Abstract:
This three-year classroom research project determined students' response to a one-credit elective pre-capstone seminar intended to help sophomores prepare for independent learning experiences as required by internships and capstone courses. Weekly guest speakers included primarily juniors and seniors. Student speakers welcomed the opportunity to share their experiences with sophomores whose interest in the course was associated with having juniors or seniors as speakers. Self-assessed learning outcomes included increased ability to select an internship and knowing how to engage in independent work. Sophomores did not perceive a need to learn how to work and learn in a team. In addition, they were divided in regards to the benefit of having to write a weekly report. Although some students perceived such assignments as a positive aspect of the class that contributed to gains in written communication skills without demanding more work than anticipated, others felt the opposite. The level of interest in the course was correlated with self- assessed amount of learning. The pre-capstone seminar increases student-student interactions and student-instructor interactions in an academic setting and may enhance the cohesiveness of an undergraduate curriculum because it creates the opportunity for students to make explicit connections with the required capstone courses in their major.
Keywords:
preparing sophomores, learning, capstone seminar
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