It is now quite clear that students commonly learn a great deal from capstone experiences. What is less obvious is whether we, as faculty, are learning all that we might from the difficulties they encounter in the process. Every obstacle that students experience at this level of a program can alert us to places in our curricula where crucial skills are not being fully mastered. If we focus on our students’ remaining challenges, we can not only better prepare future students for the capstones, but also gain insights into how to redesign our curricula to aid at-risk students in all our courses.

To take full advantage of this opportunity to learn how to help more students succeed, the workshop presenters (three instructors and a recently graduated undergraduate) have combined two of the most effective strands of contemporary SoTL: Decoding the Disciplines and Students as Partners. They will share their experiences and provide a brief introduction to the Decoding process and the process of including students as partners in SoTL inquiries. But most of the workshop will be focused on providing the participants with a direct experience of these processes by:

• Identifying bottlenecks to learning that some students have encountered in their capstone courses
• Participating in a Decoding interview to make explicit what students need to learn to do to overcome one of these obstacles

• Brainstorming how this process can be expanded by training students to conduct Decoding interviews with their peers
• Taking part in a backwards design process to consider how the analysis of student difficulties in capstone experiences can be used to systematically evaluate what needs to be taught at every level of a program in order to retain vulnerable students and to prepare all students for success in the capstone.
• Being invited to join in a continuing process of Decoding capstone experiences that will extend beyond the workshop.

Sources:

“Decoding the Disciplines Resources” http://decodingthedisciplines.org/bibliography/

Cook-Sather, A., Bovill, C.,  Felten, P. (2014) Engaging students as partners in learning and teaching. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Healey, M. (2016). Students as partners and change agents. Howden, UK: Healey HE Consultants.

Matthews,K. E. (2017). Five propositions for genuine Students as Partners practice. International Journal for Students as Partners, 1(2). https://doi.org/10.15173/ijsap.v1i2.3315

Mercer-Mapstone, L., Dvorakova, S. L., Matthews, K. E., Abbot, S., Cheng, B., Felten, P., Knorr, K., Marquis, E., Shammas, R., & Swaim, K. (2017). A systematic literature review of students as partners in higher education. International Journal for Students as Partners, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.15173/ijsap.v1i1.3119

Learn about using Gather to access the online posters.

Framing Institutionally Required Capstones: A Multinational Study, Carol M. Van Zile-Tamsen (University of Buffalo, State University of New York), Janet Bean (University of Akron), Christina Beaudoin (Grand Valley State University), David Lewis (University of Leeds, UK), and Tania Von Der Heidt (Southern Cross University, Australia)

Investigating Recursivities among Spheres of Writing: Student Perceptions and Connections, D. Alexis Hart (Allegheny College), Ashley J. Holmes (Georgia State University), Anna V. Knutson (Duquesne University), Íde O’Sullivan (University of Limerick, Ireland), Yogesh Sinha (Sohar University, Oman), Kathleen Blake Yancey (Florida State University)

Multi-institutional survey of faculty experiences teaching capstones: Descriptive results, Matthew J. Laye (College of Idaho), Caroline Boswell (University of Wisconsin-Green Bay), Morgan Gresham (University of South Florida – St. Petersburg), Dawn Smith-Sherwood (Indiana University of Pennsylvania), Olivia S. Anderson (University of Michigan)

Preliminary Results from Project Chameleon: How Early-Career Alumni Adapt Prior Writing Knowledge, Neil Baird (Bowling Green State University), Alena Kasparkova (VSB-Technical University of Ostrava, Czech Republic), Stephen Marcharia (Strathmore University, Kenya), and Amanda Sturgill (Elon University)

Priming the Pump:  Residential Learning Community Effects on Engagement, Kelly Finley (Bucknell University)

Training Research-Practitioners through Online Learning and Community Engagement
Joseph LeBlanc (James Madison University)

Various Voices on Writing: Conflicts and Common Ground among Students and Stakeholders in Work-Integrated Learning Formats in US-American, Australasian, and European HE, Michelle J. Eady (University of Wollongong, Australia), Michael-John DePalma (Baylor University), Radhika Jaidev (Singapore Institute of Technology, Singapore), Ina Alexandra Machura (Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany), Lilian W. Mina (Auburn University at Montgomery), Kara Taczak (University of Denver)

