WHAT IS A CAPSTONE SUPPOSED TO BE FOR STUDENTS AND PROGRAMS?
DEFINE: CAPSTONE
WHAT IS OUR CURRENT STATE?
Is your current capstone class individual or group based?
FOLLOW UP
What type of work do students complete in the capstone, predetermined, service-learning, something else?
CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE
What was your capstone experience?
Share with a few people around you
One thing that was positive
One thing that was negative
2 minutes…GO!
COOKIE CUTTER PROJECTS NON-PROFIT PROJECTS PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
WCTC’S CAPSTONE EVOLUTION
Student selected project
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Started as a simulation individual course Students picked the projects, little oversight from faculty on what the project scope should be Transitioned to a group based course. Benefits Easy to reproduce Standard rubrics Easy to manage Drawbacks Not engaging No outside of class collaboration No urgency No creative challenges Limited technical challenges
SERVICE LEARNING PROJECTS
Partner with local non-profit organizations
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Move to a service-learning partnership with local non-profit organizations Benefits Real world customer interaction Variety of potential solutions Changing requirements – groups needed to adapt Work utilized and benefits the community Implementing SCRUM/Agile led to better reflections Reflections were part of the Retrospective and occurred multiple times a semester Reflection responses quality improved as they occurred throughout instead of at the end of the semester Drawbacks Limited customer availability Limited customer technical ability Inconsistent engagement from non-profit partners Non-standard rubrics – projects depend on customers not a grading standard Challenge to handle ongoing support for projects
SOFTWARE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Move to Product development Benefits Real world customers – partnering with on-campus departments Variety of potential solutions Changing requirements – groups need to adapt Work utilized by the institution – budget considerations Focus on quality and scalability – timeline is longer Increased collaboration in educational institution Partnered with industry to review projects and provide feedback Similar to industry code review method Project scope is larger(more beneficial) due to increased ability to span semesters Increased reflection due to increased customer feedback and access Retrospective allows focused reflection on the project/product, team and individual Challenges Limited customer availability – mitigated from non-profit as they are departments within the same organization as faculty Ongoing product support Students might inherit low quality code Real world scenario Organizational expectations must be managed FERPA and other potential regulatory considerations Future considerations Connect groups with an industry mentor
DISCUSSION
• Would a product development approach work for your capstone class?
• What challenges would you expect to face?
• What partnerships could you develop that would benefit your current and future capstone class?
WHAT’S NEXT?
If you could change one thing about your capstone, what would it be?
No LIMITS!
QUESTIONS?
TAKEAWAY
Write down one change you will implement for your capstone class
Goal is to create an engaging positive experience that students share for years to come
