J.6-3(c)_Capstone_Design_Training_Manual.pdf

Capstone Design

Manual

Submitted by

ECASE

The Education Consortium for the Advancement of STEM in Egypt

A USAID Funded Project

This publication was made possible through support by the U.S. Agency for International

Development. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Agency for International

Development

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Overview

Professional Development Philosophy

Capstone Design Training Preparation

Session Outline

Learning Outcomes

Overview of Sessions

Session 1: Capstone Components Overview

Session 2: Capstone Big Ideas and Essential Questions

Session 3: Capstone Challenges and Learning Outcomes

Session 4:Capstone Semester Plan, Sessions, and Assessment

Domain Competencies and Assessments

Resources for Teachers

List of acronyms

List of technical terms

Appendices ........................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

1. Capstone Design PowerPoint

2. Capstone Challenges –Semester 1 2014-2015

3. Capstone Semester Plan

4. Capstone Design Rubric

5. Capstone Learning Outcomes (EDP)

6. Capstone Exhibition Rubric

Overview

This Capstone Design training manual is for professionals experienced with Capstone leadership and implementation to design future Capstones. Capstones engage students with real-world problems and issues, such as the Egyptian Grand Challenges, while integrating the STEM Schools Curriculum learning outcomes, using the engineering design process to deliver transdisciplinary curricula.

Capstone Design results in products and processes thoughtfully prepared and driven by the STEM

Schools Guiding Principles, Egypt Grand Challenges and adheres to the related MOE Decrees.

During this training, the Design Team creates the framework, which includes the Capstone Big Idea, Capstone Essential Question and the Capstone Challenge based on the Egyptian Grand Challenges, learning outcomes and local needs. The Design Team then creates and/or reviews an assessment system of formative and summative assessments along with intervention and enrichment experiences to ensure that all students master the learning outcomes. Assessment tools include rubrics that school leadership shares with the students so the measures of evaluation are clearly communicated and understood.

The design team prepares the learning plan including engaging experiences sequenced appropriately based on the engineering design process, interaction with professionals, and off-site experiences to achieve the high level of rigorous and relevant content and processes.

Students’ products that result from this plan will include Personal Journal reflections, Portfolios, Prototypes and Posters, prepared for a professional exhibition and evaluation. See Figure 1 for an example flow chart.

Professional Development Philosophy

Training is focused on producing the Capstone Design products. Central STEM Unit members with

Capstone leadership and implementation experiences, will learn how to design Capstones.

Beginning with the end in mind, student demonstration of mastery of the learning outcomes, through an Exhibition, including portfolios, prototypes, and posters, STEM Unit members begin the

Capstone Design process. They experience the design process while designing a Capstone building on previous knowledge and skills. Participants learn from prior Capstones and develop new

Capstones or improve existing Capstones.

Capstone Design Training Preparation

A prominent feature of the integrated STEM curriculum is semester-long Capstone projects that focus on one or more of Egypt’s 10 Grand Challenges. These Capstone projects, which draw the curriculum components together to solve real problems, have unleashed students’ creative energies and intelligence. Scores of university faculty in Cairo have judged Capstone projects and been impressed with their scientific sophistication. Several Capstone projects, such as using nanotechnology for water desalination, have already resulted in international awards.

The Capstone project give students the opportunity to rigorously apply and integrate learning outcomes from across their curriculum to real, Egyptian challenges while learning the discipline of the engineering design process. Students work in small teams and choose their own specific problems to tackle within a capstone challenge formulated by the STEM Unit members to address an Egyptian Grand Challenge. Students follow the engineering design process to identify prior solutions, determine design requirements for success, select a solution to pursue, and then decide on a prototype to build and test related to their chosen solution. Students participate in formative assessments throughout the semester for feedback, and they are evaluated at the end of the semester as a team on a poster presentation, their prototype and their capstone portfolio documentation according to rubrics.

Fab Lab is a creative, hands-on fabrication laboratory resource to be utilized by any subject in the school, including capstones. Fab Labs like those at the schools are also found all over the world in schools and communities serving a variety of purposes with access to digital fabrication. Several fabrication tools are available to the students, all connected to computers to allow digital design to become physical creation for expression and problem solving.

In this Capstone Design training, the participants will be able to describe the purpose and framework of Capstone Design and they will be able to work collaboratively with others to design

Capstones.

