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Agenda.

CAPSTONE DESIGN

LEARNING STRATEGY CONSULT

SEPTEMBER 2023

LEARNING STRATEGY

01 Consult Overview.

02 Capstone Designs.

03 Considerations.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, �PLEASE CONTACT

Mike Ford

SENIOR LEARNING STRATEGIST

Kaveh Sadeghian

DIRECTOR, LEARNING STRATEGY

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Consult Overview.

How have we framed our work?

LEARNING STRATEGY

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Consultation Overview.

Provide guidance on frameworks, formats, and pedagogic practices for capstone experiences
Discuss the benefits, challenges, and other considerations for delivering online capstone experiences

LEARNING STRATEGY

A quick review of what we prioritized.

GUIDING RESEARCH QUESTIONS

What are the characteristics of an online capstone experience?
What are the various ways an online capstone can be organized?
What are the considerations for a capstone experience with a shorter term length?

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Consultation Overview.

The insights and guidance provided through this work were informed by a number of inputs including:

examinations of existing models
reviews of scholarly research
Analysis of existing capstone courses in the 2U Portfolio
understanding of SYD-MPPM curriculum priorities.

LEARNING STRATEGY

A quick review of what we prioritized.

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Capstone Designs.�What are the various approaches to designing a Capstone Course?

LEARNING STRATEGY

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capstone (noun ‘kap·stōn)

providing students with a culminating learning experience through which they demonstrate proficiency and facility with the key learning objectives articulated at the level of the concentration as well as the broader general educational goals of the institution.

DEFINITIONS.

LEARNING STRATEGY

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Key Characteristics

Integrative- require students to synthesize across discipline specific content and research methods, apply knowledge to novel problems and contexts, and often experiment with different forms of scholarly publication

Reflective- prompt students to think about and account for the developmental trajectory of their learning within the concentration or discipline.

Transitional- frame opportunities and pathways in post-college life: graduate school, professional careers, public service, etc.

CHARACTERISTICS.

LEARNING STRATEGY

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LEARNING STRATEGY

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Opportunities for mentorship
Basis for summative assessment of the development of the student
Permits the evaluation of a program

Faculty�

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Allows for reflection and synthesis of knowledge
Promotes engagement and motivation
Supports the transition from academics to the world of work.

Students�

Rationale for Capstone.

Why add a capstone course to your program?

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Capstone Design

Common Approaches

LEARNING STRATEGY

Mountaintop Students from two or more disciplines engage in interdisciplinary inquiry	�Magnet Students pull together their learning from multiple courses and/or experiences
Mandate Students document their learning in relation to external industry and professional standards or requirements	Mirror Students reflect on their experiences and metacognitive skills in relation to program goals and outcomes

Frameworks for a Capstone Experience

Mountaintop- Students from two or more disciplines engage in interdisciplinary inquiry

Example- Geography majors and Biology majors enroll in their major's capstone courses and are paired with a student from the other discipline. Each GEOG-BIOL pair of students completes an interdisciplinary project such as a project that uses geographic information systems (GIS) to monitor fish migration patterns or habitat changes.

Magnet- Students pull together their learning from multiple courses and/or experiences

Example- Students gather their best work samples from four courses (can also include internship, practicum, service learning, etc.), choosing samples that directly address the program's learning outcomes.

Mandate- Students document their learning in relation to external industry/professional standards or requirements

Example- Civil engineering students gather evidence to demonstrate they have achieved the outcomes set forth by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Mirror- Students reflect on their experiences and metacognitive skills in relation to program goals and outcomes.

Example- Students write reflective pieces that describe what they have learned and how their assignments and experiences have helped them achieve each program outcome.

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Capstone Experience Formats.

LEARNING STRATEGY

Demonstration of Knowledge

Students complete an applied projects like a thesis, design project, or portfolio

Community-based Learning Experience

The capstone is integrated with service or community-based experiences

Single Course

A single course within a major or concentration, typically at or near the end of the program experience

Interdisciplinary Course

Assists with specific dissertation tasks (e.g., formatting, data collection, literature review) and administrative duties

Co-Curricular Experience

The capstone experience takes place outside of the classroom and is supported by faculty and coursework.

