Capstone Research at a Community College: A Cross-Disciplinary Model with Discipline-Specific Projects

 

Joanna R. Vondrasek

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2018, Volume 39

Abstract

Piedmont Virginia Community College has developed an award-winning curriculum model in which all students enrolled in the A.S. in Physical & Natural Science degree conduct a semester-long, faculty-mentored research project as a graduation requirement. The two-credit research course serves as a capstone project in which students design and conduct authentic scientific research. One science faculty member carries teaching credit for the course and leads combined meetings on proposal writing, data analysis, poster construction, presentation skills and abstract writing. Additional full-time science faculty mentor 1-3 students per semester in their discipline. Students present their findings at an end-of-semester poster session open to the wider college community. Since the program’s formal implementation in 2009, our students have successfully presented their findings at national meetings, collaborated with community and university partners, made new contributions to science, and transferred to 4-yr institutions as science majors. The mini workshop will lead participants in a discussion of the benefits and challenges of this model and of implementing mentored research at undergraduate institutions where faculty time, student preparation, funding and space may be limiting.

Keywords:  undergraduate research, capstone course, community college, associate\’s degree

University of Wisconsin, Madison (2017)