses

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Guilmette, Raymond A.; Miller, Guthrie; Parkhurst, MaryAnn

2009-02-26

One of the principal goals of the Capstone Depleted Uranium (DU) Aerosol Study was to quantify and characterize DU aerosols generated inside armored vehicles by perforation with a DU penetrator. This study consequently produced a database in which the DU aerosol source terms were specified both physically and chemically for a variety of penetrator-impact geometries and conditions. These source terms were used to calculate radiation doses and uranium concentrations for various scenarios as part of the Capstone DU Human Health Risk Assessment (HHRA). This paper describes the scenario-related biokinetics of uranium, and summarizes intakes, chemical concentrations to the organs, andmore » E(50) and HT(50) for organs and tissues based on exposure scenarios for personnel in vehicles at the time of perforation as well as for first responders. For a given exposure scenario (duration time and breathing rates), the range of DU intakes among the target vehicles and shots was not large, about a factor of 10, with the lowest being from a ventilated operational Abrams tank and the highest being for an unventilated Abrams with DU penetrator perforating DU armor. The ranges of committed effective doses were more scenario-dependent than were intakes. For example, the largest range, a factor of 20, was shown for scenario A, a 1-min exposure, whereas, the range was only a factor of two for the first-responder scenario (E). In general, the committed effective doses were found to be in the tens of mSv. The risks ascribed to these doses are discussed separately.« less

Radiological risk assessment of Capstone depleted uranium aerosols.

PubMed

Hahn, Fletcher F; Roszell, Laurie E; Daxon, Eric G; Guilmette, Raymond A; Parkhurst, Mary Ann

2009-03-01

Assessment of the health risk from exposure to aerosols of depleted uranium (DU) is an important outcome of the Capstone aerosol studies that established exposure ranges to personnel in armored combat vehicles perforated by DU munitions. Although the radiation exposure from DU is low, there is concern that DU deposited in the body may increase cancer rates. Radiation doses to various organs of the body resulting from the inhalation of DU aerosols measured in the Capstone studies were calculated using International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) models. Organs and tissues with the highest calculated committed equivalent 50-y doses were lung and extrathoracic tissues (nose and nasal passages, pharynx, larynx, mouth, and thoracic lymph nodes). Doses to the bone surface and kidney were about 5 to 10% of the doses to the extrathoracic tissues. Organ-specific risks were estimated using ICRP and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) methodologies. Risks for crewmembers and first responders were determined for selected scenarios based on the time interval of exposure and for vehicle and armor type. The lung was the organ with the highest cancer mortality risk, accounting for about 97% of the risks summed from all organs. The highest mean lifetime risk for lung cancer for the scenario with the longest exposure time interval (2 h) was 0.42%. This risk is low compared with the natural or background risk of 7.35%. These risks can be significantly reduced by using an existing ventilation system (if operable) and by reducing personnel time in the vehicle immediately after perforation.

T.A. BROWN MECHANICAL AERATOR

EPA Science Inventory

Students in the Environmental Engineering and Waster Resources capstone design class in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering will undertake a project in conjunction with Serasih Indonesia to develop a prototype mechanical aerator to be used in aquaculture live...

Internationalizing the Business Communication Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sturges, David L.

1992-01-01

Proposes a course in business communication that includes international or global perspectives in its philosophy, content, and assignments. Includes a syllabus, a scheme describing how the course is taught, a communication audit plan, a capstone project, and a sample reading list. (SR)

Modeling, Simulation, and Gaming: Student Capstone Conference

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banks, Catherine

2008-01-01

Highlights student research and student projects focused on MS&G. Competitive presentations - Volunteer judges from industry, government, military and academic institutions across America. - Evaluate research, presentation expertise, . and ability to answer questions. - Judges also facilitate their assigned conference tracks

Sustainability Science as a Transdisciplinary Framework for Institutional Transformation at Unity College

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mulkey, S. S.

2012-12-01

Interdisciplinary programming in higher education is accepted as necessary for effective instructional delivery of complex environmental problems. Difficulties in sharing resources among disciplinary units and the need for students to sequentially access information from different disciplines limit the effectiveness of this approach. In contrast, transdisciplinary programming requires that the perspectives of various disciplines be simultaneously integrated in problem-focused pedagogy. Unity College, an environmental college in Maine, has recently adopted Sustainability Science (sensu U.S. National Academy of Science) as a framework for transdisciplinary pedagogy throughout all of its degree programs. Sustainability Science is a promising alternative framework that focuses on the dynamics of coupled human-natural systems and is defined by the problems that it addresses rather than by the disciplines it employs. Students are empowered to become brokers of knowledge, while faculty perform a curatorial role to provide students with networked resources generally external to the classroom. Although the transdisciplinary framework is effective for delivery of Sustainability Science in upper division and capstone courses, we propose this approach also for elements of our general education curriculum during the first two years of our baccalaureate programs. Classroom time is liberated for experiential student engagement and recitation. Our experience suggests that transdisciplinary programming can provide students with critical thinking skills and thus enhance the postgraduate value of their baccalaureate degree. We are coordinating the development of this distinctive curriculum delivery with a marketing program that will make Unity College accessible to a wider range of clientele. Our implementation of transdisciplinary programming will occur over a four-year period and requires explicit and fundamental change in essentially all aspects of College administration and academics.

Teachers doing science: An authentic geology research experience for teachers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hemler, D.; Repine, T.

2006-01-01

Fairmont State University (FSU) and the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey (WVGES) provided a small pilot group of West Virginia science teachers with a professional development session designed to mimic experiences obtained by geology majors during a typical summer field camp. Called GEOTECH, the program served as a research capstone event complimenting the participants' multi-year association with the RockCamp professional development program. GEOTECH was funded through a Improving Teacher Quality Grant administered by West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission. Over the course of three weeks, eight GEOTEACH participants learned field measurement and field data collection techniques which they then applied to the construction of a surficial geologic map. The program exposed participants to authentic scientific processes by emphasizing the authentic scientific application of content knowledge. As a secondary product, it also enhanced their appreciation of the true nature of science in general and geology particular. After the session, a new appreciation of the effort involved in making a geologic map emerged as tacit knowledge ready to be transferred to their students. The program was assessed using pre/post instruments, cup interviews, journals, artifacts (including geologic maps, field books, and described sections), performance assessments, and constructed response items. Evaluation of the accumulated data revealed an increase in participants demonstrated use of science content knowledge, an enhanced awareness and understanding of the processes and nature of geologic mapping, positive dispositions toward geologic research and a high satisfaction rating for the program. These findings support the efficacy of the experience and document future programmatic enhancements.

U.S. EPA CSO CAPSTONE REPORT: CONTROL SYSTEM OPTIMIZATION

EPA Science Inventory

An optimized combined sewer overflow (CSO) requires a storage treatment system because storm flow in the combined sewer system is intermittent and highly variable in both pollutant concentration and flow rate. Storage and treatment alternatives are strongly influenced by input...

USEPA CAPSTONE REPORT: CONTROL AND TREATMENT

EPA Science Inventory

Combined-sewer overflows (CSOs), sanitary-sewer overflows and stormwater (SW) are significant contributors of contamination to surface waters. During a rain event, the flow in a combined sewer system may exceed the capacity of the intercepting sewer leading to the wastewater trea...

Report on an interdisciplinary program for allied health.

PubMed

Peloquin, S M; Cavazos, H; Marion, R; Stephenson, K S; Pearrow, D

2007-11-01

A central recommendation from the Pew Health Commission to educators has been to empower future care providers to function effectively as teams. Administrators and faculty members within a school of allied health sciences thus established an interdisciplinary program where students would learn to function as team members and demonstrate competencies required for practice in diverse, demanding, and continually changing health care environments. Students from five disciplines have participated in featured events, mentored activities and capstone projects, earning credit in an interdisciplinary course of study that complements offerings in their home disciplines. This follow-up article reports on the progress and development since 2002 of an interdisciplinary program known as Team IDEAL. Formative evaluation measures used to assess satisfaction with the program are presented alongside a discussion of new directions. Team IDEAL will move forward in a streamlined form that reflects its central aim. IDEAL leadership will remain cognizant of the effects of discipline-specific curricular changes, complex programming, and student perspectives on the process interdisciplinary education.

University of Wyoming College of Engineering undergraduate design projects to aid Wyoming persons with disabilities, a mid-program review.

PubMed

Barrett, Steven F; Gray, J Renee

2005-01-01

In Spring 2002 the University of Wyoming received National Science Foundation funding from the Division of Bioengineering and Environmental Systems to provide a meaningful design experience for University of Wyoming, College of Engineering students that will directly aid individuals with disabilities within the state of Wyoming. At the 2003 RMBS we presented a paper on the value of starting such a program. We have found that students receive a much richer capstone design experience when developing a project for direct use by a challenged individual. We are now approximately midway through this project. Since its inception the program has blossomed to include serving individuals in several regional states, outreach short courses to the community, projects have become of increasing difficulty and involve interdisciplinary teamwork, and many challenged individuals have been provided specialized one of a kind assistive devices. In this paper we will report on these advancements, lessons learned, and benefits received by participating in this vital program.

Planning and implementing an honors degree in environmental science curricula: a case study from the University of Delaware, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levia, Delphis

2015-04-01

Environmental degradation is undermining the sustainability of our planet. The multi-faceted nature of environmental stressors, which inherently couples human-environment interactions across space and time, necessitates that we train environmental scientists holistically within an interdisciplinary framework. Recruiting top-notch honors students to major in the environmental sciences is a critical step to ensure that we have the human capital to tackle complicated environmental problems successfully. Planning and implementing an honors degree is no trivial task. Based upon a recently completed and implemented set of programmatic revisions*, this poster showcases a successful example of an honors curriculum in environmental science to recruit and educate dynamic thinkers capable of improving the quality of our environment. The interdisciplinary environmental science program at the University of Delaware emphasizes the cross-cutting among earth's spheres through a core set of courses which employ a quantitative approach which is supplemented by several environmental policy courses. The core is coupled with six different thematic concentrations (students choose one) which permit the student to delve into a particular area of environmental science. The honors component of the degree consists of twelve additional credits. These credits are met through a specially designed introductory environmental course, a field experience requiring data collection, analysis, and write-up, a capstone course, and one other environmentally related course. The environmental sciences honors curriculum outlined in this poster may serve as a useful guide to others wishing to establish an honors program of their own in environmental science to recruit and prepare the next generation to mitigate environmental degradation. -------------- * Please note that the planning process for the environmental programs was and is the collective effort of many dedicated people. Current members of the advisory Environmental Council include Drs. Delphis Levia (Program Director & Chair), Nancy Targett (Dean), Frank Newton, Tracy Deliberty, Steve Hastings, John Madsen, Paul Imhoff, Jan Johnson, Jerry Kauffman, Murray Johnston.

76 FR 74784 - Minto Explorations Ltd. v. Pacific and Arctic Railway and Navigation Company; Notice of Filing of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-01

... Capstone Mining Corp.'' Complainant alleges that Respondent is an Alaska corporation which operates as a... full text of the complaint can be found in the Commission's Electronic Reading Room at http://www.fmc...

Implementation of Systems Engineering Practices into a Capstone Course

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murphy, Gloria; Schmidt, Peter

2011-01-01

Discusses the NASA Exploration Systems Mission Directorate senior design projects which are to provide students with senior design project ideas, with potential contribution to NASA ESMD objectives. and provides NASA technical representative to act as external customer / technology mentor / requirements source.

US EPA CSO CAPSTONE REPORT: THE CSO PROBLEM

EPA Science Inventory

The history of combined sewer systems (CSS) and combined sewer overflows (CSOs) in the US provides unique insights into the complex challenge faced in reducing and eliminating their adverse environmental effects. The evolution of the "modern" CSS shows how early urban drainag sys...

DESIGN OF A TRAP GREASE UPGRADER FOR BIOFUEL PROCESSING - PHASE I

EPA Science Inventory

This project provides capstone senior design experience to several teams of engineering undergraduates at Drexel University through the technical and economic evaluation of a trap grease to biodiesel conversion process. The project incorporates two phases: Phase I characteri...

Implementing Entrepreneurial Assignments in a Multidisciplinary, Sophomore-Level Design Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dahm, Kevin; Riddell, William; Merrill, Thomas; Harvey, Roberta; Weiss, Leigh

2013-01-01

Many engineering programs stress the importance of technological innovation by offering entrepreneurship electives and programs. Integration of entrepreneurship into the required engineering curriculum has predominantly focused on senior capstone design courses. This paper describes a strategy for integrating entrepreneurship into a…

Multicultural Supervision: What Difference Does Difference Make?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eklund, Katie; Aros-O'Malley, Megan; Murrieta, Imelda

2014-01-01

Multicultural sensitivity and competency represent critical components to contemporary practice and supervision in school psychology. Internship and supervision experiences are a capstone experience for many new school psychologists; however, few receive formal training and supervision in multicultural competencies. As an increased number of…

Servant Leadership: Teaching the Helping Professional

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fields, Joyce W.; Thompson, Karen C.; Hawkins, Julie R.

