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Capstone Project

Module description

This skills-based capstone course brings together the knowledge and skills acquired during your study to give you a unique perspective on how the fields of energy, infrastructure and environment intersect to provide you with the skills to identify, analyse and solve the major challenges in contemporary problems around these fields. This module focuses on the consolidation of the knowledge you have gained and how we can utilise this and apply your skills in ‘real world’ contexts. As an alternative to a dissertation, it allows you to craft your final project in ways that allow you to develop your career (by, for example, writing an NGO or charity funding report), hone your specific skills (for example by curating a relevant exhibition), or produce creative outputs (for example a film, play or works of art).

Module aims - intentions of the module

This capstone course is designed to foster your growth and development by bringing together the key concepts, skills, and insights you have acquired throughout your academic journey. The primary aims and intentions of this exercise include:

• Integration: The capstone course encourages you to synthesize and apply your knowledge from various courses and disciplines, showcasing your ability to think holistically and critically.
• Mastery: By working on comprehensive projects, you demonstrate your proficiency in your chosen field, solidifying your understanding of the subject matter and illustrating your competence.
• Problem-solving: You are challenged to address complex, real-world issues, showcasing your capacity to analyze, troubleshoot, and devise innovative solutions.
• Communication: Effective oral and written communication is paramount in any professional setting. A capstone course places emphasis on your ability to articulate your ideas, findings, and recommendations clearly and persuasively.
• Collaboration: Teamwork is often an essential component of a capstone course. You learn to collaborate effectively, drawing on the diverse strengths and perspectives of your peers to achieve a common goal.
• Professional development: The capstone course prepares you for your future careers by equipping you with the practical skills and experience that employers value, such as project management, research, and critical thinking.
• Portfolio building: The completed capstone project serves as a tangible representation of your academic accomplishments, providing a valuable addition to your portfolio for potential employers or graduate programs.

In essence, a capstone course aims to facilitate your transition from your academic pursuits to your professional careers by challenging you to integrate, apply, and demonstrate their knowledge and skills in a meaningful and practical context.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Demonstrate clear knowledge of contemporary issues concerning environmental problems
• 2. Critically apply knowledge of the theories and empirical research on specific case studies to real-world problems.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 3. Acquire familiarity with and mastery of broad transdisciplinary approaches to the study of ecological issues
• 4. Exercise critical judgment on ongoing policy and political struggles over environmental issues

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. Develop and conduct independent research, critical judgement, and write clearly and persuasively
• 6. Develop presentation abilities and the judgement to identify spurious arguments in contemporary politics.

Syllabus plan

While the content of this module is crafted to your own areas of interest, the broader outlines of the Capstone are envisaged as covering some or all of the following topics:

• Introductory seminars in Term 2, providing an overview of the purpose, objectives, and expectations of the capstone course, including refining project ideas and defining scope.
• Guidance and feedback sessions in Term 3 with experts, providing real-world perspectives on the capstone projects.
• Showcase sessions to peers and invited guests.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certifi cated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee,you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for are-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were yourfi rst attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a fi nal overall module mark of less than 50%) you will berequired to redo the assessment(s) as defi ned above. If you are successful on referral, your overall modulemark will be capped at 50%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Each project will be different, and you will develop your own bibliography of primary and secondary texts, with advice from an academic supervisor. Since the module comprises mostly independent study, it is up to you to seek out secondary or archival material in the course of your research. Supervisors will guide, and strongly encourage the research process, which may include online journals, audio-visual material, artefacts from Special Collections etc. You will also be encouraged to consult your project partner about resources they may know of that will be useful for your project.

Key words search

Capstone project; creative project; collaboration; energy/infrastructure and environment