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ED 870: Capstone Seminar: Master of Arts in Education
Professor: Dr. Patrick Dickson

The Capstone Seminar is designed to engage students in discussion and reflection on their learning in the Master of Arts in Education. Each student will create a Web-based portfolio that presents a well-organized representation of their work and thinking in the program and participate in online discussion with other students in the seminar around their developing portfolios.

Major Topics

Major topics to be discussed include the portfolio concept, the meaning of lifelong learning, reflections on personal learning style and online learning, synthesis of ideas from other courses and readings, evolution of personal goals, and relationships between learning and career aspirations.

Portfolio Contents

Each portfolio will include a resume, revised goal statement, a program plan listing courses taken, samples of papers and projects completed in the program, a plan for how ideas explored in the masters program influence plans for the future, and plans for continued learning following completion of the degree.

Synthesis Paper

Students will write a major synthesis paper in which they reflect on what they have learned from their masters program and what they have learned about themselves as online learners. This reflection paper is expected to be rigorous, explicit, and include references to readings from the coursework, as well as other readings the student selects. A copy of this paper will be kept by the department as a part of the comprehensive examination procedure.

Projection Paper

Students will write a "projection paper" focusing on their future career and learning. In this paper students will discuss how they expect to apply what they have learned in the masters program. Second, they will present specific ideas for how they intend to continue to learn in the future, drawing upon readings and experiences in the online masters aimed at how to become a "lifelong learner."

Readings

In addition to the readings provided for the seminar, students will be asked to compile a personal reading list, drawn from readings in courses taken in their programs, as well as from other sources.

Evaluation

During the Capstone Seminar students will evaluate their own portfolio, using a rubric that specifies the required element to be included in the portfolio and the criteria for judging the quality of each element. Faculty teaching the capstone course also use the rubric to evaluate the portfolios as a part grading the course. The rubric for evaluating the web-based portfolios created in this course includes evaluation of the quality of the web design, quality of written papers, and comprehensiveness and coherence of the portfolio.

Portfolio Exhibition

The final requirement for students in the Capstone Seminar is to "exhibit" their portfolios online to MAED faculty and students. In some cases the exhibition might include an online live chat room where the student would respond to comments and questions submitted by judges and other guests at the exhibition.

Comprehensive Examination

The completed Web-based portfolios and the Synthesis Paper will be formally reviewed by two faculty. A copy of the Synthesis Paper will be kept on file in the program office. A satisfactory evaluation of the portfolio and Synthesis Paper meets the University's comprehensive examination requirement for the masters degree.

Final Comments

The Capstone Seminar and the Portfolio are intended to have several benefits for students as they complete their programs. The portfolio is designed to bring intellectual coherence to work done in the masters program within a community of learners. Creating the portfolio is designed to be an "authentic" task for students, focusing on creating a portfolio that advances their professional development and career advancement. By having students organize their portfolio around their resume, their goal statement, and their coursework, the portfolio provides a supportive structure that calls upon the student to present how they perceive the coherence of their program. Displaying this work in progress in a public fashion invites dialogue between the student and faculty to foster deeper understanding. Students, by virtue of being able to look at the portfolios of their fellow students, will be encouraged to feel themselves a part of a community of learners.

Technical Requirements

All students will need to learn to create and publish webpages. Some students will begin the seminar with the necessary skills and software. Support will be provided for students in learning these skills if they do not already have them.

Notes on Schedule

The seminar is scheduled for the full eight-week summer session: May 12 through August 14. The course is designed to enable a highly motivated student to complete their portfolio by July 1, but students may continue to work on their portfolios until August 1. Faculty evaluation of portfolios will be scheduled as students indicate that they feel their portfolio is ready for final review.