CAPSTONE

Also called a capstone experience, culminating project, or senior exhibition,

among many other terms, a capstone project is a multifaceted assignment that serves
as a culminating academic and intellectual experience for students, typically during their
final year of high school or middle school, or at the end of an academic program or
learning-pathway experience. While similar in some ways to a college thesis,
capstone projects may take a wide variety of forms, but most are long-term investigative
projects that culminate in a final product, presentation, or performance. For example,
students may be asked to select a topic, profession, or social problem that interests
them, conduct research on the subject, maintain a portfolio of findings or results,
create a final product demonstrating their learning acquisition or conclusions (a paper,
short film, or multimedia presentation, for example), and give an oral presentation on
the project to a panel of teachers, experts, and community members who collectively
evaluate its quality.

Capstone projects are generally designed to encourage students to think

critically, solve challenging problems, and develop skills such as oral communication,
public speaking, research skills, media literacy, teamwork, planning, self-sufficiency, or
goal setting—i.e., skills that will help prepare them for college, modern careers, and
adult life. In most cases, the projects are also interdisciplinary, in the sense that they
require students to apply skills or investigate issues across many different subject areas
or domains of knowledge. Capstone projects also tend to encourage students to
connect their projects to community issues or problems, and to integrate outside-of-
school learning experiences, including activities such as interviews, scientific
observations, or internships.

While capstone projects can take a wide variety of forms from school to school, a few
examples will help to illustrate both the concept and the general educational intentions:

 Writing, directing, and filming a public-service announcement that will be aired on

public-access television
 Designing and building a product, computer program, app, or robot to address a
specific need, such as assisting the disabled
 Interning at a nonprofit organization or a legislator’s office to learn more about
strategies and policies intended to address social problems, such as poverty,
hunger, or homelessness
 Conducting a scientific study over several months or a year to determine the
ecological or environmental impact of changes to a local habitat
 Researching an industry or market, and creating a viable business plan for a
proposed company that is then “pitched” to a panel of local business leaders

Reform
As a school-reform strategy, capstone projects are often an extension of more systemic
school-improvement models or certain teaching philosophies or strategies, such as 21st
century skills, community-based learning, proficiency-based learning, project-
based learning, or student-centered learning, to name just a few.
The following are a few representative educational goals of capstone projects:

 Increasing the academic rigor of the senior year. Historically, high school
students have taken a lighter course load or left school early during their twelfth-
grade year, which can contribute to learning loss or insufficient preparation for first-
year college work. A more academically and intellectually challenging senior year,
filled with demanding but stimulating learning experiences such as a capstone
project, the reasoning goes, can reduce senior-year learning loss, keep students
in school longer (or otherwise engaged in learning), and increase preparation for
college and work.
 Increasing student motivation and engagement. The creative nature of capstone
projects, which are typically self-selected by students and based on personal
interests, can strengthen student motivation to learn, particularly during a time
(twelfth grade) when academic motivation and engagement tend to wane.
 Increasing educational and career aspirations. By involving students in long-
term projects that intersect with personal interests and professional aspirations,
capstone projects can help students with future planning, goal setting,
postsecondary decisions, and career exploration—particularly for those students
who may be unfocused, uncertain, or indecisive about their post-graduation plans
and aspirations.
 Improving student confidence and self-perceptions. Capstone projects typically
require students to take on new responsibilities, be more self-directed, set goals,
and follow through on commitments. Completing such projects can boost self-
esteem, build confidence, and teach students about the value of accomplishment.
Students may also become role models for younger students, which can cultivate
leadership abilities and have positive cultural effects within a school.
 Demonstrating learning and proficiency. As one of many educational strategies
broadly known as demonstrations of learning, capstone projects can be used to
determine student proficiency (in the acquisition of knowledge and skills) or
readiness (for college and work) by requiring them to demonstrate what they have
learned over the course of their project.
 In recent years, the capstone-project concept has also entered the domain of
state policy. In Rhode Island, for example, the state’s high school graduation
requirements stipulate that seniors must complete two out of
three assessment options, one of which can be a capstone project. Several other
states require students to complete some form of senior project, while in other states
such projects may be optional, and students who complete a capstone project may
receive special honors or diploma recognition.

Capstone

The Capstone Project is a two-semester process in which students pursue independent

research on a question or problem of their choice, engage with the scholarly debates in
the relevant disciplines, and - with the guidance of a faculty mentor - produce a
substantial paper that reflects a deep understanding of the topic.

Students are strongly encouraged to choose a topic in which they have some
competence based on their academic work, professional experience, or exploration of
future career options. The Capstone Project is both a valuable intellectual experience
and also a vehicle through which students can demonstrate their research, analytical,
and writing skills to either prospective employers or graduate and professional schools.

Note: Completion of the Capstone Project is required for graduation.

Capstone Framework & Guidelines

A Capstone Project must demonstrate the following characteristics. Each

characteristic can be satisfied in different ways depending on the topic, discipline, and
the approach taken. But, taken together, they represent the capstone framework.

Originality: You must reach your own deep understanding of a clearly defined and
focused topic. You must formulate your own perspective on an issue and draw your own
conclusions. The final project and form of presentation can also draw upon your
originality and creativity.

