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Introduction
The Associate Degree in Fashion Design and Technology is a two-year qualification that aims to prepare students for both employment and pathways into further study. The capstone project occurs in semester 4, the final semester of the program. The capstone is not a stand-alone course, but an industry-based project that integrates learning and assessment across three out of the four courses in semester 4:

• Design and Development
• Pattern Technology, and
• Professional Practice, a course focused on supply chain management in a global and local context.

The other course, Industry Engagement, focuses on learning through work placement.

The aim of the capstone is to build confidence and independence in our students by providing them with the opportunity to explore, apply and extend the skills and capabilities acquired in the previous three semesters. We encourage them to make leaps in technical and creative thinking and critical reflective practice in an industry focused environment. The capstone was first implemented in 2014 and has been revised for 2015 based on an evaluation that included student and teacher feedback.

Delivery format
In the capstone project students work in teams to design and produce a cohesive range of commercially viable garments for an industry partner, a local fashion enterprise who gives students the brief, provides feedback on initial design concepts and participates in assessing project outcomes at a final presentation. Students work in teams, but also have the opportunity to enhance individual creativity. Student numbers vary greatly between each semester. First semester of the year is offered to 2 groups of approximately 20 students each. In second semester of each year we have 5 groups of students again averaging 20 per group.

Teaching and learning within the three courses is scheduled on a weekly basis (classes and workshops focussing on the development of skills and knowledge essential for the capstone project outcomes. Included in the classes for these courses are advanced skills development relevant to the project (for example, advanced technical skills, CAD or branding), learning about contextual issues (for example global sourcing and commercial relationships, sustainability and globalisation), and the actual design and development of the garments and practice for final presentations. There is also opportunity for individual coaching.

Throughout the semester there are weekly lectures on topics that relate specifically to the relevant stage of the project or on broader issues such as careers in the fashion industry. There is also a weekly tutorial which monitors progress and coaches students in generic skills such as project management, reflective practice, teamwork or problem solving.

Feedback and assessment
There are course specific assessments early in the semester or at the mid point and a final assessment task (the presentation of the completed range) that integrates learning outcomes from all three courses. As a result of the evaluation of the 2014 program staff decided that they needed to continue to move towards a more holistic and studio-based approach involving a blurring of the boundaries between separate courses. This is captured in the final assessment (worth 50%) which is a joint project across three courses with one set of assessment criteria aligned with the outcomes in each of the courses and the overall program objectives.

Each course involved in the Capstone for 2015 has maintained two individual course-based assessments each with their own graded assessment rubric. This provides students with seven assessment points across the semester (two per course plus one holistic). All of the assessment tasks align with each other and the fashion design and development process itself.

At the end of the semester student teams present their range to a panel of industry partners and teachers. They have the opportunity to present the garments, their reflection on the design process, and expound their philosophy and ideas. Students also take part in a University fashion parade that includes other fashion degree students.

Resourcing
The initial program attracted funding from the university to pay for a consultant/facilitator to support the design, implementation and evaluation of the capstone. There were no additional costs for resourcing. The number of hours allocated per course was reduced to allow for a one-hour lecture and the weekly tutorial. Key staff were given additional time allowances from their usual teaching load to focus on the project in the first semester of delivery and the fortnightly staff meetings were included as part of their “other duties”. Casual staff employed to teach the capstone were paid to attend planning sessions. There was no need to allocate significant budget or resource costs for the capstone project. The fortnightly staff meetings have been maintained after the initial trial semester to ensure open communication between staff and the success of the holistic assessment.

Outcomes
The capstone project is firmly grounded in industry practice and engages students in experimentation within the boundaries of a commercial context. Students also reflect critically on their own practice, the social, cultural and environmental issues within the industry and on the process of design itself.

Critical success factors
The following factors are critical to the success of the capstone:

• A whole-of-program approach to the design of learning and assessment that ensures that skills and knowledge critical to the success of the capstone are developed through semesters 1-3
• Coordination and leadership of a teaching team
• Flexible and student-centred approach from teachers
• Committed and engaged industry partners
• Student participation in the evaluation process
• Alignment of assessment with both course and program outcomes
• Clear and thorough course and project information provided to students.

 
Image by Mandiberg – originally posted to Flickr as Yigal Azrouel Fashion Show. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
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Key characteristics
Industry-engaged project; one semester, integrated assessment load, associate degree
Student numbers: 40-100.

Contact
Mandy Penton, Program Manager, School of Fashion & Textiles, RMIT University [email_link email=”mandy.penton@rmit.edu.au”]Email Mandy[/email_link]

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