ABSTRACT

This chapter describes the UB capstone experience and demonstrates how its design elements map to Bronfenbrenner's socioecological framework, as suggested in the introduction. As institutions of higher education consider ways to incorporate high-impact practices into the undergraduate curriculum, the general education capstone is an underutilized option that deserves more attention. The goal of UBC 399 is creation of an integrative ePortfolio that allows students to demonstrate their learning and achievement through the first 2 years of their undergraduate course work. At the center of the model is the student, where the focus of higher education should be, and where the focus of the UB capstone experience firmly rests. The story of UB's general education capstone has implications for those who teach or direct capstones at other institutions. The UB capstone provides a powerful mechanism for the assessment of student learning.