The Capstone Course at Loras College

Abstract

The Association of American Colleges (1990, p. 9) believes that a major should be structured around a principle or set of principles. It states, A major ought to have a beginning, a middle, and an end--each contributing in a different way to the overall aim of the Programs can create structures, such as capstone courses, that provide a final opportunity to assess growth in achievement in light of the basic goals of the college, such as critical thinking and writing across the disciplines, as well as the goals of the sociology major. Higher-order thinking skills accrue to students as a result of the inclusive nature of learning, both through general education and through major requirements, and should crystallize in the capstone experience. Eberts et al. (1991) who produced the report Liberal Learning and the Sociology Major recommend that majors need coherence and that departments should offer at least four levels in a sequence of courses in the major. The fourth level would include one or more capstone courses for senior majors. This course should require participants to integrate, synthesize, critique, and apply the concepts, theories, and methods articulated in the sociology curriculum. The capstone course, along with other assessment measures (e.g., comprehensive examination and/or senior thesis) should coalesce to produce an aha experience for majors that facilitates the development of sociological imagination and practice. Capstone courses are essential because they provide the forum through which participants (students and professors) integrate theoretical with methodological considerations. At the same time they provide departments with the opportunity to help students assimilate and apply sociological knowledge. Capstone courses can enhance assessment of students' outcomes by providing an integrative experience, one that is often lacking because of the fragmentary nature of our curricula. Isn't this what higher education is all about? We should be more concerned about what our students are learning and retaining than about the political and sophomoric rhetoric that often accompanies assessment. Good teaching is enhanced by clearly articulated goals (see Wagenaar 1991) and by an assessment of those goals; the same can be said for learning. The status of higher education, especially in light of the impact of assessment (see Hutchings and Marchese 1990), compels us to reevaluate how we structure learning environments and objectives. Clearly articulated goals, an assessment plan, and capstone courses are a strong start for restructuring collegiate learning and improving undergraduate instruction. Assessment can and should be a process that enhances learning and growth. Capstone courses are potential pieces of the assessment puzzle, which ultimately is concerned with improving the validity of teaching and learning. For those well versed in the assessment literature, it becomes very apparent that no one model or plan will fit the needs and wants of all colleges and universities. Assessment plans, including capstone courses, must be designed by each institution. Although no single generic model exists, in the following paragraph I will describe a model used by Missouri's liberal arts and sciences university, a leader in the assessment movement in higher education. In a presentation at a recent conference on assessment held by the American Association for Higher Education, faculty members from Northeast Missouri State University shared their insights on capstone courses as assessment tools. The structure of the course allowed the faculty to assess the following areas of learning and growth among students: 1) knowledge: discipline content area and interdisciplinary connections; 2) skills: writing, speaking, collaborative skills, and critical thinking (analysis, synthesis, evaluation); and 3) attitudes: openness to more than one position, recognition of the distinction between facts and values, reflective evaluation of self, and evaluation of university and major (Gordon, Cartwright, and Young 1991). Capstone courses are required in all programs at the university and are one of 11 components of the assessment system. The capstone experience at Northeast Missouri State University offers the following bene-