The capstone experience
The capstone experience – developing global graduates
Dave Lewis (Faculty of Biological Sciences)
Project Overview
The University of Leeds is one of an elite group of Higher Education institutions globally that requires all undergraduates, irrespective of discipline, to undertake a final year research project.
Most students do not go onto careers in research and many will go onto careers outside their discipline. In their current form, many final year undergraduate or taught postgraduate research projects, with their focus on research experience, do not prepare the majority of graduates for the diversity of careers they go onto. Radical change is required, for students to be offered the opportunity to undertake a capstone project, with its focus on personal and professional development, rather than a traditional research project.
Through drawing upon good practice from around the world, and across all disciplines and sectors; in combination with ideas at a local level the project aims to create innovative and inspirational education experiences for students. The project will work in collaborative partnership with colleagues and students from six Schools across the University to apply the evidence in creating capstone opportunities within undergraduate and taught postgraduate programmes.
Key findings
Capstone projects are equitable, inclusive, promote learning gain, enable learners to
realise their goals and ambitions, prepare them for the workplace, and enable them to
showcase their experience and competencies to all stakeholders.
• Whilst there are educators and Schools across the University that have enthusiastically
adopted and implemented capstones into their programmes, there is still significant
work to be undertaken in changing mindsets and processes to support implementation
more broadly across the University.
• There is a huge, largely untapped potential, for educators to co-create capstone
opportunities across the University, and with external stakeholders, locally, nationally,
and internationally.
• Educators, Institutions and Accrediting Bodies globally, particularly in the Biosciences,
are increasingly recognising the transformative and translational potential of capstone
projects and are introducing portfolios of opportunities into programmes.
Implications for practice
• Capstone projects are transformative, support learners in their transition into
workplace, and in becoming changemakers.
• Educators need to offer portfolios of capstone opportunities, tailored to provide the
workplace experiences, and develop the competencies required by their graduates in
the workplace.
• Portfolios of capstone opportunities will not, by themselves fully realise the
transformative and translational potential of capstone projects, educators must also
change the organisational processes and assessments to better reflect the workplace.
• Capstone projects are not a standalone educational intervention, instead they are a
vehicle to embed other student education strategic objectives into programmes, for
example equity, inclusion, education for sustainable development, cultural awareness
and capital.
• Educators should not be afraid to push disciplinary boundaries and practices, but
instead, be at the forefront of educational innovation.
If you want to find out more details about this fellowship or what the next steps were upon completion please read the full snapshot or contact Dave (d.i.lewis@leeds.ac.uk).
Project start date: September 2021