Independence: Although you will have a capstone mentor as a guide and domain
expert, you will work primarily on your own.

Appropriate Scope: The Capstone Project is equivalent to a six-credit course.

Therefore, you should plan to spend at least as much time and energy on your
Capstone Project as you have devoted to your most challenging courses. You will have
just one semester to complete your research and writing. Therefore, you will need to
keep your project within a limited and realistic scope.

Orderly & Objective Process of Inquiry: The Capstone Project demonstrates your
facility with the methods of inquiry. These include the ability to ask the right questions,
to synthesize ideas, to identify and use evidence, to draw and support conclusions, to
recognize compelling research, to communication your ideas, or to solve a problem
using a specific set of tools.

Intellectual Stretch: The Capstone Project should take you to a place where you have
not been before, and perhaps, did not even think you could reach.

In addition to the framework, there are also some basic guidelines for the Capstone
Project.

 The Capstone Project will take two semesters to complete. During the first
semester, students enroll in Capstone I, develop the Capstone proposal, and
secure approval of the proposal from a faculty mentor and the Capstone
instructor. During the second semester, students enroll in the Capstone II.
 Separate grades are received for Capstone I and Capstone II. Each grade must
be a C (2.0) or better.
 Enrollment in Capstone I takes place no later than the second to last semester
and no earlier than the third to last semester prior to graduation.
 The faculty mentor is a member of the UVA faculty. Mentors are approved prior
to enrollment in Capstone I.
 Students will submit a formal academic paper. Two simply bounded/covered
copies and one electronic copy are required. One will be graded and returned;
the other will be added to the BIS library of Capstone Projects.
 Students will make a presentation to an audience of students and faculty. These
presentations are not graded separately.

TYPES OF RESEARCH
The different characteristics of research:
Research May be Applied or Basic
The purpose of applied research is to solve an immediate, practical problem.
Basic Research (Pure) adds to the existing body of knowledge; doesn't necessarily provide
results of immediate, practical use.
Research May be Obtrusive or Non-Obtrusive
Obtrusive research - where the researcher introducesconditions that influence participants.
Where the researcher manipulates the environment.
Non-obtrusive research - where researcher avoids influencing subjects in any way and tries to be
as inconspicuous as possible.

Four Main Types of Research

Historical research - describes what was-mostly nonobtrusive
Descriptive research - describes what is-mostly nonobtrusive
Correlation research - makes comparisons, looking for trends or tendencies
Experimental research - describes what will be - mostlyobtrusive

Historical Research
A systematic process of searching for information and fact to describe analyze or interpret the
past
Value-can provide prospective for decision making about current problems
-issues are often better understood if we understand the historical perspective
Sources-must have good backed sources to protect from criticism
-most common sources are past records
Descriptive Research - Describes, interprets, and clarifies what in the present
-often done with surveys
-may be done by observation or an observational instrument
Developmental Research is one common type of descriptive research which involves the study of
changes in behavior over a period of time
Correlation Research
The purpose is to find relationships between two or more variable so to:
- Better understand the conditions and events that we encounter (what goes with what)
- To predict future conditions and events.
- Correlations do not show cause and effect
Experimental Research
An experiment is a research situation where at least one independent variable, called the
experimental variable, is deliberately manipulated or varied by the researcher.
Variable –element or characteristic being studied
Parameter-element that remains unchanged (age, number of subjects)

Evaluation of Sources
Primary sources-original or first hand account of event or experience, persons involved,
documents, records or relics
Secondary sources-an account that is at least once removed
-persons not involved directly with an event but has close knowledge (parents, relatives)
-newspaper
External Criticism -evaluates the validity of the document
-who, when, where it was produced
-is the document genuine, authentic
-status of author (primary or secondary?)
Internal Criticism-evaluates the meaning, accuracy and trustworthiness of the content (comes
after external criticism)
• Both external and internal criticism are important to establish validity.

Sampling Terms and Procedures

Population-inclusive group defined by researcher
Sample-representative subset of population
-should contain essential elements of population
Random Sampling-process of sampling which assures that any subject in the population has an
equal probability of being in the sample
Systematic counting-uses list to choose every nth person from the population
Stratified Random-used when researcher believes the population has distinct subgroups
Ex: population has 45% men, then we make sure sample is 45% men

Variables and Limitations

Independent Variable-experimental or treatment variable (it is the cause)
-what we are studying
-it is what we are manipulating in our study
Dependent Variable-is what is measured to assess the effects of the independent variable
-it is thought to be dependant on the independent variable
Delimitations-choices the experimenter makes to affect a workable research problem
Ex: You delimit the number of subjects or the time frame
Limitations-the conditions or influences that either cannot be controlled or are the results of the
delimitations imposed
-limitations are beyond the control of the researcher and may place restrictions on the study

Validity
-Does it measure what it is suppose to measure
-Wasted time if not valid
-Involves:
1. The extent to which the results can be accurately interpreted
2. The extent to which the results can be generalized to population
Internal Validity
-basic minimum control, measurement, analysis, and procedures necessary to make the results
interpretable
-is the study itself setup and run correctly
External Validity-extent to which the study relates to the population
-concerned with comparability and translatability