Strengthening Capstone Skills in STEM Programs

Abstract

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 introduce challenging and open-ended assignments that foster cognitive learning. Using a scaffolding structure, assignments are organized into three modules: (1) classical, (2) transitional, and (3) design of an experiment. ICap enables students to assume greater responsibility for their learning experiences and liberates the instructor to become a mentor. Consequently, higher level skills important in the capstone course are strengthened: critical thinking, quantitative reasoning, teamwork, communications, information literacy, and design process.Innov High Educ (

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

“…This frees instructors to become mentors/learning coaches (Eppes, Milanovic, & Sweitzer, 2012;Leonard & Marquardt, 2010) and because students participate in a cooperative and democratic learning environment, these courses, particularly when service-based, can be transformative (Gilbert, 2010). Service-based learning allows students to see the social and environmental change made possible by their work and develop a sense of civic responsibility (Simon et al, 2013).…”

“…Students also recognized the value of performing a "whole task" (Merrill, 2002) in their commentary relating that capstone represented "the first time they would work on a problem from beginning to end. " By SGID2, the themes of increasing confidence and independence show that students had come to view the instructor as a mentor/learning coach (Eppes et al, 2012;Leonard & Marquardt, 2010) rather than as the sole center of information. They guided our facilitation by relating areas where we provided adequate facilitation and also areas in which more resources might be helpful.…”

Capstone Design Project Course Pathways

“…There is also a strong pedagogical need to address the shortcomings that stem from the overuse of well-defined experiments. The MET program developed an embedded curricular multi-course solution using a scaffolded teaching methodology (Eppes, Milanovic, and Sweitzer, 2011).…”

“…A perspective on the benefits and trade-offs of industry sponsorship for web-based projects was offered by Fry (2004). A holistic curricular strategy including an alternative laboratory structure that precedes the challenge of capstone design was reported by Milanovic and Eppes (2008) and Eppes, Milanovic, and Sweitzer (2011). This paper discusses the recent history and experiences with capstone course design options in Mechanical Engineering Technology (MET) and Electronic Engineering Technology (EET).…”

Forging a Sustainable Student Research Initiative

“…This curricular structure also enables students to assume greater responsibility for their learning experiences. 29 Multidisciplinary experience is gained on all module levels in a number of ways. Students are encountering problems: (1) outside of their major, (2) within the major but with multiple coupled physics, or (3) across disciplines.…”