Capstone Experiences

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Capstone Experiences

• Computer Science the Liberal Arts

Gail Miles Kathleen M. Kelm ISECON 2006
November 3-5, 2006
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Capstone Experiences Integrating Computer
Science and the Liberal Arts

• Kathleen M. Kelm
• Associate Professor of Computer Science
• Madison, WI

• Gail Miles
• Professor of Computer Science
• Hickory, NC

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Undergraduate Institutions

• Edgewood College
• Private, Dominican undergraduate doctoral
  liberal arts
• 2400 enrolled, traditional, part time graduate
• Majors BS in CIS Returning Adult Accelerated
  CIS

• Lenoir-Rhyne College
• Private, Lutheran, undergraduate, liberal arts
• 1600 FTE primarily traditional students (about
  65 residential)
• Majors BS/BA in Computer Sciences and BA in
  Information Technology

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Goals of Capstone Projects

• Demonstrate individual student exit competencies
• Research 1 supports use of collaborative
  activities as relevant to workplace.
• Research 2 and activities support the value and
  success of team projects
• Integrate goals of a liberal arts education with
  professional goals

1 Deming Durham, 2001 Galllivan, Truex
Kyasny, 2004 2 Bocchi, Eastman Swift, 2004
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Approaches of Capstone Projects

• May have Professor as sponsor
• Client from community (non-profit or college
  department)
• Follows a traditional cyclic approach of software
  engineering or system development life cycle
• Two course set
• 1st course sets the stage completes analysis
• 2nd course completes design, constructs and
  presents

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Example Capstone Projects

• Team Assignments
• Types of Projects
• Types of Customers

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Expected Technical Skills

• Systems Analysis
• Requirements Analysis
• Architectural Design
• CASE Tools (UML)
• Project Management
• Planning
• Scheduling
• Costing

• Quality Assurance and Configuration Management
• Technical Writing
• Prototyping
• Programming
• Validation Verification
• Testing

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The Capstone Project Student Teams

• Teams designed for accountability
• Selection based on strengths in a variety of
  proficiencies (leadership, technical
  programming, writing, prior experience)
• Teams support and encouragement to each other and
  foster the belief that help from team members and
  the sponsor readily available 3
• Students who reported a lack of knowledge or
  skill in some area received support from other
  team members 4

3 Willis, 2000 4 Li, 2001
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Skills assessed from the Liberal Arts

• Ability to acquire and use knowledge
• Awareness of personal values and commitments
• Understanding of different values held by others
• Interpersonal and public communication
• Appreciation of the cultural significance of
  science and technology
• Ethical Impact of work
• Reflective assessment of entire college degree
  5

5 Yorke Kasl, 2002
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Requirements that support the Liberal ArtsOral
Communication

• Demonstrations
• Walkthroughs
• Technical Reviews

• Team Presentations
• Customer Meetings
• Team Meetings

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Requirements that support the Liberal
ArtsWritten Communication

• Project Plan
• Requirements Document
• Design Document
• Quality Assurance Plan
• Configuration Management Plan

• Project Notebook
• Users Manual
• Technical Manual
• Peer Reviews
• Post Mortem Review

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Requirements that support the Liberal
ArtsEthical and Legal Issues

• Ethical Case Studies
• Legal Case Studies
• Professional Codes of Ethics
• Impact Study of Project

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Requirements that support the Liberal
ArtsInterpersonal Skills

• Collaboration
• Compromise
• Conflict Resolution
• Relationship Building
• Problem solving

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Assessment of Capstone Project Objectives

• High client satisfaction (gt90 achievement of
  goals of project)
• Value of project measured using industry quality
  standards
• Each team follow guidelines negotiate
  unexpected events on their own (leader, common
  folder, role flexibility, group grade/individual
  contribution)

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Conclusions

• Capstone projects model real life experience
• Employers value capstone projects
• Capstone projects accepted as equivalent to
  workplace experience
• Students demonstrate high levels of competencies
• Rigourous assessment is desired by both academics
  and employers
• Students demonstate the integration of technology
  and Liberal Arts

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