2015-01-01

Robert Greenleaf's principles of servant leadership are relevant to the helping professions, including empowerment and development of others, service to others, and open and participatory leadership. The study of servant leadership was infused into an undergraduate senior capstone experience (an internship) for emerging helping professionals…

An Industrial Analysis for Integrating Business Subjects.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kapusinski, Albert T.

1986-01-01

Describes the industrial analysis seminar at Caldwell College (New Jersey), which was designed to be a capstone course for undergraduate business majors, allowing them to bring business topics into focus by using all their collected business acumen: accounting, marketing, management, economics, law, etc. (CT)

Comprehensive Education Portfolio with a Career Focus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kruger, Evonne J.; Holtzman, Diane M.; Dagavarian, Debra A.

2013-01-01

There are many types of student portfolios used within academia: the prior learning portfolio, credentialing portfolio, developmental portfolio, capstone portfolio, individual course portfolio, and the comprehensive education portfolio. The comprehensive education portfolio (CEP), as used by the authors, is a student portfolio, developed over…

The Project Protect Infection Prevention Fellowship: A model for advancing infection prevention competency, quality improvement, and patient safety.

PubMed

Reisinger, Janine D; Wojcik, Anna; Jenkins, Ian; Edson, Barbara; Pegues, David A; Greene, Linda

2017-08-01

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2016 Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI) Progress Report documented no change in catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) between 2009 and 2014. There is a need for investment in additional efforts to reduce HAIs, specifically CAUTI. Quality improvement fellowships are 1 approach to expand the capacity of dedicated leaders and infection prevention champions. The fellowship used a model that expanded collaboration among disciplines and focused on partnership by recruiting a diverse cohort of fellows and by providing 1-on-1 mentoring to enhance leadership development. The curriculum supported the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Prevention Competency Model in 2 domains: leadership and performance improvement and implementation science. The fellowship was successful. The fellows and mentors had self-reported high level of satisfaction, fellows' knowledge increased, and they demonstrated leadership, quality improvement, and implementation science competency within the completed capstone projects. A model encompassing diverse educational topics, discussions, workshops, and mentorship can serve as a template for developing infection prevention champions. Although this project focused on CAUTI, this template can be used in a variety of settings and applied to a range of other HAIs and performance improvement projects. Copyright © 2017 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Experiential Learning Initiative: A Student-Scientist Partnership for Urban Youth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshall, B. J.; Birdin, V. E.; Butler, J.

2001-05-01

The Experiential Learning Initiative is a student-scientist partnership initiated during the doctoral program of the author. Essential to the partnership were the cooperative relationships between the teaching and administrative staffs of Bellwood, IL School District 88 and the Michigan State University Department of Entomology. The use of insects, geophysical visualization activities, and extensive fieldwork by the students served as the foundation for non-traditional learning experiences. The university science partner worked with students in an after-school program several days each month. During these sessions, students were given opportunities to experience science as an on-going process based on personal curiosity and creativity. Through their personal investigations in laboratory, field, and field station situations, the students constructed knowledge of Earth processes and ecological interactions. Each academic year of the partnership was brought to closure with a capstone event that included travel to a major university or working field station for a week of on-site investigation, expanded exposure to practicing scientists, and residential living in a scientific community. All students presented posters about a topic of their own areas of interest at the end of the week and again upon return to their schools. The results of this partnership have included strong gains in both personal confidence among the students and in test scores from standardized state tests.

Inhalation and Ingestion Intakes with Associated Dose Estimates for Level II and Level III Personnel Using Capstone Study Data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Szrom, Fran; Falo, Gerald A.; Lodde, Gordon M.

2009-03-01

Depleted uranium (DU) intake rates and subsequent dose rates were estimated for personnel entering armored combat vehicles perforated with DU penetrators (level II and level III personnel) using data generated during the Capstone Depleted Uranium (DU) Aerosol Study. Inhalation intake rates and associated dose rates were estimated from cascade impactors worn by sample recovery personnel and from cascade impactors that served as area monitors. Ingestion intake rates and associated dose rates were estimated from cotton gloves worn by sample recovery personnel and from wipe test samples from the interior of vehicles perforated with large caliber DU munitions. The mean DUmore » inhalation intake rate for level II personnel ranged from 0.447 mg h-1 based on breathing zone monitor data (in and around a perforated vehicle) to 14.5 mg h-1 based on area monitor data (in a perforated vehicle). The mean DU ingestion intake rate for level II ranged from 4.8 mg h-1 to 38.9 mg h-1 based on the wipe test data including surface to glove transfer factors derived from the Capstone data. Based on glove contamination data, the mean DU ingestion intake rates for level II and level III personnel were 10.6 mg h-1 was and 1.78 mg h-1, respectively. Effective dose rates and peak kidney uranium concentration rates were calculated based on the intake rates. The peak kidney uranium concentration rate cannot be multiplied by the total exposure duration when multiple intakes occur because uranium will clear from the kidney between the exposures.« less

Radiological Risk Assessment of Capstone Depleted Uranium Aerosols

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hahn, Fletcher; Roszell, Laurie E.; Daxon, Eric G.

2009-02-26

Assessment of the health risk from exposure to aerosols of depleted uranium (DU) is an important outcome of the Capstone aerosol studies that established exposure ranges to personnel in armored combat vehicles perforated by DU munitions. Although the radiation exposure from DU is low, there is concern that DU deposited in the body may increase cancer rates. Radiation doses to various organs of the body resulting from the inhalation of DU aerosols measured in the Capstone studies were calculated using International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) models. Organs and tissues with the highest calculated committed equivalent 50-yr doses were lungmore » and extrathoracic tissues (nose and nasal passages, pharynx, larynx, mouth and thoracic lymph nodes). Doses to the bone surface and kidney were about 5 to 10% of the doses to the extrathoracic tissues. The methodologies of the ICRP International Steering Committee on Radiation Standards (ISCORS) were used for determining the whole body cancer risk. Organ-specific risks were estimated using ICRP and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) methodologies. Risks for crewmembers and first responders were determined for selected scenarios based on the time interval of exposure and for vehicle and armor type. The lung was the organ with the highest cancer mortality risk, accounting for about 97% of the risks summed from all organs. The highest mean lifetime risk for lung cancer for the scenario with the longest exposure time interval (2 h) was 0.42%. This risk is low compared with the natural or background risk of 7.35%. These risks can be significantly reduced by using an existing ventilation system (if operable) and by reducing personnel time in the vehicle immediately after perforation.« less

Aircraft integrated design and analysis: A classroom experience

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

AAE 451 is the capstone course required of all senior undergraduates in the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Purdue University. During the past year the first steps of a long evolutionary process were taken to change the content and expectations of this course. These changes are the result of the availability of advanced computational capabilities and sophisticated electronic media availability at Purdue. This presentation will describe both the long range objectives and this year's experience using the High Speed Commercial Transport (HSCT) design, the AIAA Long Duration Aircraft design and a Remotely Piloted Vehicle (RPV) design proposal as project objectives. The central goal of these efforts was to provide a user-friendly, computer-software-based, environment to supplement traditional design course methodology. The Purdue University Computer Center (PUCC), the Engineering Computer Network (ECN), and stand-alone PC's were used for this development. This year's accomplishments centered primarily on aerodynamics software obtained from the NASA Langley Research Center and its integration into the classroom. Word processor capability for oral and written work and computer graphics were also blended into the course. A total of 10 HSCT designs were generated, ranging from twin-fuselage and forward-swept wing aircraft, to the more traditional delta and double-delta wing aircraft. Four Long Duration Aircraft designs were submitted, together with one RPV design tailored for photographic surveillance. Supporting these activities were three video satellite lectures beamed from NASA/Langley to Purdue. These lectures covered diverse areas such as an overview of HSCT design, supersonic-aircraft stability and control, and optimization of aircraft performance. Plans for next year's effort will be reviewed, including dedicated computer workstation utilization, remote satellite lectures, and university/industrial cooperative efforts.

Multiplication Fact Fluency Using Doubles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flowers, Judith M.; Rubenstein, Rheta N.

2010-01-01

Not knowing multiplication facts creates a gap in a student's mathematics development and undermines confidence and disposition toward further mathematical learning. Learning multiplication facts is a first step in proportional reasoning, "the capstone of elementary arithmetic and the gateway to higher mathematics" (NRC 2001, p. 242). Proportional…

Undergraduate Coursework in Economics: A Survey Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siegfried, John J.; Walstad, William B.

2014-01-01

Survey results from a large sample of economics departments describe offerings for principles courses, coursework requirements for economics majors, and program augmentations such as capstone courses, senior seminars, and honors programs. Findings are reported for all institutions, and institutions are subdivided into six different categories…

Collaborative Learning in Engineering Design.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newell, Sigrin

1990-01-01

Described is a capstone experience for undergraduate biomedical engineering students in which student teams work with children and adults with cerebral palsy to produce devices that make their lives easier or more enjoyable. The collaborative approach, benefits to the clients, and evaluation of the projects are discussed. (CW)

ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY VERIFICATION REPORT, MARIAH ENERGY CORPORATION HEAT PLUS POWER SYSTEM

EPA Science Inventory

The Greenhouse Gas Technology Center (GHG Center) has recently evaluated the performance of the Heat PlusPower(TM) System (Mariah CDP System), which integrates microturbine technology with a heat recovery system. Electric power is generated with a Capstone MicroTurbine(TM) Model ...

Teaching Business Management at the Secondary Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Betty J.

1978-01-01

A suggested secondary business curriculum for future entrepreneurs should include a foundations course in the private enterprise system and courses in accounting, distributive education, data processing, and perhaps business law, leading to a capstone course in small business management. Some career possibilities are also noted. (MF)

The MUSES Satellite Team and Multidisciplinary System Engineering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, John C.; Paiz, Alfred R.; Young, Donald L.

1997-01-01

In a unique partnership between three minority-serving institutions and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a new course sequence, including a multidisciplinary capstone design experience, is to be developed and implemented at each of the schools with the ambitious goal of designing, constructing and launching a low-orbit Earth-resources satellite. The three universities involved are North Carolina A&T State University (NCA&T), University of Texas, El Paso (UTEP), and California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA). The schools form a consortium collectively known as MUSES - Minority Universities System Engineering and Satellite. Four aspects of this project make it unique: (1) Including all engineering disciplines in the capstone design course, (2) designing, building and launching an Earth-resources satellite, (3) sustaining the partnership between the three schools to achieve this goal, and (4) implementing systems engineering pedagogy at each of the three schools. This paper will describe the partnership and its goals, the first design of the satellite, the courses developed at NCA&T, and the implementation plan for the course sequence.

The Cosmic Ray Observatory Project: Results of a Summer High-School Student, Teacher, University Scientist Partnership Using a Capstone Research Experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shell, Duane F.; Snow, Gregory R.; Claes, Daniel R.

2011-04-01

This paper reports results from evaluation of the Cosmic Ray Observatory Project (CROP), a student, teacher, scientist partnership to engage high-school students and teachers in school based cosmic ray research. Specifically, this study examined whether an intensive summer workshop experience could effectively prepare teacher—student teams to engage in cutting edge high-energy physics research. Results showed that teachers and students could acquire enough knowledge about cosmic ray physics and self-efficacy for conducting cosmic ray research during a summer workshop to be full participants in an SSP conducting research in their schools, and a capstone anchoring approach using an authentic research activity was effective for motivating student engagement in didactic classroom learning. CROP demonstrated "proof of concept" that setting up cosmic ray detector arrays in schools run by teachers and students was feasible, but found that set-up and operation in a high-school was technically difficult.

Communication skills to develop trusting relationships on global virtual engineering capstone teams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaugg, Holt; Davies, Randall S.

2013-05-01

As universities seek to provide cost-effective, cross-cultural experiences using global virtual (GV) teams, the 'soft' communication skills typical of all teams, increases in importance for GV teams. Students need to be taught how to navigate through cultural issues and virtual tool issues to build strong trusting relationships with distant team members. Weekly team meetings provide an excellent opportunity to observe key team interactions that facilitate relationship and trust-building among team members. This study observed the weekly team meetings of engineering students attending two US universities and one Asian university as they collaborated as a single GV capstone GV team. In addition local team members were interviewed individually and collectively throughout the project to determine strategies that facilitated team relations and trust. Findings indicate the importance of student choice of virtual communication tools, the refining of communication practices, and specific actions to build trusting relationships. As student developed these attributes, collaboration and success was experienced on this GV team.