A1. The Landscape of Required Baccalaureate Capstones: A Multinational Study, Janet Bean (University of Akron), Christina Beaudoin (Grand Valley State University), Tania von der Heidt (Southern Cross University, Australia), David Lewis (University of Leeds, UK), and Carol Van Zile-Tamsen (University of Buffalo, State University of New York)

A2. Changing Higher Ed through Design Thinking Project-Based Learning: Research-Based Stories and Strategies, Danielle Lake (Elon University)

A3. Work-Integrated Learning: What are the Next Big Questions?, Jessie L. Moore (Elon University)

A4. Workplace Writing Experiences

• (8:30-9:00) Writing Stakes and Stakeholders: Insights from The Archive of Workplace Writing Experiences, Jessica McCaughey (George Washington University) and Brian Fitzpatrick (George Mason University)

B1. Ignite Session

• Engaging the Online Learner: Development of an Asynchronous Course for Faculty on Remote Pedagogy Fundamentals Caroline Fuchs (St. John’s University), Cynthia R. Phillips (St. John’s University) and Yi Zhang (St. John’s University)
• Reflection and Integration as Conditions for Meaningful Learning Experiences Sophie Miller (Elon University)
• Trauma-Informed Pedagogy: Engaging Diverse Learners in the College Context Delores D Liston (Georgia Southern University) and Regina Rahimi (Georgia Southern University, Armstrong Campus)
• Connections to Broader Contexts as a Condition for Meaningful Learning Experiences Ellery Ewell (Elon University)
• Feedback as a Condition for Meaningful Learning Experiences Christina Wyatt (Elon University)

B2. Capstones in Health Professions and the Biosciences

• (9:45-10:15) Doctoral Experiential Capstone in health professions: Collaboration for robust outcomes? Nancy Krusen (University of Nebraska Medical Center) and Sarah Foidel (Pacific University)
• (10:15-10:45) Final Year research project or Capstone Experience?  Time for a re-think in the Biosciences, Dave I. Lewis (University of Leeds, UK)

B3. STEM Capstones and Learning Communities

• (9:45-10:15) – A tale of two capstones: Integrating students from Business and Engineering capstone courses, Julie Vale and Erin Doherty (both of University of Guelph, Canada)
• (10:15-10:45) Creating and Assessing an Academic Learning Community between Biology and Statistics Courses, Hwayeon Ryu (Elon University) and Bin Zhu (University of Hartford)

B4. Self-Sponsored Writing: A Taxonomy of the Civic, Personal, and Professional Functions of Writing in People’s Lives, Andrea Rosso Efthymiou (Hofstra University), Heather Lindenman (Elon University), Dana Driscoll (Indiana University of Pennsylvania), Matthew Pavesich (Georgetown University), and Jennifer Reid (Marquette University)

C1. Stories of how institutions in USA, UK and Australia commit to capstones, Tania von der Heidt (Southern Cross University, Australia), Janet Bean (University of Akron), Christina Beaudoin (Grand Valley State University), Carol van Zile-Tamsen (University of Buffalo, State University of New York), and David Lewis (University of Leeds, UK)

C2. Intrinsic Motivation of Faculty and Instructors Teaching Capstone Experiences, Matthew J. Laye (College of Idaho), Olivia Anderson (University of Michigan), Caroline Boswell (University of Wisconsin-Green Bay), Morgan Gresham (University of South Florida – St. Petersburg), and Dawn Smith-Sherwood (Indiana University of Pennsylvania)

C3. Uncovering the hidden capstone curriculum: Faculty members as agents of inclusive engaged learning (Workshop), Sarah Dyer (University of Exeter), Moriah McSharry McGrath (Portland State University), Drew Pearl (University of Alabama), Joanna Rankin (University of Calgary), and Trina Jorre de St. Jorre (Deakin University)

C4. The Impact of Upper-Level Students Writing in Multiple Contexts: Questions, Methods, and Themes, D. Alexis Hart (Allegheny College), Ashley J. Holmes (Georgia State University), Anna V. Knutson (Duquesne University), Íde O’Sullivan (University of Limerick, Ireland), Yogesh Sinha (Sohar University, Oman), Kathleen Blake Yancey (Florida State University)

