Session 1 Capstone Anxiety Reduction

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Session 1Capstone Anxiety Reduction
Glenn P. KesslerSummer, 2005
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Goals for this session

• Introduce ourselves our topics
• Surface concerns about the Capstone
• Define course goals review administrative
  details
• Reduce your Capstone anxiety
• Discuss the first writing assignment
• Set the tone - begin building a good learning
  environment
• Review how were doing so far
• Anything else ...

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Todays Agenda

• 600 Introductions
• Capstone topics concerns
• Getting to know you
• Proseminar goals administrivia
• 720 Break
• 730 Anxiety reduction?
• Veteran Round Table
• 850 Break
• 900 Collaborative learning environment
• 915 Assignment Capstone Preposal
• 930 Wrap up
• 945 Adjourn

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Our slogans

• Research is a conversation
• Write early and often
• Write to understand

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Topics Concerns

• Take 2 minutes. On one index card
• Elevator Speech Youre on an elevator with John
  Casteen. He asks about your Capstone project. You
  have 45 seconds to tell him. Mention one article
  or text that captured your interest. Name on the
  card.
• Take 2 minutes. On another index card
• One question that captures for you the most
  confusing/puzzling/terrifying/bewildering/pointles
  s thing about the Capstone.
• This part is anonymous -- well scramble the
  cards. PRINT legibly.

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Introductions

• Group discussion
• Speed dating
• Elevator reports

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(No Transcript)
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Whats a capstone?
An opportunity to develop a deep understanding of
a significant problem or question of interest to
you using the intellectual tools and knowledge
developed in the BIS program and, optionally,
your own professional and personal experience.

• Originality
• Independence
• Appropriate scope
• Orderly and objective process of inquiry
• Intellectual stretch

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Toolkit Website

• Capstone Document Index
• Capstone Observations
• Capstone Guidelines
• Capstone Reflections
• Capstone Resources
• Princeton JP Handbook

• Proposals
• Archive

toolkit.virginia.edu/ISPS399-1
capstone.bisprogram.com
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Proseminar goals

• Introduce and develop expertise in some basic
  research skills.
• Produce a capstone proposal that provides a solid
  starting point for the capstone project

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Proseminar approach

• Research is an ongoing conversation with your
  rhetorical community
• Conversation requires knowing the language,
  values and practices of that community.

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(No Transcript)
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Evaluation

• Collaborative learning environment
• Capstone proposal (60)
• Representing what youve accomplished and learned
  as assessed by the academic community
• Class and group participation (30)
• Representing what youve contributed to others
  learning what others have learned from you
• Self-assessment (10)
• Representing your own evaluation of your
  integration into your chosen academic community

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Break
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Capstone Veterans Speak!

• JASON VAN SANT
• KARA CONNOLLY
• RACHEL HARRISON
• MIDDLE CARR
• CARL WOLFF
• SANDY BUDIANSKY
• RAYMOND KRAM
• MATT HARTUNG
• MANDY OWENS

-Introduce yourself and, if you like, say a few
words about your own Capstone experience and what
it has meant in retrospect.
-Freeform discussion of questions concerns
-Any concluding advice you might have about what
worked and what didn't.
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Break
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Learning Environment
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Ground Rules

• Groups establish ground rules, or norms
  concerning how meetings will be run, how members
  will interact, and what kind of behavior is
  acceptable. Each member is expected to respect
  these rules, which usually prevents
  misunderstandings and disagreements. Ground
  rules may establish decision-making procedures,
  participation, confidentiality, respect,
  attendance, etc.
• Once established, any violations are easy to
  address by referring back to the agreed upon
  ground rules.
• Ground rules can
• create common expectations and understanding
  among team members
• encourage desirable behavior from team members
• enhance the self-management of the team

Our social contract
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Ground rules preparation
Goal - A collaborative learning environment that
encourages inquiry, participation, and
involvement and in which we jointly share
responsibility for its success.

• Take a minute ...
• Think back to a seminar or class that was either
• less than successful
• especially successful
• Now ask yourself
• What is the one thing that I found most
  counterproductive/productive in allowing us to
  reach our primary objective (e.g., understanding
  the material, completing the assigned tasks,
  etc.)?
• Is there a corresponding Proseminar ground rule?

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Class brainstorm - Ground Rules

• Brainstorm the following question for 5 minutes

Question What ground rules should we adopt to
encourage a collaborative approach to learning
that encourages inquiry, participation, and
involvement and in which we jointly share
responsibility for its success?
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Proseminar Ground Rules

• Be respectful of one another and each others
  opinions
• Give everyone an opportunity to participate
• Be critical of ideas not people i.e., think
  critically dont criticize
• Do the readings, think about them, be prepared to
  discuss
• Listen without prejudice
• Keep comments brief and on-point no war stories
• No cell phones
• Support each other. Trust
• Respect confidentiality
• No side conversations
• Be on time
• Be happy

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Assignment

• Reading
• Capstone Journal
• Capstone Preposal
• Assignment submission
• When Tues, 5/17, 6PM or earlier
• Where Toolkit Assignment HW Submission
• Peer editing/review partners
• Next Week Pavillion I _at_ 6PM

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Capstone Proposal Elements

• proposed title of the project
• an overview
• an structural outline
• a statement of the question, problem, or purpose
• the proposed methodology
• an assessment of the students capability in the
  proposed methodology
• a preliminary bibliography
• identification of any intended collaborators
  within or outside of the University, including an
  explanation of why a team-based or collaborative
  approach is being proposed for the project
• the name of the faculty mentor
• a statement describing the expected final
  outcome
• a statement indicating approval by the
  Universitys Institutional Review Board (IRB), if
  appropriate

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The Capstone Preposal

• proposed title of the project
• an overview
• an outline
• a statement of the question, problem, or purpose
• the proposed methodology
• an assessment of your capability in the proposed
  methodology
• a preliminary bibliography
• identification of any intended collaborators
  within or outside of the University, including an
  explanation of why a team-based or collaborative
  approach is being proposed for the project
• the name of the faculty mentor
• a statement describing the expected final
  outcome.

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Wrap Up

• Pros/Benefits

• Cons/Concerns

Actions
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Lingering confusions .

• TBD

Next week we meet at 6PM at Pavillion I
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Speed dating

• Everyone stand and find a partner.
• You have one minute to introduce yourself and
  your topic to your partner conversely.
• At the bell, find a new partner
• Peer editing partners