Know Your Discipline: Teaching the Philosophy of Computer Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tedre, Matti

2007-01-01

The diversity and interdisciplinarity of computer science and the multiplicity of its uses in other sciences make it hard to define computer science and to prescribe how computer science should be carried out. The diversity of computer science also causes friction between computer scientists from different branches. Computer science curricula, as…

Preface: SciDAC 2008

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stevens, Rick

2008-07-01

The fourth annual Scientific Discovery through Advanced Computing (SciDAC) Conference was held June 13-18, 2008, in Seattle, Washington. The SciDAC conference series is the premier communitywide venue for presentation of results from the DOE Office of Science's interdisciplinary computational science program. Started in 2001 and renewed in 2006, the DOE SciDAC program is the country's - and arguably the world's - most significant interdisciplinary research program supporting the development of advanced scientific computing methods and their application to fundamental and applied areas of science. SciDAC supports computational science across many disciplines, including astrophysics, biology, chemistry, fusion sciences, and nuclear physics. Moreover, the program actively encourages the creation of long-term partnerships among scientists focused on challenging problems and computer scientists and applied mathematicians developing the technology and tools needed to address those problems. The SciDAC program has played an increasingly important role in scientific research by allowing scientists to create more accurate models of complex processes, simulate problems once thought to be impossible, and analyze the growing amount of data generated by experiments. To help further the research community's ability to tap into the capabilities of current and future supercomputers, Under Secretary for Science, Raymond Orbach, launched the Innovative and Novel Computational Impact on Theory and Experiment (INCITE) program in 2003. The INCITE program was conceived specifically to seek out computationally intensive, large-scale research projects with the potential to significantly advance key areas in science and engineering. The program encourages proposals from universities, other research institutions, and industry. During the first two years of the INCITE program, 10 percent of the resources at NERSC were allocated to INCITE awardees. However, demand for supercomputing resources far exceeded available systems; and in 2003, the Office of Science identified increasing computing capability by a factor of 100 as the second priority on its Facilities of the Future list. The goal was to establish leadership-class computing resources to support open science. As a result of a peer reviewed competition, the first leadership computing facility was established at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in 2004. A second leadership computing facility was established at Argonne National Laboratory in 2006. This expansion of computational resources led to a corresponding expansion of the INCITE program. In 2008, Argonne, Lawrence Berkeley, Oak Ridge, and Pacific Northwest national laboratories all provided resources for INCITE. By awarding large blocks of computer time on the DOE leadership computing facilities, the INCITE program enables the largest-scale computations to be pursued. In 2009, INCITE will award over half a billion node-hours of time. The SciDAC conference celebrates progress in advancing science through large-scale modeling and simulation. Over 350 participants attended this year's talks, poster sessions, and tutorials, spanning the disciplines supported by DOE. While the principal focus was on SciDAC accomplishments, this year's conference also included invited presentations and posters from DOE INCITE awardees. Another new feature in the SciDAC conference series was an electronic theater and video poster session, which provided an opportunity for the community to see over 50 scientific visualizations in a venue equipped with many high-resolution large-format displays. To highlight the growing international interest in petascale computing, this year's SciDAC conference included a keynote presentation by Herman Lederer from the Max Planck Institut, one of the leaders of DEISA (Distributed European Infrastructure for Supercomputing Applications) project and a member of the PRACE consortium, Europe's main petascale project. We also heard excellent talks from several European groups, including Laurent Gicquel of CERFACS, who spoke on `Large-Eddy Simulations of Turbulent Reacting Flows of Real Burners: Status and Challenges', and Jean-Francois Hamelin from EDF, who presented a talk on `Getting Ready for Petaflop Capacities and Beyond: A Utility Perspective'. Two other compelling addresses gave attendees a glimpse into the future. Tomas Diaz de la Rubia of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory spoke on a vision for a fusion/fission hybrid reactor known as the `LIFE Engine' and discussed some of the materials and modeling challenges that need to be overcome to realize the vision for a 1000-year greenhouse-gas-free power source. Dan Reed from Microsoft gave a capstone talk on the convergence of technology, architecture, and infrastructure for cloud computing, data-intensive computing, and exascale computing (1018 flops/sec). High-performance computing is making rapid strides. The SciDAC community's computational resources are expanding dramatically. In the summer of 2008 the first general purpose petascale system (IBM Cell-based RoadRunner at Los Alamos National Laboratory) was recognized in the top 500 list of fastest machines heralding in the dawning of the petascale era. The DOE's leadership computing facility at Argonne reached number three on the Top 500 and is at the moment the most capable open science machine based on an IBM BG/P system with a peak performance of over 550 teraflops/sec. Later this year Oak Ridge is expected to deploy a 1 petaflops/sec Cray XT system. And even before the scientific community has had an opportunity to make significant use of petascale systems, the computer science research community is forging ahead with ideas and strategies for development of systems that may by the end of the next decade sustain exascale performance. Several talks addressed barriers to, and strategies for, achieving exascale capabilities. The last day of the conference was devoted to tutorials hosted by Microsoft Research at a new conference facility in Redmond, Washington. Over 90 people attended the tutorials, which covered topics ranging from an introduction to BG/P programming to advanced numerical libraries. The SciDAC and INCITE programs and the DOE Office of Advanced Scientific Computing Research core program investments in applied mathematics, computer science, and computational and networking facilities provide a nearly optimum framework for advancing computational science for DOE's Office of Science. At a broader level this framework also is benefiting the entire American scientific enterprise. As we look forward, it is clear that computational approaches will play an increasingly significant role in addressing challenging problems in basic science, energy, and environmental research. It takes many people to organize and support the SciDAC conference, and I would like to thank as many of them as possible. The backbone of the conference is the technical program; and the task of selecting, vetting, and recruiting speakers is the job of the organizing committee. I thank the members of this committee for all the hard work and the many tens of conference calls that enabled a wonderful program to be assembled. This year the following people served on the organizing committee: Jim Ahrens, LANL; David Bader, LLNL; Bryan Barnett, Microsoft; Peter Beckman, ANL; Vincent Chan, GA; Jackie Chen, SNL; Lori Diachin, LLNL; Dan Fay, Microsoft; Ian Foster, ANL; Mark Gordon, Ames; Mohammad Khaleel, PNNL; David Keyes, Columbia University; Bob Lucas, University of Southern California; Tony Mezzacappa, ORNL; Jeff Nichols, ORNL; David Nowak, ANL; Michael Papka, ANL; Thomas Schultess, ORNL; Horst Simon, LBNL; David Skinner, LBNL; Panagiotis Spentzouris, Fermilab; Bob Sugar, UCSB; and Kathy Yelick, LBNL. I owe a special thanks to Mike Papka and Jim Ahrens for handling the electronic theater. I also thank all those who submitted videos. It was a highly successful experiment. Behind the scenes an enormous amount of work is required to make a large conference go smoothly. First I thank Cheryl Zidel for her tireless efforts as organizing committee liaison and posters chair and, in general, handling all of my end of the program and keeping me calm. I also thank Gail Pieper for her work in editing the proceedings, Beth Cerny Patino for her work on the Organizing Committee website and electronic theater, and Ken Raffenetti for his work in keeping that website working. Jon Bashor and John Hules did an excellent job in handling conference communications. I thank Caitlin Youngquist for the striking graphic design; Dan Fay for tutorials arrangements; and Lynn Dory, Suzanne Stevenson, Sarah Pebelske and Sarah Zidel for on-site registration and conference support. We all owe Yeen Mankin an extra-special thanks for choosing the hotel, handling contracts, arranging menus, securing venues, and reassuring the chair that everything was under control. We are pleased to have obtained corporate sponsorship from Cray, IBM, Intel, HP, and SiCortex. I thank all the speakers and panel presenters. I also thank the former conference chairs Tony Metzzacappa, Bill Tang, and David Keyes, who were never far away for advice and encouragement. Finally, I offer my thanks to Michael Strayer, without whose leadership, vision, and persistence the SciDAC program would not have come into being and flourished. I am honored to be part of his program and his friend. Rick Stevens Seattle, Washington July 18, 2008

Using Online Project-Based Capstone Experiences to Enhance Soft Skills Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Britton, Gwendolyn Suzanne

2013-01-01

Employers of newly minted information technology graduates are concerned that students graduating with information technology degrees offered in online environments are lacking critical noncomputing skills (soft skills). Further, it is unclear whether online environments have the capacity to foster the "soft skills" necessary for…

Improved Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Effectiveness MSSE Capstone Project

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-06-01

9 - Barrier System RMA Data Component MTBF MTTR Source Buoy 9,600 Hours Not Repairable During Mission [Ref 70, Lumpkin and Pazos , 2004...and Mayra Pazos , “Lifetime Statistics of Most Recent Drifter Deployments (2002-2003),” Global Drifter Program/ Drifter Data Assembly Center, NOAA

CAPSTONE SENIOR DESIGN - SUPRAMOLECULAR PROTON EXCHANGE MEMBRANES FOR FUEL CELLS

EPA Science Inventory

In order to assume a leading role in the burgeoning hydrogen economy, new infrastructure will be required for fuel cell manufacturing and R&D capabilities. The objective of this proposal is the development of a new generation of advanced proton exchange membrane (PEM) technol...

Stimulating Learning via Tutoring and Collaborative Entrepreneurship Gaming

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alves, Antonio Manuel Cerqueira; Pereira, Anabela Maria de Sousa; Castanheira, Helder; Direito, Ines; Duarte, A. Manuel de Oliveira

2012-01-01

This paper presents results from a multidisciplinary program targeted at engineering education and at the development of entrepreneurial mind in telecommunications engineering students. The basic concept is rooted in a capstone-like project with the following characteristics: (i) Creation of student awareness about real world engineering…

From Capstones to Touchstones: Preparative Assessment and Its Use in Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brock, Patricia Ann

2004-01-01

Assessment of teacher competence follows current educational trends in rubrics, standards, and high-stakes testing. Simultaneously, the traditional preservice education classroom is expanding into cyberspace; many teacher preparation programs are being offered through distance learning. As preservice education students complete required courses…

A Case Study of a Co-Instructed Multidisciplinary Senior Capstone Project in Sustainability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rhee, Jinny; Oyamot, Clifton; Parent, David; Speer, Leslie; Basu, Anuradha; Gerston, Larry

2014-01-01

As societal challenges involving sustainable development increase, the need to effectively integrate this inherently multidisciplinary topic into existing curricula becomes more pressing. Multidisciplinary, team-taught, project-based instruction has shown effectiveness in teaching teamwork, communication, and life-long learning skills, and…

University Extension and Urban Planning Programs: An Efficient Partnership.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kotval, Zenia

2003-01-01

The Urban Planning Practicum is a capstone course engaging Michigan State students in urban outreach, working with community organizations on neighborhood revitalization. It facilitates the experiential learning needs of urban planning students while assisting Extension staff in capacity building. Faculty-extension agent partnerships make it…

Measuring Quality in High-Impact Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zilvinskis, John

2017-01-01

High-Impact Practices (HIPs), such as participating in undergraduate research, completing an internship, and creating a senior-capstone project, are becoming prominent within the academy. Scholars have surmised that aspects of HIP quality (e.g., student effort, peer collaboration, and faculty interaction) lead to greater desired outcomes for…

Design Projects of the Future

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaeiwitz, Joseph A.; Turton, Richard

2006-01-01

The chemical engineering profession is in the midst of a significant evolution, perhaps a revolution. As the profession moves toward product development and design and away from petroleum and chemical process development and design, a new paradigm for chemical engineering education is evolving. Therefore, a new generation of capstone design…

Conflict from Teamwork in Project-Based Collaborative Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chan, Lim Ha; Chen, Ching-Huei

2010-01-01

This study investigated the conflict occurring during teamwork among college seniors in project-based collaborative learning in a capstone course. It found that conflict emerged with poor communication, task management, and work allocation; unequal treatments among classmates; egocentricity; a clash of values; and lack of responsibility and…

An Environmentally Focused General Chemistry Laboratory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mihok, Morgan; Keiser, Joseph T.; Bortiatynski, Jacqueline M.; Mallouk, Thomas E.

2006-01-01

The environmentally focused general chemistry laboratory provides a format for teaching the concepts of the mainstream laboratory within an environmental context. The capstone integrated exercise emerged as the overwhelming favorite part of this laboratory and the experiment gave students an opportunity to do a self-directed project, using the…

Student Journalists in the Field: Bridging the Gap Between Science and Communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glotch, T. D.; Jones, A. P.; Bleacher, L.; Selvin, B.; Firstman, R.

2015-12-01

The Remote, In Situ, and Synchrotron Studies for Science and Exploration (RIS4E) team is one of nine nodes of NASA's Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute. A core goal of the RIS4E Education and Communication (E&C) plan is to increase the accessibility of science to the general public, both by teaching scientists how to communicate their work to the public and by training the next generation of science journalists. During the Spring 2015 semester, eight Stony Brook University journalism students, ranging from Sophomores through M.A. students, participated in a new Science Journalism course in the School of Journalism. During the semester, the students learned about the science being conducted by the RIS4E team, took field trips to labs, interviewed scientists and graduate students, and produced print and video pieces about the science and the scientists. As a capstone project, five of the students, along with a professor and TA, were embedded with the RIS4E field geology team during their 2015 field season at the 1974 Kilauea lava flow on the Big Island of Hawaii. During their time in Hawaii, the journalism students had complete access to the field team, both during work and after-work hours. For each of the students, it was their first exposure to the practice of science, made possible through the experience of watching scientists formulate and test hypotheses in real time. They posted daily blog updates about the work being done by the field team and acquired dozens of hours of video footage to be produced into longer pieces. This presentation will describe the unique Stony Brook Science Journalism course and the experiences of the students both in the classroom and in the field. We will highlight both the successes and the lessons learned, for both the students and the scientists involved, and discuss our plans to conduct a second class in 2017, when the students will accompany the RIS4E field team to the Potrillo Volcanic Field in New Mexico.