D1. Towards trustworthiness in writing beyond the university Lucie Dvorakova (University of Edinburgh, Scotland), Alison Farrell (Maynooth University, Ireland), Niamh Fortune (Maynooth University, Ireland), Melissa Weresh (Drake University Law School), Nadya Yakovchuk (University of Surrey, United Kingdom), Ryan Dippre (University of Maine)

D2. Capstone Experiences – Exit Dinners and Co-Mentoring

• 2:45-3:15 – The Burkean Parlor for Graduating Seniors: An Evaluative Exit Dinner as a Component of the Capstone Experience Li Li and Michael Strickland (both of Elon University)
• 3:15-3:45 – Co-Mentoring Writing and Design: An interdisciplinary approach to undergraduate capstone experiences Hannah P Bellwoar and Ryan Gibboney (both of Juniata College)

D3. Mentoring Undergraduate Research Students (Workshop) Drew Pearl (University of Alabama); Joanna Rankin, Amanda Denis, Saania Zafar, Anoushka Jere, and James Idowu (all of University of Calgary); and Trina Jorre de St. Jorre (Deakin University)

D4. Leadership and Community Engagement

• 2:45-3:15 – Using Engaged Learning Experiences to Mitigate Gendered Meanings of Leadership Amanda Blakewood Pascale, PhD; Matthew Ohlson, PhD; Brandi Winfrey, M.Ed.; Chadwick Lockley, M.S. (all of University of North Florida)
• 3:15-3:45 – Teaching “Comedy Across Cultures:” A Layered Approach to Classroom and Community Engagement Jay Friesen (University of Alberta, Canada

E1. Bringing the invisible to the forefront: Insights from a multinational, multidisciplinary, and multi-institutional research project on the visibility of writing in various internship programs, Michelle J. Eady (University of Wollongong, Australia), Michael-John DePalma (Baylor University), Radhika Jaidev (Singapore Institute of Technology, Singapore), Ina Alexandra Machura (Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany), Lilian W. Mina (Auburn University at Montgomery), Kara Taczak (University of Denver)

E2. Understanding Capstones

• (8:30-9:00) What we want to do versus what we say we do: Capstone purposes in literature as compared to institutional documents, Russell Kirkscey (Penn State Harrisburg), Julie Vale (University of Guelph, Canada), Jennifer Hill (University of Gloucestershire, UK), and James Weiss (Boston College)
• (9:00-9:30) What is the capstone landscape at Australian universities?, Tania von der Heidt (Southern Cross University, Australia)

E3. Understanding Faculty Needs: Resources to Support Capstone Creation (Workshop), Olivia S. Anderson (University of Michigan), Caroline Boswell (University of Wisconsin-Green Bay), Morgan Gresham (University of South Florida – St. Petersburg), Matt Laye (College of Idaho), and Dawn Smith-Sherwood (Indiana University of Pennsylvania)

E4. Lakeside 214 – Preliminary Results from Project Chameleon: How Early-Career Alumni Adapt Prior Writing Knowledge Neil Baird (Bowling Green State University), Alena Kasparkova (VSB-Technical University of Ostrava, Czech Republic), Stephen Marcharia (Strathmore University, Kenya), and Amanda Sturgill (Elon University)

F1. Enhancing Collaborative Learning through Team-based Learning, Yolande Heymans, Gerda Marie Reitsma, Christo Bisschoff, Baaqira Ebrahim (all of North-West University, South Africa)

F2. Capstones, Equity, and Labor

• (9:45-10:15) An Analysis of University Messaging for Capstone Experiences and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Drew Pearl (University of Alabama), Joanna Rankin (University of Calgary, Canada), Trina Jorre de St. Jorre (Deakin University, Australia), Sarah Dyer (University of Exeter, UK), and Moriah McSharry McGrath (Portland State University)
• (10:15-10:45) Capstone Experiences and Labor: Preliminary Results from a Multi-institutional Survey and Interviews Morgan Gresham (University of South Florida St. Petersburg) and Caroline Boswell (University of Wisconsin Green Bay)

F3. Writing Beyond the University: Challenges and Findings from Multi-Institutional Research, Liane Robertson (University of South Florida), Ann Blakeslee (Eastern Michigan University), Rebecca Nowacek (Marquette University), Michael Rifenburg (University of North Georgia), and Jenn Mallette (Boise State University)