This monograph reports on a study evaluating senior seminars and capstone courses offered at American colleges and universities. A survey was responded to by 707 institutions of which 549 reported they offered at least one senior seminar or capstone course. The major finding of the survey was that these courses are generally designed to leave…

The Southeastern Minority Trainer of Trainers program provides leadership training in three phases to African American community leaders in five southern states. Findings of little leadership change in Phase 1 and Phase 2 survey evaluations for three states were in contrast to results of focus groups at the conclusion of Phase 2 capstone…

Offers an annotated bibliography concerning practical and theoretical considerations for two types of alternative assessment in community colleges and higher education: portfolios and capstone courses. Portfolios provide representative samples of student work and capstone courses review core concepts in a field. Cites 10 sources. (AUTH/NB)

At a conference on the senior year experience, participants described "capstone" courses that pull together the themes of a student's major and investigate ethics and civic responsibility. Employers said many college graduates were unprepared to work in teams and unwilling to pay their dues by starting in entry-level positions. (MLW)

The convergence of the teaching as assessment movement and Total Quality Management (TQM) has implications for higher education, and communication department should adapt their pedagogy to the best of the thrusts in higher education. The Department of Communication at Central Missouri State University contains 2 of the original 10 programs that…

This paper outlines a senior seminar, or "capstone" course, in computer science developed at the University of South Carolina at Spartanburg. It was intended that the senior seminar should differ in classroom format from other courses in the major. Course requirements include timed oral presentations, reading of science fiction in which…

The intent of this two-part instructional package is to assist senior high school students in making rational decisions regarding career choice and further training and education. Part 1, Introduction to a Capstone Program, defines behavioral objectives and includes a basic information section on job clusters and the capstone program. Five…

Argues for a holistic core that balances the dialectic tensions between social science and humanities, scholarly discipline and craft/praxis, and common and special topics within the discipline. Offers rationales for two other unique features of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington curriculum: research methods at the front end of the…

Examples are offered of programs at the Cooper Union (New York) in which liberal and professional education, arts, and sciences are brought together. Included are a study trip to Rome to examine historical design as manifested in 17th-century art and architecture, a seminar on the mutual influence of words and images, and three capstone seminars…

Use of portfolios for student evaluation has expanded in recent years to assessment of student progress in training to teach English as a Second Language (TESL). At Wright State University (Ohio), portfolio assessment is part of both undergraduate and graduate level ESL teaching programs. As at other institutions, portfolio development is being…

Reviews the development of integrated business policy and strategic management courses, or capstone courses, in business school curricula. A simulation game is described that incorporates the need for computer literacy, decision support systems (DSS), and interaction to effectively meet the needs for a capstone course. (14 references) (LRW)

Many of the students at Olive-Harvey College, a community college on Chicago's south side, are struggling to balance their education with low income, service sector jobs and family needs while living in communities plagued by drugs and violence. The question is how teachers can help these students to attain their educational goals, despite their…

Describes a senior-level capstone experience that integrates various communication and research skills to prepare chemistry majors for entry into graduate school and professional life. Contains 12 references. (WRM)

This paper provides a brief overview of the literature on collaboration among higher education faculty and describes the process of creating a capstone experience for regular and special education student teachers and interns. During the 1997-98 academic year, three faculty members were assigned the task of creating a common capstone experience…

This paper discusses the development of a MIS (Management Information Systems) capstone course in an adult graduate information technology program at Johns Hopkins University (Maryland). Rather than focusing on a technology topic, the course provides an environment that allows students to apply the information and skills that they have obtained in…