Inspiring Inquiry: Scientists, science teachers, and GK-12 students learning climate science together

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stwertka, C.; Blonquist, J.; Feener, D.

2010-12-01

A major communication gap exists between climate scientists, educators, and society. As a result, findings from climate research, potential implications of climate change, and possible mitigation strategies are not fully understood and accepted outside of the climate science community. A good way to begin bridging the gap is to teach climate science to students in public schools. TGLL (Think Globally, Learn Locally) is an NSF GK-12 program based at the University of Utah, which partners graduate students in the biological, geological and atmospheric sciences with middle and high school teachers in the Salt Lake City School District to improve the communication skills of Fellows and enhance inquiry-based science teaching and learning in the classroom. Each TGLL Fellow works in the same classroom(s) throughout the year, developing his or her scientific communication skills while providing teachers with content knowledge, resources, classroom support, and enhancing the experience of students such that science becomes an interesting and accessible tool for acquiring knowledge. The TGLL Fellows work closely as a group to develop inquiry-based teaching modules (a series of lessons) and a field trip that involve students in doing authentic science. Lessons are designed to apply national and Utah core curriculum concepts to broader scientific issues such as habitat alteration, pollution and disturbance, invasive species, and infectious disease, with the focus of the 2010-2011 school year being climate change. The TGLL Global Climate Change module contains lesson plans on climate temporal and spatial scales, temperature variation, energy balance, the carbon cycle, the greenhouse effect, climate feedback loops, anthropogenic climate change indicators, climate change consequences and impacts, and actions students can take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The capstone experience for the module is a “Backyard Climate Change” field trip to a local pristine canyon. Students will map and measure the carbon dioxide flux of various ecosystem components, measure the albedo of various surfaces, learn about micro-scale climates and atmospheric pollen transport, measure water and air quality, and observe habitat alteration. Through the module and fieldtrip, TGLL Fellows aim to build student and teacher knowledge about climate change and create lasting projects that are adapted into the core science curriculum.

Climate Change Student Summits: A Model that Works (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huffman, L. T.

2013-12-01

The C2S2: Climate Change Student Summit project has completed four years of activities plus a year-long longitudinal evaluation with demonstrated positive impacts beyond the life of the project on both students and teachers. This presentation will share the lessons learned about implementing this climate change science education program and suggest that it is a successful model that can be used to scale up from its Midwestern roots to achieve measurable national impact. A NOAA Environmental Literacy grant allowed ANDRILL (ANtarctic geological DRILLing) to grow a 2008 pilot program involving 2 Midwestern sites, to a program 4 years later involving 10 sites. The excellent geographical coverage included 9 of the U.S. National Climate Assessment regions defined by the U.S. Global Change Research Program. Through the delivery of two professional development (PD) workshops, a unique opportunity was provided for both formal and informal educators to engage their classrooms/audiences in understanding the complexities of climate change. For maximum contact hours, the PD experience was extended throughout the school year through the use of an online grouphub. Student teams were involved in a creative investigative science research and presentation experience culminating in a Climate Change Student Summit, an on-site capstone event including a videoconference connecting all sites. The success of this program was based on combining multiple aspects, such as encouraging the active involvement of scientists and early career researchers both in the professional development workshops and in the Student Summit. Another key factor was the close working relationships between informal and formal science entities, including involvement of informal science learning facilities and informal science education leaders. The program also created cutting-edge curriculum materials titled the ELF, (Environmental Literacy Framework with a focus on climate change), providing an earth systems approach to climate change education which have been successfully integrated into existing curricula in grades 4-12, as well as at numerous science museums.

LONG-TERM PERFORMANCE OF PERMEABLE REACTIVE BARRIERS: LESSONS LEARNED, FUTURE DIRECTIONS

EPA Science Inventory

Recently, a synthesis of research findings by EPA has been prepared and presented in an EPA report titled Capstone Report on the Application, Monitoring, and Performance of Permeable Reactive Barriers for Ground-Water Remediation (EPA/600/R-03/045 a,b). Another report has also be...

Teaching Teamwork to Public Relations Students: Does It Matter?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baker-Schena, Lori

2011-01-01

Purpose: The first purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which students in university capstone public relations classes who receive teamwork training demonstrate effective team behaviors, produce quality work, experience satisfaction in the teamwork process, and engender client satisfaction. The second purpose was to determine the…

The Road Less Travelled? Pathways from Passivity to Agency in Student Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frost, Gail; Connolly, Maureen

2015-01-01

This qualitative study examined fourth-year undergraduate students' responses to reflective writing prompts and journal entries related to their practical experiences in two capstone courses, both based in SBL/PBL pedagogies. We examined their "strategic" approaches to learning that make engagement with subject matter and learning…

Orchestrating Authorship: Teaching Writing across the Psychology Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soysa, Champika K.; Dunn, Dana S.; Dottolo, Andrea L.; Burns-Glover, Alyson L.; Gurung, Regan A. R.

2013-01-01

This article describes the kinds of writing that could be introduced at the beginner, intermediate, and advanced course levels in the psychology major. We present exemplars of writing assignments across three institutions, including textual analysis, integrating intratext and intertext writing, and a capstone thesis project, where the skills…

Material Feminist Practices in a Body Politics Seminar

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stein, Rachel

2014-01-01

In this article, Rachel Stein focuses on two course projects in which students apply materialist feminist practices within a capstone women's studies seminar entitled Body Politics. Undertaking these projects, students become more critically aware of gendered materialities that they had previously taken for granted as they deconstruct material…

Piloting a Web-Based Homework System in Developmental Mathematics Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dass, Wendi E.

2012-01-01

This Capstone project studied a pilot of the web-based homework system "Hawkes" in developmental mathematics classes at a mid-sized community college. The purpose of the study was to investigate how three instructors of developmental mathematics courses incorporated "Hawkes" in their classes, what obstacles they encountered,…

Scope Management: A Core Information System Implementation Project Pedagogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Léger, Pierre-Majorique; Lyle, Derick; Babin, Gilbert; Charland, Patrick; Pellerin, Robert

2013-01-01

This article describes an initiative to provide IS management a capstone course that builds on the zone of proximal development concept, oriented towards developing prioritization and critical reasoning skills, and to promote self-learning. Request for proposal business cases appear to offer effective mechanisms for retaining context, while…

Leadership Learning through Student-Centered and Inquiry-Focused Approaches to Teaching Adaptive Leadership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haber-Curran, Paige; Tillapaugh, Daniel

2013-01-01

This qualitative study examines student learning about leadership across three sections of a capstone course in an undergraduate leadership minor. Qualitative methods were informed by exploratory case study analysis and phenomenology. Student-centered and inquiry-focused pedagogical approaches, including case-in-point, action inquiry, and…

Writing in the Senior Capstone: Theory and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Masiello, Lea; Skipper, Tracy L.

2013-01-01

Surveys of employers continually highlight the need for better communication skills among recent college graduates. Yet, writing instruction in higher education serves far more than a transactional purpose. Writing facilitates learning, helps students gain skills in analysis and synthesis, and supports a range of other personal and intellectual…

Transportation Research Fueled by Academia | News | NREL

Science.gov Websites

. Interested in furthering their research and education with the vast resources available at NREL, university researchers who are currently teaching include Senior Research Engineer Adam Duran, who has a senior capstone more transportation researchers-Yi Hou, Clement Rames, and Josh Sperling-are currently teaching an

A Cross-Functional Systems Project in an IS Capstone Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maloni, Michael; Dembla, Pamila; Swaim, J. Anthony

2012-01-01

Information systems (IS) practitioners must regularly work cross-functionally with business users when implementing enterprise systems. However, most IS higher education is not truly cross-functional in nature with students typically relying on instructors or even themselves to represent user requirements. To address this gap, we describe an…

The MPA Capstone Course: Multifaceted Uses and Potentialities in Program Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahmed, Shamima

2015-01-01

In the United States, Master of Public Administration Program (MPA) accreditations come through fulfilling the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and administration (NASPAA) accreditation standards. In 2009, NASPAA made some significant revisions to its accreditation standards. One of the major revisions is the requirement for programs…

Friday Forum and the AICPA Core Competency Framework: Honing Students' Personal Competencies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Grace F.

2013-01-01

This paper shares one learning technique for honing undergraduate students' personal competencies. The senior accounting capstone course at a small Midwestern private liberal college includes a weekly seminar series, called the Friday Forum, where students and practitioners meet to discuss a current professional accounting article. Since Spring…

Dyna Soars: Low Torque Measurement Dynamometer

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dolph, Darrel A.

2004-01-01

Students in the Electronics Engineering Technology program at Pennsylvania College of Technology designed and built a computerized dynamometer platform for testing dc brushless motors. As the capstone experience for EET-320, Measurement and Tests course, students were divided into teams of four and were given three weeks to complete the project.…

The Ohio Schools Pest Management Survey: A Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

2001

In 2001, the Environmental Studies Senior Capstone Seminar class at Denison University helped the state of Ohio work to prevent harmful pesticide use in schools. In cooperation with Ohio State University's Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Schools Program, Denison conducted a statewide survey of school districts to determine current pest…

Making Molecular Borromean Rings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pentecost, Cari D.; Tangchaivang, Nichol; Cantrill, Stuart J.; Chichak, Kelly S.; Peters, Andrea J.; Stoddart, Fraser J.

2007-01-01

A procedure that requires seven 4-hour blocks of time to allow undergraduate students to prepare the molecular Borromean rings (BRs) on a gram-scale in 90% yield is described. The experiment would serve as a nice capstone project to culminate any comprehensive organic laboratory course and expose students to fundamental concepts, symmetry point…

The Cyber Military Revolution and the Need for a New Framework of War

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-04-16

upon a better ability to discover and synthesize linkages and relationships between the variables and factors observed, one’s genetic heritage, social...system. The inclusion of the proposed revised framework of war in the capstone joint doctrine guidance document would provide a rubric of warfare

Diagnostic and Value-Added Assessment of Business Writing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fraser, Linda; Harich, Katrin; Norby, Joni; Brzovic, Kathy; Rizkallah, Teeanna; Loewy, Dana

2005-01-01

To assess students' business writing abilities upon entry into the business program and exit from the capstone course, a multitiered assessment package was developed that measures students' achievement of specific learning outcomes and provides "value-added" scores. The online segment of the test measures five competencies across three process…

Nondisparagement Clauses in Severance Agreements: A Capstone Contracts Exercise

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Tonia Hap

2017-01-01

Nondisparagement clauses are common in severance agreements. They are "boilerplate," "routine." They are "used across all industries, in companies of all sizes and with employees at any position within the organization, although they are more common with higher-ranking employees or when mass layoffs occur. Companies may be…

Mathematical Modeling Projects: Success for All Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shelton, Therese

2018-01-01

Mathematical modeling allows flexibility for a project-based experience. We share details of our regular capstone course, successful for virtually 100% of our math majors for almost two decades. Our research-like approach in this course accommodates a variety of student backgrounds and interests, and has produced some award-winning student…

High School Student Modeling in the Engineering Design Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mentzer, Nathan; Huffman, Tanner; Thayer, Hilde

2014-01-01

A diverse group of 20 high school students from four states in the US were individually provided with an engineering design challenge. Students chosen were in capstone engineering courses and had taken multiple engineering courses. As students considered the problem and developed a solution, observational data were recorded and artifacts…

Re-Envisioning the Honors Senior Project: Experience as Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gustafson, Kevin; Cureton, Zachary

2014-01-01

One of the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) Basic Characteristics of a Fully Developed Honors Program is that it creates opportunities for undergraduate research, opportunities that frequently culminate in a senior thesis or capstone project. This article describes how the University of Texas at Arlington Honors College integrated…

Utilizing Civil Engineering Senior Design Capstone Projects to Evaluate Students' Sustainability Education across Engineering Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dancz, Claire L. A.; Ketchman, Kevin J.; Burke, Rebekah D.; Hottle, Troy A.; Parrish, Kristen; Bilec, Melissa M.; Landis, Amy E.

2017-01-01

While many institutions express interest in integrating sustainability into their civil engineering curriculum, the engineering community lacks consensus on established methods for infusing sustainability into curriculum and verified approaches to assess engineers' sustainability knowledge. This paper presents the development of a sustainability…

Breaking the Sound Barrier

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Tom; Boehringer, Kim

2007-01-01

Students in a fourth-grade class participated in a series of dynamic sound learning centers followed by a dramatic capstone event--an exploration of the amazing Trashcan Whoosh Waves. It's a notoriously difficult subject to teach, but this hands-on, exploratory approach ignited student interest in sound, promoted language acquisition, and built…

Designing Journalism Capstone Units That Demonstrate Student Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cullen, Trevor

2016-01-01

There are considerable differences in the structure, content, and delivery of tertiary journalism degrees in Australia as identified in a 2014 Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT) Innovation and Development Project report on graduate qualities and journalism curriculum renewal. To address this situation, the author argues for journalism capstone…

Are Future Teachers Ready to Embrace Mathematical Inquiry?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Acosta, Daniel

2014-01-01

This article describes a project inspired by Liping Ma's "Exploring New Knowledge" in which future 7-12 grade mathematics teachers enrolled in a fall 2013 capstone course at a typical regional state university were assigned fictitious student conjectures. These future teachers (all current high school mathematics teachers) were…

Capstone Report - The Technology Readiness of Alternative Fuels : Alternative Fuels & Life-Cycle Engineering Program : November 29, 2006 to November 28, 2011

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-12-20

The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Networks and Information Integration (ASD/NII) and the Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy (UST/P) sponsored a National Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) Architecture Study to "provide more effe...