Different ways of building capstone experiences into a program

Career Transition Experience

Groups of educators, researchers, and stakeholders who collaborate to identify, develop, and implement solutions by leveraging data and expertise

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Capstone Design

Pedagogic Practices

LEARNING STRATEGY

Collaborative Students working in groups of two or mote, mutually searching for understanding, solutions, meaning, or creating a product	� Self-Directed Faculty give students choice about their learning while also establishing the necessary structure to guide and support students
Problem-Based Faculty give students an ill-defined task to complete or an open-ended problem to solve.	Authentic Faculty give students a problem based in the real world, reflecting relevant work by professionals in the field.

LEARNING STRATEGY

Pedagogic Practices for Capstone

Collaborative Learning

Joint intellectual effort by students. Usually students are working in groups of two or more, mutually searching for understanding, solutions, or meaning, or creating a product.

Self-Directed Learning

Faculty give students choice about their learning as well as responsibility for the consequences associated with those choices. Faculty members typically establish the necessary structure to guide and support students while leaving students to set goals, timelines, monitor progress, and develop products for evaluation.

Problem-based Learning

Faculty give students an ill-defined task to complete or an open-ended problem to solve. Faculty act as mentors, coaches, or facilitators. Often the tasks mirror an actual, discipline-based task/problem but it has been simplified or structured to match the level of the students.

Authentic Learning
Problems based in the real world, reflecting relevant work by professionals in the field and including presentation beyond the classroom
An “open-ended inquiry” framework
Student discussion within a learning community
Students empowered to manage their own learning
“an authentic context must go beyond simply providing real-world examples; rather, students must have opportunities to engage with a ‘sustained and complex learning environment’ that affords exploration, including the development of ‘unique products to demonstrate achievement’”

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LEARNING STRATEGY

Transitioning to an Online Capstone

Potential challenges in transitioning from a traditional to online capstone.

Course Design

Creatively use online tools and the hybrid class structure to move beyond simplistic translation of content

Participation

Establish specific criteria for class participation

Sharing

Strategically use online tools and class time when sharing capstone progress and final products

Communication

Provide structures to foster class communication and communication among students

Workload

Consider total learning time and the work students are doing both asynchronous and in live sessions.

Authenticity

Find creative solutions to provide authentic capstone experiences

Support

Teaching an online capstone course is a markedly different task than teaching a traditional content-centered course

Challenges in Transitioning Traditional Capstone Courses to Digital Capstone Courses

Moving beyond simplistic translation of course content
Defining participation
Structuring communication among all participants
Creating final project pieces that involve sharing
Addressing workload/time commitment
Lessons Learned in Research
Online learning environment may entail certain challenges in fostering authentic capstone experiences

Students are geographically dispersed
Faculty members are less able to leverage their local contacts to connect students with mentor or placements

This task often falls to students- but building these professional connections can be a benefit too!

Fostering communication and interaction can be a challenge

Researchers found it important to establish specific criteria for participation in forums and check-ins.

Instructors need support as well. Teaching an online capstone course is a markedly different task than a content-centered course.

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LEARNING STRATEGY

Benefits of an Online Capstone

Benefits in transitioning from a traditional to online capstone.

Access

Online learning provides opportunities for many students who might otherwise be unable to access quality programs time to pursue an advanced degree

Communication

Communication technologies connect students to one another and to their instructors to better accommodate a range of learning needs

Empower

Empowers instructors to create authentic learning experiences beyond what is possible in face-to-face courses

Technology

Technology tools permit the development of a rich learning environment beyond the traditional boundaries of the classroom

Personalization

Online environments enable instructors to provide structure for capstone courses while also giving students the freedom to navigate at their own pace

Benefits of an Online Capstone

Empowers instructors to create authentic learning experiences beyond what is possible in face to face courses
Online environments provide a unique affordance of technology tools available that permit the development of a rich learning environment with varied communication channels and the ability to share projects beyond the traditional boundaries of the classroom
Online environments enable instructors to provide structure for capstone courses while also giving students the freedom to navigate at their own pace (personalized learning).
Communication technologies- including text, audio, video, which connect students to one another and to their instructor better accommodate a range of learning needs.
Online learning provides opportunities for many students who might otherwise be unable to access quality programs or find dedicated blocks of time in which to pursue an advanced degree.

