Applying Prior Knowledge to a Culminating Project
Overview
Students are shown how to apply program coursework they’ve already completed to their final capstone projects.
Why Use This?
The capstone can often be overwhelming, but reminding students that their project is a culmination of all the work they’ve already completed builds confidence, alleviates anxiety, and sustains motivation throughout the semester.
How Does It Work?
The instructor provides a brief overview for each assignment (all related to completing the final capstone project) that directs students to where they have already practiced these skills in their previous coursework. Additionally, the instructor uses the discussion prompts to reference prior coursework, encouraging students to actively recall and apply their earlier learning. This process empowers students to refer back to their previous coursework as needed, aiding them in formulating thoughtful responses and effectively leveraging their prior knowledge in the context of the capstone project.
An overview containing information to help students recall prior knowledge and the corresponding discussion prompt
Overview
Your analysis of the data is the focus of this discussion. That is, you will describe the results. Back in HWM 705 – Strategic Management for Wellness Managers, you developed a semester-long Business Level Strategy Plan that involved analysis of data from multiple perspectives (e.g., SWOT) along with a proposed strategy written in a persuasive way for moving forward (next steps for an implementation plan). This required that you bring in the most important conclusions and take-aways from the analysis. You also practiced analyzing data in HWM 710 – Research Methods for Wellness Managers.
Moreover, in HWM 720 – Exercise and Nutrition in Health and Disease, you developed an intervention proposal that took into consideration the context and conditions in which the intervention would be implemented. In HWM 770 – Behavior and Development in Organizations you examined processes and methods that improve behavior, effectiveness, and efficiency in organizational settings. In HWM 730 Biopsychosocial Aspects of Health, you examined the biological, psychological, and social-environmental aspects of wellness, and in HWM 780 Best Practices and Emerging Issues in Wellness you explored best- and promising- practices in wellness.
You will reference these skills and concepts to analyze your assessment data, interpret it, and summarize the findings in a meaningful way.
Instructions
Initial Post
Start your post by restating your driving question and then, drawing on the skills and concepts you developed from HWM 705, 710, 720, 730, and 780, describe your results. Analyze your assessment data and provide a summary that includes:
- Participant response rate
- Descriptive statistics (e.g., percentages, frequencies)
- Your interpretation of the data (e.g., What themes emerged from the data? What do your findings mean?)
- Your suggestions for next steps/initiatives based on assessment findings and supported by and grounded in best- and promising-practices research.
Keep In Mind
Though this strategy was used for a capstone project, it could be easily modified for any course-culminating project. Use the prompts to help students see where they have already completed similar work during the course.