Enhancing Knowledge Integration: An Information System Capstone Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steiger, David M.

2009-01-01

This database project focuses on learning through knowledge integration; i.e., sharing and applying specialized (database) knowledge within a group, and combining it with other business knowledge to create new knowledge. Specifically, the Tiny Tots, Inc. project described below requires students to design, build, and instantiate a database system…

Incorporating a Product Archaeology Paradigm across the Mechanical Engineering Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore-Russo, Deborah; Cormier, Phillip; Lewis, Kemper; Devendorf, Erich

2013-01-01

Historically, the teaching of design theory in an engineering curriculum has been relegated to a senior capstone design experience. Presently, however, engineering design concepts and courses can be found through the entirety of most engineering programs. Educators have recognized that engineering design provides a foundational platform that can…

Multimedia Teacher Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leaman, Heather; DiLucchio, Connie

2015-01-01

In this qualitative study, two teacher educators and course instructors in a Masters of Education (M.Ed.) program explored beginning teacher researchers' use of multimedia to support action research. Fifty-eight teachers (36 in spring 2010 and 22 in spring 2011) completed teacher research as the capstone in their M.Ed. program. Teachers utilized…

Robert's Rules for Optimal Learning: Model Development, Field Testing, Implications!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGinty, Robert L.

The value of accelerated learning techniques developed by the national organization for Suggestive Accelerated Learning Techniques (SALT) was tested in a study using Administrative Policy students taking the capstone course in the Eastern Washington University School of Business. Educators have linked the brain and how it functions to various…

Forest Resource Management Plans: A Sustainability Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pile, Lauren S.; Watts, Christine M.; Straka, Thomas J.

2012-01-01

Forest Resource Management Plans is the capstone course in many forestry and natural resource management curricula. The management plans are developed by senior forestry students. Early management plans courses were commonly technical exercises, often performed on contrived forest "tracts" on university-owned or other public lands, with a goal of…

Management of Classroom Behaviors: Perceived Readiness of Education Interns

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garland, Dennis; Garland, Krista Vince; Vasquez, Eleazar, III

2013-01-01

Education students at a large research university participated in internships during their final semesters as part of their respective programs of study as a capstone experience. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to collect data on the perceptions of interns' readiness and knowledge of evidence-based practices to manage classroom…

Preliminary human factors findings from the FAA Capstone 3 electronic flight bag : airport surface moving map operational evaluation.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-05-02

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Office of Runway Safety is interested in understanding the impact of an airport moving map with ownship position on operational usability and safety. To gather data on the use of this technology, the FAA is s...

Identification and Triage of Compromised Virtual Machines

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-01

NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA APPLIED CYBER OPERATIONS CAPSTONE PROJECT REPORT Approved for public release...ADDRESS(ES) Naval Postgraduate School Monterey, CA 93943-5000 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER 9. SPONSORING /MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S...IN APPLIED CYBER OPERATIONS from the NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL September 2014 Authors: John Paulenich Chukwuemeka Agbedo

Eportfolios: Proving Competency and Building a Network

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kryder, LeeAnne G.

2011-01-01

Use of eportfolios for business communication students in an advanced two-quarter capstone brought an unexpected networking opportunity, in addition to their conventional use as a showcase for student writing and research. This article discusses how students developed their eportfolios. Then, through use of a course website providing an optional…

Improving Student Engagement of Health Services Management Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trowers, LaToya L.

2016-01-01

This capstone provides readers with an analysis of the role student engagement has in higher education. Student engagement has been studied extensively by many authors, and each has provided a framework for understanding the various approaches to increasing engagement of students. This paper approaches the topic of student engagement by examining…

Unpacking Personal Identities for Teaching Mathematics within the Context of Prospective Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hodges, Thomas E.; Hodge, Lynn Liao

2017-01-01

This article explores the personal identities of two prospective elementary teachers as they progressed from mathematics methods coursework into their capstone student teaching semester. Results indicate that both prospective teachers perceived contrasting obligations of effective mathematics teaching in the teacher education and student teaching…

Closed Brayton cycle power conversion systems for nuclear reactors :

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wright, Steven A.; Lipinski, Ronald J.; Vernon, Milton E.

2006-04-01

This report describes the results of a Sandia National Laboratories internally funded research program to study the coupling of nuclear reactors to gas dynamic Brayton power conversion systems. The research focused on developing integrated dynamic system models, fabricating a 10-30 kWe closed loop Brayton cycle, and validating these models by operating the Brayton test-loop. The work tasks were performed in three major areas. First, the system equations and dynamic models for reactors and Closed Brayton Cycle (CBC) systems were developed and implemented in SIMULINKTM. Within this effort, both steady state and dynamic system models for all the components (turbines, compressors,more » reactors, ducting, alternators, heat exchangers, and space based radiators) were developed and assembled into complete systems for gas cooled reactors, liquid metal reactors, and electrically heated simulators. Various control modules that use proportional-integral-differential (PID) feedback loops for the reactor and the power-conversion shaft speed were also developed and implemented. The simulation code is called RPCSIM (Reactor Power and Control Simulator). In the second task an open cycle commercially available Capstone C30 micro-turbine power generator was modified to provide a small inexpensive closed Brayton cycle test loop called the Sandia Brayton test-Loop (SBL-30). The Capstone gas-turbine unit housing was modified to permit the attachment of an electrical heater and a water cooled chiller to form a closed loop. The Capstone turbine, compressor, and alternator were used without modification. The Capstone systems nominal operating point is 1150 K turbine inlet temperature at 96,000 rpm. The annular recuperator and portions of the Capstone control system (inverter) and starter system also were reused. The rotational speed of the turbo-machinery is controlled by adjusting the alternator load by using the electrical grid as the load bank. The SBL-30 test loop was operated at the manufacturers site (Barber-Nichols Inc.) and installed and operated at Sandia. A sufficiently detailed description of the loop is provided in this report along with the design characteristics of the turbo-alternator-compressor set to allow other researchers to compare their results with those measured in the Sandia test-loop. The third task consisted of a validation effort. In this task the test loop was operated and compared with the modeled results to develop a more complete understanding of this electrically heated closed power generation system and to validate the model. The measured and predicted system temperatures and pressures are in good agreement, indicating that the model is a reasonable representation of the test loop. Typical deviations between the model and the hardware results are less than 10%. Additional tests were performed to assess the capability of the Brayton engine to continue to remove decay heat after the reactor/heater is shutdown, to develop safe and effective control strategies, and to access the effectiveness of gas inventory control as an alternative means to provide load following. In one test the heater power was turned off to simulate a rapid reactor shutdown, and the turbomachinery was driven solely by the sensible heat stored in the heater for over 71 minutes without external power input. This is an important safety feature for CBC systems as it means that the closed Brayton loop will keep cooling the reactor without the need for auxiliary power (other than that needed to circulate the waste heat rejection coolant) provided the heat sink is available.« less

Factors influencing exemplary science teachers' levels of computer use

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hakverdi, Meral

This study examines exemplary science teachers' use of technology in science instruction, factors influencing their level of computer use, their level of knowledge/skills in using specific computer applications for science instruction, their use of computer-related applications/tools during their instruction, and their students' use of computer applications/tools in or for their science class. After a relevant review of the literature certain variables were selected for analysis. These variables included personal self-efficacy in teaching with computers, outcome expectancy, pupil-control ideology, level of computer use, age, gender, teaching experience, personal computer use, professional computer use and science teachers' level of knowledge/skills in using specific computer applications for science instruction. The sample for this study includes middle and high school science teachers who received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching Award (sponsored by the White House and the National Science Foundation) between the years 1997 and 2003 from all 50 states and U.S. territories. Award-winning science teachers were contacted about the survey via e-mail or letter with an enclosed return envelope. Of the 334 award-winning science teachers, usable responses were received from 92 science teachers, which made a response rate of 27.5%. Analysis of the survey responses indicated that exemplary science teachers have a variety of knowledge/skills in using computer related applications/tools. The most commonly used computer applications/tools are information retrieval via the Internet, presentation tools, online communication, digital cameras, and data collection probes. Results of the study revealed that students' use of technology in their science classroom is highly correlated with the frequency of their science teachers' use of computer applications/tools. The results of the multiple regression analysis revealed that personal self-efficacy related to the exemplary science teachers' level of computer use suggesting that computer use is dependent on perceived abilities at using computers. The teachers' use of computer-related applications/tools during class, and their personal self-efficacy, age, and gender are highly related with their level of knowledge/skills in using specific computer applications for science instruction. The teachers' level of knowledge/skills in using specific computer applications for science instruction and gender related to their use of computer-related applications/tools during class and the students' use of computer-related applications/tools in or for their science class. In conclusion, exemplary science teachers need assistance in learning and using computer-related applications/tool in their science class.

Student-Driven Engagement: An Interdisciplinary-Team Research-Learning Renewable Energy Laboratory Experience for Undergraduates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuominen, Mark

How does engagement and deep learning happen? Every science department seeks to cultivate an excellent level of scientific skills and knowledge in its undergraduate students. Yet, this is not sufficient to thrive as a professional. Engaging directly in real-world challenges can foster a professional attitude: a high level of self-efficacy, a genuine sense of relevance, and proactivity. This talk will describe pedagogical developments of a junior-year renewable energy laboratory course at the University of Massachusetts Amherst that is part of a four-year Integrated Concentration in Science (iCons) program. Over the four years, the interdisciplinary iCons students-from 24 various majors-work through case studies, selection and analysis of real-world problems, inception and development of potential solutions, integrative communication, experimental practice, and capstone research. The team dynamic is a central aspect of the experience, yielding significant educational and developmental benefits. The third-year energy course uses adopts a culture of a small vibrant R and D company (I3E - ``Energy, Powered By Intelligence''), in which every person in the course has a vital responsibility and creative resourcefulness must be employed in the project work. The course emphasizes the practice of using reflection and redesign, as a means of generating better solutions and embedding the practice of learning in a real-world context. This work is supported in part by NSF Grant DUE-1140805.

Team-Based Development of Medical Devices: An Engineering–Business Collaborative

PubMed Central

Eberhardt, Alan W.; Johnson, Ophelia L.; Kirkland, William B.; Dobbs, Joel H.; Moradi, Lee G.

2016-01-01

There is a global shift in the teaching methodology of science and engineering toward multidisciplinary, team-based processes. To meet the demands of an evolving technical industry and lead the way in engineering education, innovative curricula are essential. This paper describes the development of multidisciplinary, team-based learning environments in undergraduate and graduate engineering curricula focused on medical device design. In these programs, students actively collaborate with clinicians, professional engineers, business professionals, and their peers to develop innovative solutions to real-world problems. In the undergraduate senior capstone courses, teams of biomedical engineering (BME) and business students have produced and delivered numerous functional prototypes to satisfied clients. Pursuit of commercialization of devices has led to intellectual property (IP) disclosures and patents. Assessments have indicated high levels of success in attainment of student learning outcomes and student satisfaction with their undergraduate design experience. To advance these projects toward commercialization and further promote innovative team-based learning, a Master of Engineering (MEng) in Design and Commercialization was recently launched. The MEng facilitates teams of graduate students in engineering, life sciences, and business who engage in innovation-commercialization (IC) projects and coursework that take innovative ideas through research and development (R&D) to create marketable devices. The activities are structured with students working together as a “virtual company,” with targeted outcomes of commercialization (license agreements and new start-ups), competitive job placement, and/or career advancement. PMID:26902869

A comparative case study of the characteristics of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) focused high schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scott, Catherine Elizabeth

This study examined the characteristics of 10 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) focused high schools. A comparative case designed was used to identify key components of STEM school designs. Schools were selected from various regions across the United States. Data collected included websites, national statistics database, standardized test scores, interviews and published articles. Results from this study indicate that there is a variety of STEM high school programs designed to increase students' ability to pursue college degrees in STEM fields. The school mission statements influence the overall school design. Students at STEM schools must submit an application to be admitted to STEM high schools. Half of the STEM high schools used a lottery system to select students. STEM high schools have a higher population of black students and a lower population of white and Hispanic students than most schools in the United States. They serve about the same number of economically disadvantaged students. The academic programs at STEM high schools are more rigorous with electives focused on STEM content. In addition to coursework requirements, students must also complete internships and/or a capstone project. Teachers who teach in STEM schools are provided regularly scheduled professional development activities that focus on STEM content and pedagogy. Teachers provide leadership in the development and delivery of the professional development activities.

Team-Based Development of Medical Devices: An Engineering-Business Collaborative.

