COMM 489, Communication Capstone

Instructor: Ross Collins, associate professor of communication, North Dakota State University, Fargo

Notes based on Producing the Capstone Project by Sharon L. Bender

What is a capstone?

• A capstone project gives you the opportunity to show what you have learned in your classes by applying it to a real-world situation. (p. 1)

What does it include?

• It should include a literature review, or background and history of your project. This gives you an opportunity to show what you know about your disclipline, how others have applied it to your project, and how you might apply it to your project. (pp 2-3). Also, see below.

How do I choose a project?

• You certainly need to choose something you're interested in, but beyond that, consider (pp 4-5):

Your ability to do what you're proposing. For example, don't propose an elaborate web site if you know nothing about web site production.

Your ability to gather the necessary resources in time. For example, you might want to evaluate French naval communication patterns, but can you do by the end of the semester?

Your ability to work with others involved in the project. For example, if your workplace manager is always on the road, you'll have a hard time catching his input for your advertising campaign.

What should be part of my project report?

• The text indicates you need these elements:

Title;

Description;

Rationale;

Objectives;

Procedures;

Research;

Evaluation. (pp. 5-6)

Note that you don't necessarily need outcome or results. This project is a plan; it may be possible to carry out your plan by the end of the semester, or it may not be. But your grade is not based on the ability to actually execute your plan, as you can't be in control of others (employers, co-workers, boards of directors, accountants, etc.) who control your timeline.

What documents do I need to prepare to help me plan my capstone?

• The text indicates these (pp 8-11):

Project statement;

Risk analysis;

Prototype;

Project proposal;

Tracking;

Status report;

Final project report.

For this class, you don't necessarily need to include all parts, although you may work through them if they would be helpful for you to organize the project. A risk assessment, for example, would give you a good opportunity to think through problems you may have finishing your project. That might cause you to proceed differently, or even to choose another project.

What I do need from this list is, obviously, the project statement and description (only a half page or so), the project proposal (this could be five or so pages to whatever it takes), a status report sometime during the semester and, of course, the final project report along with the self-assessment form. I also would like to see a timeline (pp. 14-15) to help persuade me that you will not procrastinate! Deadlines for these pieces of your capstone will be indicated on the class announcements page.

Read your text for details on how to develop the material above.

Go back to class resources.