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LEARNING STRATEGY

Modular Design

Keeping the capstone course evergreen

Focus on applying and synthesizing the concepts taught in previous courses.
Avoid reviewing and referencing material from previous courses. Instead, encourage students to look back at previous courses to review any content.

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Considerations.�Additional considerations when designing a online capstone course

LEARNING STRATEGY

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Intensive Capstone Experiences.

Intensive courses result in mostly equal or superior learning outcomes in comparison to traditional length courses.
Majority of students reported an increase in their focus, stamina, and retention with a decrease in procrastination behaviors

LEARNING STRATEGY

A review of research on intensive online courses.

Key Findings

Findings of a NIH study suggest that 7-week and 15-week online courses are equally effective with regard to student satisfaction and performance outcomes

Benefits of an Intensive Capstone Course

Reviews of research on intensive courses concluded that intensive courses results in mostly equal or superior learning outcomes in comparison to traditional length courses. This is likely because students are more highly motivated or reach higher motivational levels than those in traditional-length courses.
Majority of students reported an increase in their focus, stamina, and retention with a decrease in procrastination behaviors. This may be because the accelerated format generally influences faculty to incorporate more interaction, discussion, and other constructive teaching methods, and as a result, improves student motivation and achievement.
Findings of a NIH study suggest that 7-week and 15-week online courses be equally effective with regard to student satisfaction and performance outcomes.

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LEARNING STRATEGY

Planning for an Intensive Capstone

Considerations when planning for an intensive capstone experience.

Readings

Select the most pertinent readings
Utilize guided reading questions
Distribute readings among groups and share highlights

Information

Reduce new information
Simplify presentation of new information
Provide graphic organizers

Communication

Have groups complete plans for how/when they will accomplish work
Communicate your own availability to students

Assignments

Clarify assignment expectations
Provide a detailed rubric
Provide excellent and poor examples

Group Projects

Provide templates and other time-saving aids
Initiate groups’ use of collaboration tools

Longer Projects

Scaffold and sequence longer projects
Merge two things into one
Reduce length expectations

Planning for an Intensive Course with compressed time

Readings

Select the most pertinent readings
Give individual students or small groups a choice of readings and have them share the key findings (e.g., jigsaw or discussion forum)
Turn in a reflection of guided reading questions

Processing new information

Reduce new information
Simplify the presentation of new information
Provided advanced organizers or diagrams
Provide skeleton notes of lectures of new material
Provide study guides after a class session

Reflection

Provide reflection questions

Exams

Place more emphasis on application and synthesis of knowledge
Replace exams withs other types of assessments like pre-assessment quizzes or weekly quizzes

Assignment Expectations

Clarify assignment expectations
Provide a detailed rubric
Show an excellent, unsatisfactory, and poor example
Be very clear in communication expectations (e.g., length, format, and grading criteria)

Longer Projects

Scaffold and sequence what might have been longer and/or larger assignments
Replace with several smaller assessments that are not dependent on each other
Merge two things into one to speed a process up
Reduce length expectations

Group Projects

Provide time-saving aids (templates)
Initiate groups’ use of useful collaboration tools
Have groups complete plans for how/when they will accomplish work (e.g., expectations, group contracts, and peer assessments)

Communication

Communicate your availability to students
Request students to post questions to a wall or discussion board, allowing students to help respond and see your answer (if needed).

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Thank you.

Graduate Capstone Design

LEARNING STRATEGY CONSULT

SEPTEMBER 2023

edX’s Learning Strategy team is a group of creative innovators with a passion for exceptional online learning at scale.

Our work lives at the intersection of learning science, product design, and research and development focused on learning experience innovation. We primarily support programs and initiatives in:�

Program Design

We develop scalable solutions as the learning architects for complex products and curricula.�

Strategic Consults

We provide learning expertise on projects that need strategic experience design insight.

Thought Leadership�We drive forward ideas to create meaningful change within the organization and industry.

Want to learn more? Let’s collaborate! Get in touch by �emailing us at learning-strategy-leadership@2u.com.

LEARNING STRATEGY

FOR MORE INFORMATION, �PLEASE CONTACT

Mike Ford

SENIOR LEARNING STRATEGIST

Kaveh Sadeghian

DIRECTOR, LEARNING STRATEGY

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