Twelve students at the International College of the Cayman Islands (ICCI) have completed a course called the Capstone Project.

Six students at ICCI presented their work Tuesday (10 December) and the other 6 did so Thursday (12 December) night.

The course facilitator, Will Doran, said, “At the centre of it is this joie de vivre, this love of life. People need to be happy. Everybody strives for the same thing. We all want to be happy. And people are prepared to work hard to be happy.”

The Capstone Project

This September, ICCI launched its new Capstone Project for students who are nearing graduation.  This provided students in the Bachelors’ and Masters’ programmes with an alternative to the Comprehensive exam. Prior to the introduction of the Capstone Project, students were required to pass the Comprehensive exam to earn a Bachelors or Masters degrees.

The Capstone Project is an option commonly offered at top notch colleges and universities in the US, such as Harvard, Duke and Brown universities.

The Capstone Project provides students with an opportunity to apply everything they have learned over the course of their degree program into one tangible project.  Ms. Christine Smith, Head of Academic Affairs, states: “This gives students the opportunity to expand their knowledge beyond what was learned in their classes and apply it to real-world scenarios within their future careers. The International College is excited to offer students this unique opportunity.”

ICCI Adjunct Faculty Member, William Doran, developed the syllabus for the Capstone Project and will be facilitating the Capstone course in the Fall for undergraduate students. The Instructor says:  “This course is designed to showcase and celebrate the learning of our students. I want our students to be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with any student anywhere in the world and be able to talk with pride about the amount of effort, work, research and understanding that went into this degree.”

The Capstone Project was held over 11 weeks, beginning September 30, 2013 – December 12th, 2013.  The project was comprised of four phases:

Conception consultation and Projection Contract

Research, reflection and creation

Presentation of work, assessment, evaluation and development

Final submission of completed work, Presentation and Lecture

In brief summary:

Conception consultation and Projection Contract  During the first phase, the student selected a project and the creation of a research plan takes place. Topics for projects were based on the academic experience and interest of the student.  These ideas were agreed on by the ICCI faculty.

Research, reflection and creation  This was followed by the second phase in which the student was expected to research his/her topic of interest and demonstrate clear understanding of his/her selected topic. This was done by submitting a summary of the most recent and valid work in that particular field.

Presentation of work, assessment, evaluation and development   The third phase included the student’s showcasing of the academic methods and discipline they had acquired during their studies at ICCI by submitting a first and second draft of their written work. This demonstrated the student’s ability to assess, evaluate, adapt and develop ideas, thereby enabling the student to prove their knowledge and understanding of their field of study.

Final submission of completed work, Presentation and Lecture. After successful completion of the first three phases, the final phase, phase four, allowed the student to exhibit their knowledge of their chosen topic through a final oral presentation to an audience of peers, faculty and invited guests.  The final grade was then decided upon by faculty.

ICCI College President for the 2012 academic year, Dr. Tasha Ebanks Garcia, states:  “As well as enabling students to link what they have learned at college with what they will eventually do as a career, the Capstone Project will also encourage students to pre-define what area of their chosen field they are truly interested in and have a passion for.”  Dr. Ebanks Garcia goes on to say, “This further increases the likelihood that they will eventually do what they love.  As educators, this is something we can be most proud of.”

For more on the Capstone project go to:

http://internationalcollegeofthecaymanislands.wordpress.com/2013/09/19/the-capstone-project/