The trainer will lecture briefly at the beginning of the session to introduce the day and the overview of Capstones and quickly move to Capstone Design process. The trainer becomes the facilitator of the several small activities, guiding the teams to reference documents and priorities for each activity and leading the reflections throughout. Ability to facilitate an active room of leaders is critical. The trainer must be able to stop the progress of the room and shift to facilitating discussion and then to leading the teams into new activities.

The trainer will be responsible for recording recommendations and conclusions.

Session Outline

Capstone Design

Session 1 – Capstone Components Overview

Session 2 – Capstone Big Ideas and Essential Questions

Session 3 – Capstone Challenges and Learning Outcomes

Session 4 – Capstone Semester Plan, Sessions, and Assessment

A room is needed for a combination of lecture and small group activity. The room and must be equipped for projecting a presentation.

Materials needed include laptop, projector, screen, chart paper, markers, tape, access to grade level

STEM Curriculum Themes and learning outcomes, notebook paper, table for sign-in, camera for photographing attendees, and handouts.

Handouts include:

● Capstone Design PowerPoint

● Capstone Semester Plan Example

● Capstone Challenges Semester 1 2014-2015

● Capstone Design Rubric

● Capstone Learning Outcomes (EDP)

● Capstone Exhibition Rubric

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the Capstone Design Training, participants will be able to:

Describe the Capstone components and relationships

Develop and/or update engaging Capstone Big Ideas

Develop Essential Questions for Capstone Big Ideas

Design Capstone Challenges that define a problem or issue connected to the Big Idea and frames the Essential Question

Develop and/or refine Capstone Semester Plans implementing on the engineering design process

Update the Capstone Session guidelines for teachers

Communicate connections between the Capstone Exhibition Rubric and learning outcomes

Overview of Sessions

Session 1: Capstone Design - Capstone Components Overview

This session begin the Capstone design process through review and reflection of current components, including a critical review of the processes and products.

Summary: This is designed to be a participant’s first experience with designing Capstones.

Session 2: Capstone Design - Capstone Big Ideas and Essential Questions

Following the reflection on current Capstone Design processes and products, participants move directly in to Capstone Design beginning with the Big Ideas and closing the session with writing related Essential Questions.

Summary: Participants move into Capstone Design.

Session 3: Capstone Design - Capstone Challenges and Learning Outcomes

Working in Grade Level Teams, participants continue developing the Capstone components, moving into the Capstone Challenges and clearly identifying related outcomes.

Summary: Using small groups and large group, the participants develop, reflect and revise Capstone components, specifically Capstone Challenges in this session.

Session 4: Capstone Design - Capstone Semester Plan, Sessions, and Assessment

In this session, participants move into the Capstone components that require review and revision.

Each semester as part of the Capstone Design, revisiting the design components that support implementation is an important process. Regular review and update keep material relevant and useful

Summary: Participants review and revise components that impact the Capstone Implementation.

Session 1: Capstone Components Overview and Capstone Big Ideas

Learning Outcome: Describe the Capstone components and relationships

Room Arrangement: Participants should be grouped at tables so that there are a variety of disciplines represented at each table.

Instructor Needs:

Presentation

Handouts

NOTE TO FACILITATORS: In the procedures/Trainer Instructions below, anything in bold italic type is a suggested script to be read. Things in regular type are directions, explanations or suggestions.

Directions:

1. Slide 2: Agenda: Review training purpose and training agenda

Have participants introduce themselves, state their current school role and what they hope to leave with by the end of the training (10 min)

2. Slide 3: Highlight the agenda for Session #1 and the length is 90 min

3. Slide 4: Ask the Participants to read the slide. Facilitate a discussion about the participants’ experiences with Capstones that agree with the slide (10 min)

4. Slide 5: This graphic displays the complexity of implementing the Capstone. Give the participants

2 min to review the slide and then ask them; What information in this graphic is new to you?

(10 min total)

5. Slide 6: This graphic displays the process that we will follow during this training to develop a

Capstone. Note the steps and many products designed for a Capstone (5 min)

6. Slide 7: Engineering Design Process Explain that the engineering design process (EDP) is a process that is used worldwide for solving problems. You will see many variations on the specific steps, but the essentials are the same. Capstone learning outcomes are the engineering design process elements. Capstones are designed for students need to apply the engineering design process. Indicate that an important goal is to get students proficient at this process so they can apply it to any problem or challenge they face. (5 min)

7. Slide 8: This slide lists the products resulting from the Capstone Design process. The same products the participants will develop and/or review during this training. The participants have experiences using these products.

