Cultivating Capstones

Capstones have been a part of higher education curriculum for over two centuries, with the goal of integrating student learning to cap off their undergraduate experience. In practice, capstones are most often delivered as a course or include a significant project that addresses a problem or contributes new knowledge. This edited collection draws on multi-year, multi-institutional, and mixed-methods studies to inform the development of best practices for cultivating capstones at a variety of higher education institutions. The book is divided into three parts: Part One offers typographies of capstones, illustrating the diversity of experiences included in this high-impact practice while also identifying essential characteristics that contribute to high-quality culminating experiences for students. Part Two shares specific culminating experiences with examples from multiple institutions and strategies for adapting them for readers' own campus contexts. Part Three offers research-informed strategies for professional development to support implementation of high-quality student learning experiences across a variety of campus contexts. Cultivating Capstones is an essential resource for faculty who teach or direct disciplinary or interdisciplinary capstone experiences, as well as for faculty developers and administrators seeking ways to offer high-quality, high-impact learning experiences for diverse student populations.Visit the Cultivating Capstones Companion Page, hosted by the Center for Engaged Learning.

"Cultivating Capstones helps us rethink the culmination of the degree, not as the pinnacle of a cloistered baccalaureate experience, but instead invigorated by external connections on all sides. Increasingly our students situate us amid multiple, competing responsibilities. In turn, educators need the tools presented here to cultivate feedback and agency, partnerships across institutions and communities, civic engagement and scaffolded independent research. In case studies and interviews, the authors make a powerful case for synthesizing learning from the whole degree in ways that respect and leverage the broader ecosystem of our students' complicated lives."--Ken O'Donnell, Vice Provost, California State University Dominguez Hills, and Editor-in-Chief of Experiential Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, "We know from powerful research like the Gallup Purdue Index that completing a project that lasts a semester or more is transformational to not only students' immediate college experience but also to their future selves. That said, simply calling something a "capstone" does not make it so. This volume fills an important gap at the nexus of research and practice on this high-impact educational practice, and should be required reading for all those interested in designing and delivering a truly vibrant and impactful capstone experience."--- Kate Drezek McConnell, Vice President, Curricular & Pedagogical Innovation and Executive Director, VALUE, American Association of Colleges & Universities, "Whether you're new to capstone experiences, a seasoned capstone course instructor, or somewhere in between, you'll find in this book vivid and varied examples of capstone models and practical guidance for supporting faculty and staff, so that students can reap the benefits of this high-impact practice. Given that capstone experiences embody the integration and application of learning, and can serve as much-needed bridges from college to career, I recommend it to all higher education leaders committed to truly serving students and ensuring their long-term success." --- Isis Artze-Vega, College Provost & Vice President, Academic Affairs, Valencia College

Caroline J. Ketcham is Professor of Exercise Science, Elon University. Ketcham and Anthony Weaver served as co-leaders for the 2018-2020 Center for Engaged Learning research seminar on Capstone Experiences.Anthony G. Weaver is Professor of Sports Management, Elon University. Caroline Ketcham served as co-leaders for the 2018-2020 Center for Engaged Learning research seminar on Capstone Experiences.Jessie L. Moore is Director of the Center for Engaged Learning and Associate Professor of English: Professional Writing & Rhetoric. She leads planning, implementation, and assessment of the Center's research seminars, which support multi-institutional inquiry on high-impact pedagogies and other focused engaged learning topics. Her recent research examines transfer of writing knowledge and practices, multi-institutional research and collaborative inquiry, writing residencies for faculty writers, the writing lives of university students, and high-impact pedagogies. She co-edited Critical Transitions: Writing and the Question of Transfer (2016). She currently serves as the elected Secretary of the Conference on College Composition and Communication.