PubMed

Eberhardt, Alan W; Johnson, Ophelia L; Kirkland, William B; Dobbs, Joel H; Moradi, Lee G

2016-07-01

There is a global shift in the teaching methodology of science and engineering toward multidisciplinary, team-based processes. To meet the demands of an evolving technical industry and lead the way in engineering education, innovative curricula are essential. This paper describes the development of multidisciplinary, team-based learning environments in undergraduate and graduate engineering curricula focused on medical device design. In these programs, students actively collaborate with clinicians, professional engineers, business professionals, and their peers to develop innovative solutions to real-world problems. In the undergraduate senior capstone courses, teams of biomedical engineering (BME) and business students have produced and delivered numerous functional prototypes to satisfied clients. Pursuit of commercialization of devices has led to intellectual property (IP) disclosures and patents. Assessments have indicated high levels of success in attainment of student learning outcomes and student satisfaction with their undergraduate design experience. To advance these projects toward commercialization and further promote innovative team-based learning, a Master of Engineering (MEng) in Design and Commercialization was recently launched. The MEng facilitates teams of graduate students in engineering, life sciences, and business who engage in innovation-commercialization (IC) projects and coursework that take innovative ideas through research and development (R&D) to create marketable devices. The activities are structured with students working together as a "virtual company," with targeted outcomes of commercialization (license agreements and new start-ups), competitive job placement, and/or career advancement.

Interactive Virtual Suturing Simulations: Enhancement of Student Learning in Veterinary Medicine

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Staton, Amy J.; Boyd, Christine B.

2013-01-01

This capstone addresses an instructional gap in the Morehead State University Veterinary Technology Program and in other similar programs around the globe. Students do not retain the knowledge needed to proficiently complete suture patterns nor do students receive sufficient instructional time during the year to master each suture pattern that is…

Advanced Marketing/Coop Course Outline.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dixon, Bobby

This document contains the information required to present a 1-year school course that is the capstone class of a 2-year marketing major and is designed for high school students wishing to develop the skills required for entry into the marketing industry. The document begins with a rationale, brief course description, list of course objectives,…

Communication Skills to Develop Trusting Relationships on Global Virtual Engineering Capstone Teams

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zaugg, Holt; Davies, Randall S.

2013-01-01

As universities seek to provide cost-effective, cross-cultural experiences using global virtual (GV) teams, the "soft" communication skills typical of all teams, increases in importance for GV teams. Students need to be taught how to navigate through cultural issues and virtual tool issues to build strong trusting relationships with…

Online Module to Assure Success as Prelicensure Nursing Students Transition to Professional Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baptiste, Diana-Lyn; Shaefer, Sarah J. M.

2015-01-01

Prelicensure nursing students have a final capstone, practicum, or clinical course as they transition to the professional nurse role. Generally, the student role requires increased independent practice and this can be a challenge. To maximize learning in this clinical experience, an online module was designed. This article will describe course…

Using a Web GIS Plate Tectonics Simulation to Promote Geospatial Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bodzin, Alec M.; Anastasio, David; Sharif, Rajhida; Rutzmoser, Scott

2016-01-01

Learning with Web-based geographic information system (Web GIS) can promote geospatial thinking and analysis of georeferenced data. Web GIS can enable learners to analyze rich data sets to understand spatial relationships that are managed in georeferenced data visualizations. We developed a Web GIS plate tectonics simulation as a capstone learning…

Electronic Portfolios as Capstone Experiences in a Graduate Program in Organizational Leadership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goertzen, Brent J.; McRay, Jeni; Klaus, Kaley

2016-01-01

Assessment of student learning in graduate education often takes the form of a summative measure by way of written comprehensive exams. However, written examinations, while suitable for evaluating cognitive knowledge, may not fully capture students' abilities to transfer and apply leadership related knowledge and skills into real-world practice.…

Beyond Academics: Conquering Senioritis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rehage, Larry; Dreis, Janice

2009-01-01

Many educators complain that the blight of senioritis and the absence of rigor and relevance prevent the final year of high school from being the capstone year it should be. Helping seniors focus on the life-changing transition they are about to experience is an effective strategy for engaging seniors and infusing relevance and rigor in a profound…

Circumventing Graphical User Interfaces in Chemical Engineering Plant Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Romey, Noel; Schwartz, Rachel M.; Behrend, Douglas; Miao, Peter; Cheung, H. Michael; Beitle, Robert

2007-01-01

Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) are pervasive elements of most modern technical software and represent a convenient tool for student instruction. For example, GUIs are used for [chemical] process design software (e.g., CHEMCAD, PRO/II and ASPEN) typically encountered in the senior capstone course. Drag and drop aspects of GUIs are challenging for…

Addressing Problems of Professional Competence: Collaborating with University Training Programs to Support Struggling Supervisees

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guiney, Meaghan C.

2018-01-01

As a university-based supervisor (UBS) for school psychology interns, one of the highlights of the author's job is seeing students complete their capstone training experiences and move on to become credentialed, practicing school psychologists. This requires that students demonstrate competence, or the academic, assessment, clinical, ethical, and…

The Development of an ePortfolio as a Capstone in a Holistic Health Minor

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perks, Joan M.; Galantino, Mary Lou

2013-01-01

Use of electronic portfolios (ePortfolios) has been advocated to highlight student accomplishments as well as to document program and course outcomes. This use of ePortfolios incorporates information technology, thus aligning the educational process in degree programs to twenty-first-century teaching, learning, and information literacy. Here we…

Preservice Teachers' Perspective Transformations as Social Change Agents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woodrow, Kelli; Caruana, Vicki

2017-01-01

In this article, we investigate whether, and in what ways, the learning experiences in a capstone course in reflective teaching impact the perspective transformations (PT) of preservice teachers toward a diverse K-12 student population and the plans of preservice teachers to take future action as change agents. Using an adaptation of the Learning…

Developing the Skills of Principals in Low-Performing Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jenkins, Stephen R.; Peffer, Randall D.

2017-01-01

Lewis Carroll famously noted that "if you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there". This capstone project joins the dialogue of the importance of adapting the principal preparation programs at colleges and universities to adequately provide aspiring principals the skills needed to lead the work in low-performing…

An Investigation of the Implementation of Support Services in a Graduate Advising Center

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maxey, Susan W.

2014-01-01

This capstone examined the differences in support services provided for undergraduate versus graduate students. From the research, a centralized advising system was designed and implemented for graduate students at a public state supported university in Kentucky to help students be more satisfied with their graduate school experience and increase…

Building Reflective Practice through an Online Diversity Simulation in an Undergraduate Teacher Education Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manburg, Jamie; Moore, Rashid; Griffin, David; Seperson, Marvin

2017-01-01

This paper discusses preservice teachers' perceptions of an online, in-house diversity simulation in an undergraduate teacher education program conducted over a 3-year period. The diversity simulation was a nontraditional capstone experience for 193 preservice teachers in majors ranging from early childhood to secondary education. The diversity…

The Comprehensive Business Exam: Usefulness for Assessing Instructional and Student Performance Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hahn, William; Leslie, Beth

2017-01-01

The authors explore the results of the Comprehensive Business Exam (CBE) administered to business majors during their senior-year business capstone course. The study results identified students' SAT and grade point average as a predictor of CBE performance, and variables that explain the correlation between CBE performance, SAT score, and grade…

Consumer Education, Materials for an Elective Course.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bregman, Henry; And Others

An interdisciplinary course to be offered in grade 12 to serve as a capstone to the efforts of social studies, business education, home economics, health education, and industrial arts, in preparing citizens to be wise consumers, was developed by a team of teacher consultants and curriculum specialists. The materials were tested and revised after…

Case Study Effectiveness in a Team-Teaching and General-Education Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olorunnisola, Anthony A.; Ramasubramanian, Srividya; Russill, Chris; Dumas, Josephine

2003-01-01

This paper examines the effectiveness of the case study method in a team-teaching environment designed to augment a large capstone communications course that satisfies general education requirements. Results from a survey revealed that the use of case study enhanced the otherwise missing connection between the large lecture and the recitation…

Changes in Teachers' Attitudes toward Instructional Technology Attributed to Completing the ISTE NETS*T Certificate of Proficiency Capstone Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Overbaugh, Richard C.; Lu, Ruiling; Diacopoulos, Mark

2015-01-01

An evaluation was conducted of teachers' attitudinal perceptions of their confidence for implementation, stages of innovation adoption, and satisfaction, as a result of participating in the International Society for Technology in Education's National Educational Technology Standards-Teachers (ISTE NETS*T) Certificate of Proficiency Capstone…

Enhancing Student Teacher Supervision through Hybridization: Adding E-Supervision to the Mix

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paulsen, Thomas H.; Schmidt-Crawford, Denise A.

2017-01-01

Student teaching is a critical component of the preservice teacher preparation program which has a major role in preparing novices to teach. This capstone experience has been frequently examined and the subject of numerous reform measures. Clinical experiences for preservice teachers have recently seen new recommendations for increased supervisor…

The Value of Oral Feedback in the Context of Capstone Projects in Design Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karlsen, Kristine Hoeg

2017-01-01

Research frequently reports student dissatisfaction with feedback in higher education. Large class sizes and modularization challenge teachers in providing useful feedback. Most of these studies have investigated student perceptions of written feedback in coursework, and few attempts have been made considering feedback in face-to-face contexts…

Fostering Experiential Learning and Service through Client Projects in Graduate Business Courses Offered Online

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hagan, Linda M.

2012-01-01

Undergraduate marketing and public relations capstone courses utilize client projects to allow students to apply their knowledge and encourage collaboration. Yet, at the graduate level, especially with courses offered in an online modality, experiential service learning in the form of client project assignments presents unique challenges. However,…

Collaborating for Success: Team Teaching the Engineering Technical Thesis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keating, Terrence; Long, Mike

2012-01-01

This paper will examine the collaborative teaching process undertaken at College of the North Atlantic-Qatar (CNA-Q) by Engineering and the Communication faculties to improve the overall quality of engineering students' capstone projects known as the Technical Thesis. The Technical Thesis is divided into two separate components: a proposal stage…

Capstone Teaching Models: Combining Simulation, Analytical Intuitive Learning Processes, History and Effectiveness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reid, Maurice; Brown, Steve; Tabibzadeh, Kambiz

2012-01-01

For the past decade teaching models have been changing, reflecting the dynamics, complexities, and uncertainties of today's organizations. The traditional and the more current active models of learning have disadvantages. Simulation provides a platform to combine the best aspects of both types of teaching practices. This research explores the…

The Genre of Instructor Feedback in Doctoral Programs: A Corpus Linguistic Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walters, Kelley Jo; Henry, Patricia; Vinella, Michael; Wells, Steve; Shaw, Melanie; Miller, James

2015-01-01

Providing transparent written feedback to doctoral students is essential to the learning process and preparation for the capstone. The purpose of this study was to conduct a qualitative exploration of faculty feedback on benchmark written assignments across multiple, online doctoral programs. The Corpus for this analysis included 236 doctoral…

A Bottom-Up Approach to Teaching Robotics and Mechatronics to Mechanical Engineers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shiller, Z.

2013-01-01

This paper describes a multidisciplinary teaching program, designed to provide students with the broad knowledge and skills required to practice product development in robotics and mechatronics. The curriculum was designed to prepare students for the senior capstone design project, in which they design and build a working mechatronic/robotic…

A Combination Course and Lab-Based Approach to Teaching Research Skills to Undergraduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Danowitz, Amy M.; Brown, Ronald C.; Jones, Clinton D.; Diegelman-Parente, Amy; Taylor, Christopher E.

2016-01-01

Undergraduate research is an important capstone experience that provides students with the conceptual and technical aptitude for graduate or industrial research. However, this experience is often compressed into a single term in a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) or run by individual faculty members for select students on an…

Training Head Start Coordinators for Workplace Preparedness. NCCU Head Start Monograph, October 1995.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

North Carolina Central Univ., Durham.

This monograph summarizes results from academic capstone activities of graduate students and faculty advisors regarding issues consistent with Head Start national priorities and practice needs. The following theses are summarized: (1) "Multicultural Education in Head Start Programs in North Carolina" (S.K. Gant); (2) "The Impact of…

The Design and Development of a Computerized Tool Support for Conducting Senior Projects in Software Engineering Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Chung-Yang; Teng, Kao-Chiuan

2011-01-01

This paper presents a computerized tool support, the Meetings-Flow Project Collaboration System (MFS), for designing, directing and sustaining the collaborative teamwork required in senior projects in software engineering (SE) education. Among many schools' SE curricula, senior projects serve as a capstone course that provides comprehensive…

Information Systems Administration. Course Seven. Information Systems Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Neil, Sharon Lund; Everett, Donna R.