Have the participants respond individually in writing for each question (5 min)

Facilitate a discussion with participants about their ideas of what is working well and what can be improved (15 min)

Record ideas to keep for review during the Capstone Design

8. Slides 9: Participants will need the Grade 1 Semester 1 Capstone Challenge from the prior year and the Capstone Design Rubric for this activity. Use Think-Pair-Share strategy with the participants to process the questions on the slide.

Think -individually about a response to the two prompts and write it down. (10 min total for 2 questions)

Pair - Share responses with a partner. This enables them to articulate, broaden, refine and compare their thinking with another student. (10 min)

Share - Facilitator leads a large group discussion in which participants share their ideas with the large group. Discuss any different responses to identify thinking. (10 min)

9. Slide 10-11: Break and Session #2 Agenda

Session 2: Capstone Design – Capstone Big Ideas and Essential Questions 90 Minutes

Learning Outcome: Develop and/or update engaging Capstone Big Idea and develop Essential

Questions for Capstone Big Ideas

Room Arrangement: Participants should be grouped at tables.

Instructor Needs:

Presentation materials (computer, projector, screen)

Handouts

NOTE TO FACILITATORS: In the procedures/Trainer Instructions below, anything in bold italic type is a suggested script to be read. Things in regular type are directions, explanations or suggestions.

Directions:

10. Slide 12, 13, 14: Capstone Big Idea==Beginning the Capstone Design process

Slide 12: Note the inputs to the Capstone Big Idea—Participants need access to all 3 and examples of previous Capstone Big Ideas

Slide 13: Highlight the importance of designing grade level appropriate Capstones as described on the Slide (10 min)

Slide 14: Form Grade Level Teams to work together during the training to develop

Capstones (participants need Egyptian Grand Challenges, STEM Curriculum Themes and

Learning outcomes and prior Capstone Big Ideas) o Grade Level Teams draft 2-3 Big Ideas using the inputs listed on the slide (20 min)

11. Slide 15: Facilitate Large Group Share Out: Each grade level team shares their draft Big Ideas and asks for feedback from the other participants (10 min/team, 30 min total)

12. Slide 16: Participants return to grade level teams to revise Big Ideas based on feedback.

Using the revised Big Ideas, each Grade level Team develop 1 Essential question for each

Big Idea

Using the Capstone Design Rubric, each Grade Level Team Selects one Big Idea and its

Essential Question for further development (30 min)

13. Slides 17-18: Break and Session #3 Agenda

Session 3: Capstone Design – Capstone Challenges and Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcome: Design Capstone Challenges that define a problem or issue connected to the Big

Idea and frames the Essential Question

Room Arrangement: Teachers in groups.

14. Slide 19: Review Slide 6— Use the diagram to show progress in the Capstone Design Process

Have the participants read Slide 19 and review previous Design Challenges

Ask Grade level teams to develop a Capstone Challenge for the Big Idea and Essential Questions selected using the Capstone Challenge Criteria listed on the slide (30 min)

15. Slide 20: Facilitate the two activities described on Slide 19. Have the Grade Level Teams do the following:

Large Group

Report to large group their draft Design Challenges and gather feedback (10min/team, 30 min total)

Grade level teams Refine Design Challenges based on large group feedback

Identify related discipline learning outcomes from the STEM Curriculum

Use the Capstone Design Rubric to decide if the Capstone Challenge connects to learning outcomes and meets rubric criteria (30 min)

16. Slide 21-22: Break and Session #4 Agenda

Session 4: Capstone Design – Capstone Semester

Plan, Sessions, and Assessment

Learning Outcome: Develop and/or refine Capstone Semester Plans implementing on the engineering design process; update the Capstone Session guidelines for teachers; communicate connections between the Capstone Exhibition Rubric and learning outcomes

Room Arrangement: Teachers in groups.

