As part of the fellowship program, we have been gathering data on the nature of capstone curriculum in practice. The findings from this work and the literature have provided us with a comprehensive picture of the unique nature of capstones. As we know, capstones are extraordinarily diverse. We have also found that they almost ubiquitously […]
Capstones, as the culminating experiences for a course or program, serve a long list of functions. They provide students with the context in which they will integrate and apply prior learning, provide depth and complexity, engender independence and confidence, orient and transition to post graduate life. They are special, significant, challenging and exciting; celebratory achievements. […]
The capstone, traditionally, was a stone placed at the top of a pyramid or building, both signifying its completion and as protection for the walls below. Capstones were often considered the most important part of the building, and elaborately decorated to signify the culmination of the achievement. Similarly, in education capstones are culminating curriculum experiences […]
Higher education contains two critical transition points for students: the first year of their experience or ‘transition-in’ (whether that be in the first year of a course or their first experience) and the final year of their program, or ‘transition-out’ (Webb, 2012). Over the past decade, much effort has been expended to systematically improve the […]