This course is the seventh of seven in the Information Systems curriculum. The purpose of this capstone course is to build on skills acquired in the earlier courses. Emphasis is placed on realistic situations and challenges that exist in the automated office and for which information systems technology and skills are pertinent. These components…

How Does Completing a Dissertation Transform Undergraduate Students' Understandings of Disciplinary Knowledge?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ashwin, Paul; Abbas, Andrea; McLean, Monica

2017-01-01

Dissertations are positioned as the capstone of an undergraduate degree, bringing together what students have previously learned from their programmes through a piece of independent research. However, there is limited research into the ways in which engaging in a dissertation has an impact on students' understandings of disciplinary knowledge. In…

Bioreactors in Everyday Life: Ethanol and the Maize Craze

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowman, Silas

2010-01-01

This project served as a capstone event for the United States Military Academy sophomore Calculus II course. This multi-disciplinary problem-solving exercise motivated the link between math and biology and many other fields of study. The seven-lesson block of instruction was developed to show students how mathematics play a role in every…

In Search of Coherence: "Inquiring" at Multiple Levels of a Teacher Education System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McQuillan, Patrick J.; Welch, Matthew James; Barnatt, Joan

2012-01-01

Inquiry-into-practice represents a valuable disposition for teachers; reflecting on one's teaching to derive insights for subsequent practice can enhance professional efficacy and promote student achievement. To support this disposition among teacher candidates (TCs), Lynch School of Education faculty at Boston College created a capstone course,…

Disciplined Imagination: Art and Metaphor in the Business School Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ryman, Joel A.; Porter, Thomas W.; Galbraith, Craig S.

2009-01-01

Business schools frequently emphasize the importance of thinking "outside-the-box," and yet very few business students are actually challenged to do so in practice. This paper presents a pedagogical technique designed to foster creativity and imagination, while providing a deeper understanding of the concepts taught in a capstone business…

A Study of Leadership and Continuous Improvement at Leadership Preparatory Academy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Medina Araujo, Jacqueline

2013-01-01

This capstone project examines how an elementary school principal and her leadership team transformed Leadership Prep Academy in Capital City into a collaborative, high performing community school. This five-year process of continuous improvement involved engaging students, staff, parents, and members of the community in developing a culture of…

The 21st Century Physics Flexbook

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Batterson, Jim; Nugent, Lan

2010-01-01

Two panels of practicing chemists and physicists met in summer 2007 to review Virginia's content standards in the high school capstone courses of chemistry and physics. Those panels were sponsored by the Virginia secretary of education and NASA, and the findings and recommendations were meant to help inform the 2010 septennial review of Virginia's…

CAPSTONE REPORT ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF A STANDARD TEST METHOD FOR VOC EMISSIONS FROM INTERIOR LATEX PAINT AND ALKYD PAINTS

EPA Science Inventory

The report gives details of a small-chamber test method developed by the EPA for characterizing volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from interior latex and alkyd paints. Current knowledge about VOC, including hazardous air pollutant, emissions from interior paints generated...

Building Bridges: Using the Office Consultation Project to Connect Students to Theory and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wawrzynski, Korine Steinke; Jessup-Anger, Jody E.

2014-01-01

The Office Consultation Project is an innovative capstone project that partners graduate students in student affairs preparation programs with academic and student affairs practitioners. It provides an opportunity for students to apply research and scholarship to practical settings, while giving practitioners new insight into their units,…

History and Systems of Psychology: A Course to Unite a Core Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Joshua L.; McCarley, Nancy; Kraft, John

2013-01-01

Core curricula are designed, in part, to help undergraduate students become intellectually well-rounded. To merge core curricula with the components of the scholarship of teaching and learning movement, students engaged in core curricula need capstone courses designed to aid them in retaining information over the long term and synthesizing…

Capstone and Building Block: Helping Students Manage Ambiguity about their Futures through Writing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Love, Brad; Mackert, Michael

2013-01-01

Encouraging students to engage with principles and ideas is one way to address ambiguity with consistent, effective approaches in situations made up of "gray area." This includes the looming post-college world where students may be unsure about choosing between job offers, geographic locations, or even communication fields. Such…

Helping Undergraduates Think Like a CEO: The APPLE Analysis as a Teaching Tool for Strategic Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Domke-Damonte, Darla J.; Keels, J. Kay; Black, Janice A.

2013-01-01

This paper presents a class assignment, entitled the APPLE Analysis, for developing pre-analysis comprehension about company conditions, resources and challenges as a part of the undergraduate strategic management capstone course. Because undergraduate students lack the causal maps of seasoned executives, this assignment helps students to develop…

The Socratic Method: Empirical Assessment of a Psychology Capstone Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burns, Lawrence R.; Stephenson, Paul L.; Bellamy, Katy

2016-01-01

Although students make some epistemological progress during college, most graduate without developing meaning-making strategies that reflect an understanding that knowledge is socially constructed. Using a pre-test-post-test design and a within-subjects 2 × 2 mixed-design ANOVA, this study reports on empirical findings which support the Socratic…

Investigating the Challenges of Developing Business Education Student Teachers: Perspectives from University Supervisors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fletcher, Edward C., Jr.

2013-01-01

Student teaching is considered to be the most critical event and capstone experience of teacher preparation programs. However, within the discipline of business education, very few studies have investigated the challenges and issues of developing future business teachers within the student teaching internship. This study examined the perspectives…

A Pollutant Transformation Laboratory Exercise for Environmental Chemistry: The Reduction of Nitrobenzenes by Anaerobic Solutions of Humic Acid

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunnivant, Frank M.; Reynolds, Mark-Cody

2007-01-01

The laboratory experiment, which acts as a capstone, integrated lecture-laboratory exercise involving solution preparation, pH buffers, [E[subscript]H] (reduction potential) buffers, organic reaction mechanisms, reaction kinetics, and instrumental analysis is presented. The students completing the lecture and laboratory exercises could gain a…

Physicochemical characterization of Capstone depleted uranium aerosols IV: in vitro solubility analysis.

PubMed

Guilmette, Raymond A; Cheng, Yung Sung

2009-03-01

As part of the Capstone Depleted Uranium (DU) Aerosol Study, the solubility of selected aerosol samples was measured using an accepted in vitro dissolution test system. This static system was employed along with a SUF (synthetic ultrafiltrate) solvent, which is designed to mimic the physiological chemistry of extracellular fluid. Using sequentially obtained solvent samples, the dissolution behavior over a 46-d test period was evaluated by fitting the measurement data to two- or three-component negative exponential functions. These functions were then compared with Type M and S absorption taken from the International Commission on Radiological Protection Publication 66 Human Respiratory Tract Model. The results indicated that there was a substantial variability in solubility of the aerosols, which in part depended on the type of armor being impacted by the DU penetrator and the particle size fraction being tested. Although some trends were suggested, the variability noted leads to uncertainties in predicting the solubility of other DU-based aerosols. Nevertheless, these data provide a useful experimental basis for modeling the intake-dose relationships for inhaled DU aerosols arising from penetrator impact on armored vehicles.

A Systematic Approach to Applying Lean Techniques to Optimize an Office Process at the Y-12 National Security Complex

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Credille, Jennifer; Owens, Elizabeth

This capstone offers the introduction of Lean concepts to an office activity to demonstrate the versatility of Lean. Traditionally Lean has been associated with process improvements as applied to an industrial atmosphere. However, this paper will demonstrate that implementing Lean concepts within an office activity can result in significant process improvements. Lean first emerged with the conception of the Toyota Production System. This innovative concept was designed to improve productivity in the automotive industry by eliminating waste and variation. Lean has also been applied to office environments, however the limited literature reveals most Lean techniques within an office are restrictedmore » to one or two techniques. Our capstone confronts these restrictions by introducing a systematic approach that utilizes multiple Lean concepts. The approach incorporates: system analysis, system reliability, system requirements, and system feasibility. The methodical Lean outline provides tools for a successful outcome, which ensures the process is thoroughly dissected and can be achieved for any process in any work environment.« less

Gender differences in the use of computers, programming, and peer interactions in computer science classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stoilescu, Dorian; Egodawatte, Gunawardena

2010-12-01

Research shows that female and male students in undergraduate computer science programs view computer culture differently. Female students are interested more in the use of computers than in doing programming, whereas male students see computer science mainly as a programming activity. The overall purpose of our research was not to find new definitions for computer science culture but to see how male and female students see themselves involved in computer science practices, how they see computer science as a successful career, and what they like and dislike about current computer science practices. The study took place in a mid-sized university in Ontario. Sixteen students and two instructors were interviewed to get their views. We found that male and female views are different on computer use, programming, and the pattern of student interactions. Female and male students did not have any major issues in using computers. In computing programming, female students were not so involved in computing activities whereas male students were heavily involved. As for the opinions about successful computer science professionals, both female and male students emphasized hard working, detailed oriented approaches, and enjoying playing with computers. The myth of the geek as a typical profile of successful computer science students was not found to be true.

Early Opportunities Research Partnership Between Howard University, University of Maryland Baltimore County and NASA Goddard for Engaging Underrepresented STEM Students in Earth and Space Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Misra, P.; Venable, D. D.; Hoban, S.; Demoz, B.; Bleacher, L.; Meeson, B. W.; Farrell, W. M.

2017-12-01

Howard University, University of Maryland Baltimore County and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) are collaborating to engage underrepresented STEM students and expose them to an early career pathway in NASA-related Earth & Space Science research. The major goal is to instill interest in Earth and Space Science to STEM majors early in their academic careers, so that they become engaged in ongoing NASA-related research, motivated to pursue STEM careers, and perhaps become part of the future NASA workforce. The collaboration builds on a program established by NASA's Dynamic Response of the Environments of Asteroids, the Moon and the moons of Mars (DREAM2) team to engage underrepresented students from Howard in summer internships. Howard leveraged this program to expand via NASA's Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) funding. The project pairs Howard students with GSFC mentors and engages them in cutting-edge Earth and Space Science research throughout their undergraduate tenure. The project takes a multi-faceted approach, with each year of the program specifically tailored to each student's strengths and addressing their weaknesses, so that they experience a wide array of enriching research and professional development activities that help them grow both academically and professionally. During the academic year, the students are at Howard taking a full load of courses towards satisfying their degree requirements and engaging in research with their GSFC mentors via regular telecons, e-mail exchanges, video chats & on an average one visit per semester to GSFC for an in-person meeting with their research mentor. The students extend their research with full-time summer internships at GSFC, culminating in a Capstone Project and Senior Thesis. As a result, these Early Opportunities Program students, who have undergone rigorous training in the Earth and Space Sciences, are expected to be well-prepared for graduate school and the NASA workforce.

Cool learnings - extending and communicating polar science to students and the community.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tweedie, C. E.

2011-12-01

Why should scientists incorporate education and extend communicate the results of their research to the general public? - Because it is the right thing to do; it is easy, fun and usually effective; can feedback to strengthen and improve research; and from an environmental science perspective - badly needed as evidenced by some of the very strange and ill-informed decisions society is making that will affect future generations for many years to come. This presentation focuses on two case studies that extended the research activities from a relatively young and small university research lab to two minority student and community audiences. The first case study focuses on the educational and outreach experience gained by minority graduate and undergraduate students and teachers participating in an Antarctic system Science study abroad course. Students completed an online class, visited with NSF and other federal agencies in Washington DC, and experienced Patagonia and the Antarctic Peninsula on a month long capstone field course. Participants also visited the classrooms of over 750 students in El Paso, Texas before and after their trip to Antarctica, and prepared a museum exhibit that has now been visited by thousands of people. Most participants have progressed to graduate school or careers in the sciences and several have already acquired substantial funding for research - largely because of their demonstrated capacity to link research, education and outreach. The second case study describes several instances where the provision of scientific data, information and other resources were extended through cyberinfrastructure to the community of a relatively small Inuit village in northernmost Alaska. Here science data products have been used to enhance town planning and other decision making, and improve the safety of hunters participating in traditional activities such as the Spring subsistence whale harvest. This takes place on sea ice that is more dynamic and does not 'behave' in the same way as elders pass on orally to the younger generation due to the impacts from climate change.

Exploring the Relationships between Self-Efficacy and Preference for Teacher Authority among Computer Science Majors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Che-Li; Liang, Jyh-Chong; Su, Yi-Ching; Tsai, Chin-Chung

2013-01-01

Teacher-centered instruction has been widely adopted in college computer science classrooms and has some benefits in training computer science undergraduates. Meanwhile, student-centered contexts have been advocated to promote computer science education. How computer science learners respond to or prefer the two types of teacher authority,…

Rising Above the Storm: DIG TEXAS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellins, K. K.; Miller, K. C.; Bednarz, S. W.; Mosher, S.