17. Slide 23-24: Slides 23 and 24 use two different formats to display the Capstone Semester Plan. Read Slide 23 to the participants and then move to slide 24. (5 min)

18. Slide 25: Review how the basic capstone semester schedule is aligned to the Engineering

Design Process (EDP). Participant will use prior examples of Capstone Semester Plan to do the following

Review the prior plan

Develop a Capstone Semester Plan that includes improvements discussed and meets

Current Capstone and Calendar needs (15 min)

19. Slide 26: Capstone Session Guidelines – Review the slide with the participants and note the importance of the teachers following the Teacher Workbooks developed for each grade.

20. Slide 27: Participants will use the Capstone Exhibition Rubric and Capstone learning Outcomes for the activities

Review and discuss the rubrics and learning outcomes note the alignment note the importance of students following the rubrics

21. Slide 28: Grade Level Teams use Capstone Rubric to rate their Capstone Make adjustments to Capstone as needed (10 min)

22. Slide 29: Explain that the Graphic shows student Capstone Implementation—following the engineering design process

23. Slide 30: Ask for Questions. Also have the participants respond to a feedback survey about the training. Thank you!

Domain Competencies and Assessments

Answer a subset of the following questions (perhaps as an exit ticket exercise)

1. What are the strengths of the current Capstones? What are the areas that need improvement? What are your recommendations?

2. How is Capstone Design similar to the UbD process used? How is it different?

3. Why is it important to consider all grade level learning outcomes when designing a Capstone?

4. What are the relationships of the Capstone Components?

5. Why is implementation planning important for Capstones?

Resources for Teachers

List of acronyms

EDP = Engineering Design Process

List of technical terms

Big Idea = “A big idea … should be the focus of education for understanding. [It] is a concept, theme, or issue that gives meaning and connection to discrete facts and skills. Here are some examples:

adaptation; how form and function are related in systems; the distributive property in mathematics… . In an education for understanding, a vital challenge is to highlight the big ideas, show how they prioritize the learning, and help students understand their value for making sense of all the ‘stuff’ of content (Wiggins and McTighe, p. 5). As used in the STEM School Integrated

Curriculum it is one or two sentences describing the focus or purpose of a course.

Capstone = a course in which groups of students develop a transdisciplinary project that is related to a Grand Challenge of Egypt, relates to the theme of the semester, applies multiple concepts and skills learned in other course that semester and is assessed by an outside panel of evaluators. The

Capstone course requires students to write journals, produce a portfolio, a prototype of their solution to a problem, produce a scientific poster and present their work orally.

Capstone Challenge = Defines a problem or issue that needs “engineering”. The Capstone

Challenge, through wording and constraints, help focus the Challenge around STEM discipline big ideas and learning outcomes.

Essential Questions = “Provocative [big] questions [that] will foster inquiry, understanding, and transfer of learning (Wiggins and McTighe, p. 22).” There is no single answer to an essential question.

Example:

What is art?

What threatens life?

Can things change and still be the same?

Evidence = a piece of student work or student performance that provides the teacher with insight as to how well a student is meeting the learning outcomes.

Integration = the process of drawing connections between subjects through transfer, shared outcomes, interdisciplinary (between two subjects) or transdisciplinary (across many subjects) projects, and thematic alignment.

Learning Outcomes = Statements, aligned to standards, of what we want students to learn and be able to do. Generally, there should be no more than one learning outcome per week unless outcomes are shared between subjects and/or capstone. They must be:

Observable, measureable

Achievable and grade-level

Complex enough to allow for strategic thinking

Clear to students and teachers

Themes = concepts that are so big that they can be identified in multiple instances across many different subjects. Each theme in the STEM School Integrated Curriculum, such as Systems and

Feedback, arose from an analysis of discussions in the Grand Challenge Design Studio. This Studio was a 3-day meeting of many educators who started the first stage of curriculum design by analyzing the concepts and skills that would be necessary for students to master if they were to be able to start solving the Grand Challenges of Egypt. The themes emerged through the process of analysis of all the data that was gathered in this Design Studio. These themes also happen to be congruent with other science curriculum resources, such as the US National Academy of Science’s publication:

Next Generation Science Standards.

Think, Pair, Share = Think - Classroom activity in which the teacher directs students to think individually about a response to a prompt and write it down. Pair - Students are then directed to share their responses with a partner. This enables them to articulate, broaden, refine and compare their thinking with another student. Share teacher leads a large class (grand) discussion in which students now share their ideas with the whole class.

Transfer = Application of concepts and skills from one discipline to another

Example: Apply the chemical concept of equilibrium to homeostasis in biology