Welcome to the research page for the National Senior Teaching Fellowship on Capstone curriculum.
Funded by the Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT), Australia, the fellowship is focused on capstone curriculum, particularly as it applies to undergraduate education. Capstones are widely used across the disciplines, and have become of increasing interest to educators and policy makers in Australia and internationally.
Capstone curriculum can provide students with an exciting and challenging culminating experience, as well as building capabilities and confidence during the transition to post-university life. However, capstones are also incredibly diverse across multiple dimensions, including their timing, weight, scope, focus and methods of delivery. They can also be challenging for staff to design and manage within institutional and resourcing constraints.
The research activities undertaken through the fellowship are intended to deepen our understanding of the range of capstone models in use in Australia and internationally, as well as the experiences of staff involved in their delivery. The findings will be used to develop resources that will support staff in the design of capstones, as well as in making recommendations for institutional and national policy that is inclusive of non-traditional and innovative approaches to the capstone experience.
Survey
The first major study was a survey regarding the nature of capstone models currently being delivered. The capstone survey is now closed. Thank you to all the participants. You can read more about the survey on the survey page.
Interviews with staff involved in capstones
Between February and April 2014, several interviews were carried out with staff involved in capstone design and delivery to gather deeper insights into the way in which they conceive, design and deliver capstones, as well as the benefits and challenges of particular approaches, including institutional and policy constraints. The data from these interviews will be presented as part of the Fellowship report and has already informed the way that we develop resources.
Capstone case studies
We are gathering examples of innovative and interesting case studies across the disciplines. Case studies may include both full capstone curriculum descriptions and tools or tips you may have developed. A number of case studies have already been published, with many more on the way. To take part in this part of the study, you can read the information statement and submit a case here, or contact us by email or contact form.