2011-12-01

For a decade Texas educators, scientists and citizens have shown a commitment to earth science education through planning at the national and state levels, involvement in earth science curriculum and teacher professional development projects, and the creation of a model senior level capstone Earth and Space Science course first offered in 2010 - 2011. The Texas state standards for Earth and Space Science demonstrate a shift to rigorous content, career relevant skills and use of 21st century technology. Earth and Space Science standards also align with the Earth Science, Climate and Ocean Literacy framework documents. In spite of a decade of progress K-12 earth science education in Texas is in crisis. Many school districts do not offer Earth and Space Science, or are using the course as a contingency for students who fail core science subjects. The State Board for Educator Certification eliminated Texas' secondary earth science teacher certification in 2009, following the adoption of the new Earth and Space Science standards. This makes teachers with a composite teacher certification (biology, physics and chemistry) eligible to teach Earth and Space Science, as well other earth science courses (e.g., Aquatic Science, Environmental Systems/Science) even if they lack earth science content knowledge. Teaching materials recently adopted by the State Board of Education do not include Earth and Space Science resources. In July 2011 following significant budget cuts at the 20 Education Service Centers across Texas, the Texas Education Agency eliminated key staff positions in its curriculum division, including science. This "perfect storm" has created a unique opportunity for a university-based approach to confront the crisis in earth science education in Texas which the Diversity and Innovation in the Geosciences (DIG) TEXAS alliance aims to fulfill. Led by the Texas A&M University College of Geosciences and The University of Texas Jackson School of Geosciences, with initial assistance of the American Geophysical Union, the alliance comprises earth scientists and educators at higher education institutions across the state, and science teachers, united to improve earth science literacy (geoscience-earth, ocean, atmospheric, planetary, and geography) among Texas science teachers in order to attract individuals from groups underrepresented in STEM fields to pursue earth science as a career. Members of the alliance are affiliated with one of eight regional DIG TEXAS hub institutions. With an NSF planning grant, DIG TEXAS leaders created the DIG TEXAS brand, developed a project website, organized and held the first community meeting in March, 2011 at Exxon Mobil's Training Center in Houston. DIG TEXAS members have also delivered testimony to the State Board for Educator Certification in support of a new earth science teacher certification and collaborated on proposals that seek funding to support recommendations formulated at the community meeting.

Academic computer science and gender: A naturalistic study investigating the causes of attrition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Declue, Timothy Hall

Far fewer women than men take computer science classes in high school, enroll in computer science programs in college, or complete advanced degrees in computer science. The computer science pipeline begins to shrink for women even before entering college, but it is at the college level that the "brain drain" is the most evident numerically, especially in the first class taken by most computer science majors called "Computer Science 1" or CS-I. The result, for both academia and industry, is a pronounced technological gender disparity in academic and industrial computer science. The study revealed the existence of several factors influencing success in CS-I. First, and most clearly, the effect of attribution processes seemed to be quite strong. These processes tend to work against success for females and in favor of success for males. Likewise, evidence was discovered which strengthens theories related to prior experience and the perception that computer science has a culture which is hostile to females. Two unanticipated themes related to the motivation and persistence of successful computer science majors. The findings did not support the belief that females have greater logistical problems in computer science than males, or that females tend to have a different programming style than males which adversely affects the females' ability to succeed in CS-I.

Computer-Game Construction: A Gender-Neutral Attractor to Computing Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carbonaro, Mike; Szafron, Duane; Cutumisu, Maria; Schaeffer, Jonathan

2010-01-01

Enrollment in Computing Science university programs is at a dangerously low level. A major reason for this is the general lack of interest in Computing Science by females. In this paper, we discuss our experience with using a computer game construction environment as a vehicle to encourage female participation in Computing Science. Experiments…

Three Ways edTPA Prepared Me for the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Butler, Matthew

2015-01-01

edTPA, a capstone assessment designed to assess whether new teachers are ready for the job by evaluating their teaching and their analysis of their teaching, helped prepare the author for the classroom in three ways. First, he became accountable to his students. Second, he learned to analyze his teaching. Third, he discovered how to relate…

Student-Designed Flume Arrives at NWTC | News | NREL

Science.gov Websites

opportunity to plan, design, and construct a flume for testing and characterizing hydrokinetic power devices . The project was one of several open to CSM students as part of the Capstone Design@Mines program transported to the National Wind Technology Center (NWTC) on Dec. 7. "The design and construction of the

A Multistep Organocatalysis Experiment for the Undergraduate Organic Laboratory: An Enantioselective Aldol Reaction Catalyzed by Methyl Prolinamide

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wade, Edmir O.; Walsh, Kenneth E.

2011-01-01

In recent years, there has been an explosion of research concerning the area of organocatalysis. A multistep capstone laboratory project that combines traditional reactions frequently found in organic laboratory curriculums with this new field of research is described. In this experiment, the students synthesize a prolinamide-based organocatalyst…

Using "Warriors Don't Cry" in a Capstone Project to Combat Bullying

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Korneliussen, Kristin

2012-01-01

"Two, four, six, eight, we ain't gonna integrate!" the author's eighth-grade students shouted with gusto. They were reading "Warriors Don't Cry," Melba Patillo Beals's memoir about her experiences as one of the nine African American students who integrated Little Rock Central High School in 1957. Each time those hateful words…

A Capstone on Her Career

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldman, Jay P.

2005-01-01

Joan Raymond was just six months into a well-earned retirement following 20 demanding years in the superintendency of some of the hottest kitchens in the nation. But when some longtime friends told her about an opening in South Bend, Indiana, Raymond could not ignore the itch to give it one more whirl. Raymond found the school system in far more…

Analyzing Educational Testing Service Graduate Major Field Test Results

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thornton, Barry; Arbogast, Gordon

2012-01-01

The Educational Testing Service (ETS) created the Graduate Major Field Test in Business (GMFT-B) for MBA students. This test is administered to all MBA classes at Jacksonville University for the purpose of measuring student academic achievement and growth, as well as to assess educational outcomes. The test is given in the capstone course,…

Wireless Mapping, GIS, and Learning about the Digital Divide: A Classroom Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Giordano, Alberto; Lu, Yongmei; Anderson, Sharolyn; Fonstad, Mark

2007-01-01

The purpose of this article is to describe a capstone course in undergraduate student geographical research in which GIS and other geospatial tools were used to teach undergraduate students basic geographical principles. The course uses the "cooperative learning" pedagogical approach to address one of a number of client-supplied research projects,…

Improving the Compensation Process in Higher Education: Fostering a High Performing Organization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cockerham, Thomas

2016-01-01

While there is a large amount of research regarding employee satisfaction and turnover, less attention has been paid to the role of compensation, especially in the context of for-profit institutions of higher education. This capstone project conducted a review of budgetary records and human resources files at a for-profit institution of higher…

Examining Emotional Intelligence and Perceived Leadership Practices among College Enrollment Services Administrators: A Descriptive Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Relken, Nathan A.

2014-01-01

This dissertation is the capstone composition of a professional practices doctorate program. The preface includes a brief history and background on the doctorate in education, and more specifically the definition of and rationale behind a professional practices doctoral program and dissertation, a description of the dissertation format and it…

Honors Thesis Preparation: Evidence of the Benefits of Structured Curricula

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Engel, Steven

2016-01-01

A recent study of honors curricula across the nation indicates that 75.6% of honors programs and colleges at four-year institutions have thesis or capstone requirements (Savage and Cognard-Black). In addition to institutions with thesis requirements, many more also have the option for students to complete theses. For example, an earlier study…

Using Debates as Assessment in a Physiotherapy Capstone Course: A Case Example

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weeks, Benjamin K.; Laakso, Liisa

2016-01-01

While not a new teaching and learning approach, debating may be considered novel when included in a suite of more traditional teaching and learning activities. Despite the potential benefits of debates for the development of generic skills, their use in physiotherapy education remains unreported. Thus, our aim was to evaluate student satisfaction…

Reflective Essay and E-Portfolio to Promote and Assess Student Learning in a Capstone Marketing Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mummalaneni, Venkatapparao

2014-01-01

Schools of business are increasingly focused on efforts aimed at measuring, documenting, and improving student learning. E-portfolios have been introduced by a number of schools for purposes of assessment to meet the mandates of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business or similar accreditation agencies. E-portfolio, including a…

Feasibility, Design and Construction of a Small Hydroelectric Power Generation Station as a Student Design Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peterson, James N.; Hess, Herbert L.

An undergraduate capstone engineering design project now provides hydroelectric power to a remote wilderness location. Students investigated the feasibility of designing, building, and installing a 4kW hydroelectric system to satisfy the need for electric power to support the research and teaching functions of Taylor Ranch, a university facility…

What We Have Learned about Class Size Reduction in California. Capstone Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bohrnstedt, George W., Ed.; Stecher, Brian M., Ed.

This final report on the California Class Size Reduction (CSR) initiative summarizes findings from three earlier reports dating back to 1997. Chapter 1 recaps the history of California's CSR initiative and includes a discussion of what state leaders' expectations were when CSR was passed. The chapter also describes research on class-size reduction…

Physical Education Pre-Service Teachers' Understanding, Application, and Development of Critical Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Jiling; McBride, Ron E.; Xiang, Ping; Scarmardo-Rhodes, Melissa

2018-01-01

To better prepare physical education (PE) teachers, this study explored a group of pre-service teachers' understanding, application, and development of critical thinking (CT) in a capstone methods course. Participants were 12 pre-service teachers from a PE teacher education (PETE) program at a large university in the southwestern United States.…

Fostering Cooperative Learning with Scrum in a Semi-Capstone Systems Analysis and Design Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Magana, Alejandra J.; Seah, Ying Ying; Thomas, Paul

2018-01-01

Agile methods such as Scrum that emphasize technical, communication, and teamwork skills have been practiced by IT professionals to effectively deliver software products of good quality. The same methods combined with pedagogies of engagement can potentially be used in the setting of higher education to promote effective group learning in software…

An innovative clinical practicum to teach evidence-based practice.

PubMed

Brancato, Vera C

2006-01-01

A clinical practicum was successfully implemented for RN to BSN students to apply evidence-based practice to actual clinical problems affecting nursing practice. The author describes how this practicum was implemented and the requisite resources and support systems. This senior-level capstone course enabled students to understand and value a lifelong learning approach to evidence-based practice.

The Influence of Learning Styles on Student Perception and Satisfaction in a Highly Collaborative Team Taught Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sullivan, Daniel; Colburn, Michael; Fox, Daniel E.

2013-01-01

Team teaching an undergraduate business capstone course has the potential of providing students with an enhanced learning experience in a number of ways. This study examines the relationship between faculty and student learning styles and their impact on student perception and satisfaction in a highly collaborative team taught undergraduate…

Moral Judgement Changes among Undergraduates in a Capstone Internship Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Craig, Patricia J.; Oja, Sharon Nodie

2013-01-01

This mixed-methods study explored the moral growth of undergraduates in a recreation management internship experience. The quantitative phase reported moral judgement gains in Personal Interest and Post-conventional schema, and N-2 scores, as measured by the Defining Issues Test 2 (DIT-2), among 33 interns. The case-study method used a pattern…

The Curriculum-Faculty-Reinforcement Alignment and Its Effect on Learning Retention of Core Marketing Concepts of Marketing Capstone Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raska, David; Keller, Eileen Weisenbach; Shaw, Doris

2014-01-01

Curriculum-Faculty-Reinforcement (CFR) alignment is an alignment between fundamental marketing concepts that are integral to the mastery of knowledge expected of our marketing graduates, their perceived importance by the faculty, and their level of reinforcement throughout core marketing courses required to obtain a marketing degree. This research…

Concerns Expressed by Agricultural Education Preservice Teachers in a Twitter-Based Electronic Community of Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paulsen, Thomas H.; Anderson, Ryan G.; Tweeten, Jaclyn F.

2015-01-01

Student teaching is an important capstone experience in which preservice teacher candidates begin to learn the skills they need to become effective teachers. During this experience, candidates develop concerns for themselves as well as for their students. As preservice teachers encounter challenges and obstacles, it is important for them to…

An International Comparison of Final-Year Design Project Curricula

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kentish, Sandra E.; Shallcross, David C.

2006-01-01

This paper reviews design teaching at a total of 15 chemical engineering departments across Australia, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. The emphasis is on the capstone Design Project, which can be viewed as a major transition subject for students as they move into the workplace. The study shows that this subject has evolved to act as an…

Forensic Marketing: The Use of the Historical Method in a Capstone Marketing Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bussiere, Dave

2005-01-01

Case studies have long been used in marketing programs as a way to provide real-world context to business issues and to structure analysis and decision making. In a similar fashion, advocates of the teaching of business/marketing history believe that it provides a contextual background for the marketing student. This article first demonstrates…

Modeling a Day in the Life of a Diabetic

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brod, Ryan; Gomber, John; Mendoza, Jurelle; Roginski, Jonathan; Smith, Tyler

2010-01-01

The material presented here was used for a semester-long capstone project for a first semester freshman course entitled Mathematical Modeling and Introduction to Calculus. The goals for the students in this work were twofold: first, enable the students to gain insight into an actual problem that affects millions of people in the United States and…

TriviaPrep: The Design and Development of a Competitive Academic Trivia Application

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bailey, Sean D.

2017-01-01

An ever-growing trend in education is the integration of mobile devices in the school setting, especially considering the abundance of research available on BYOD (Bring Your Own Device). Not surprisingly, a common concern found is the lack of student interest in educational applications. This capstone reports a summary of the research, design, and…

Measuring Longitudinal Student Performance on Student Learning Outcomes in Sustainability Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jarchow, Meghann E.; Formisano, Paul; Nordyke, Shane; Sayre, Matthew

2018-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe the student learning outcomes (SLOs) for a sustainability major, evaluate faculty incorporation of the SLOs into the courses in the sustainability major curriculum and measure student performance on the SLOs from entry into the major to the senior capstone course. Design/methodology/approach:…