Capstone Branch

Description

You will have to submit biweekly progress updates via canvas (Fridays at 11:59pm) until Week 12. 

Purpose

The goal of these updates are two-fold: 1) to create a routine of thinking about your project at least once a week and 2) establish consistent communication with instructors about where you are at with your project so that we may offer support or feedback throughout the progress rather than at the end of the project. 

Format 

You can think of these updates as brief memos or journal entries about your progress. They do not need to be perfectly polished and can simply be bullet points to the questions -- we just want to make sure you are consistently checking in with yourself about the project. Some weeks will have specific questions and prompts for you to consider but, unless otherwise noted, your updates should address the following questions:

1. What work did you complete for your project this week? OR How are you feeling about your project this week? 

   1. • This can include big and small tasks like scheduling a time to meet to discuss the project with your group, brainstorming a part of your project, or doing preliminary research about your topic to see what has already been done. There might also be weeks were you might not be able to work on your project, you can use these weekly updates as a place to reflect on what made it difficult to get to your project and how you can get to it next week. You can also share any feelings around the project that came up for you such as excitement, overwhelm, frustration, anxiety, determination, enthusiasm, pride, or confidence. 

2. Did you face any challenges? How do you plan to overcome them? 

   1. • You can reflect on individual, interpersonal, academic, or logistical challenges. Perhaps you want to try making a website but are overwhelmed with where to start (we can connect you with specialists at the Yale Digital Humanities Lab). Or maybe there was a misunderstanding in the group that led to certain tasks not being completed (we can mediate a conversation about agreed expectations or readjusting capacity). It is helpful to identify obstacles early on so that we can offer guidance and so that you can implement potential plans to overcome them. 

3. Were there any new or exciting revelations? 

   1. • Although there may be challenges we also want to celebrate any wins. Is there progress that you are excited about or did you have an idea that you are particularly proud about? We want to hear it!

4. What is your plan for next week? 

   1. • It's helpful to establish concrete and feasible goals for yourself and your group to make sure you are setting tangible deliverables you can work on. We ask that you think of a few tasks or goals you plan to work on for the following week that you can also reflect on at the end of the week via the weekly update. 

5. How can we support you?

   1. • The weekly updates will help us determine if there are components of the project we need to offer more clarity or support on. But you can also more specifically outline specific parts of your project you are struggling with that you would like feedback on within your weekly updates. 

Evaluation 

You will receive a "Complete" or "Incomplete" for these assignments. 

Description

In Week 3, you will pitch an idea for a project you are interested in pursuing. This will be an oral presentation of 2-3 minutes maximum that you will share in-person during class time. 

In addition, you will be asked to submit an accompanying word document via canvas by September 9, 2025 at 11:59pm that briefly outlines (bullets points are okay) what you will be sharing in-person during class. This can be the script of your pitch or bullet points of what you plan to say with the option of including links to texts, videos, or other sources that you are drawing inspiration from if applicable. The word document version will be compiled in a folder that will be shared with the rest of the class so that peers can offer preliminary feedback prior to class. To receive full credit for this assignment you must:

1. Present your pitch in class during Week 3 

2. Submit the word document of your oral proposal 

3. Offer feedback to one other peer in written or verbal form

Purpose

The purpose of an early pitch is to start gathering a vague idea of certain topics students are interested in pursuing. This will help us form final groups around shared interests for the capstone early in the semester. If there are too many distinct ideas we can work on finding similarities across them to establish groups or if there are too many similar ideas we can focus on the specificity of each proposal to determine different groups. Perhaps everyone in class wants to explore the theme of memory but there are some that want to specifically explore lesson planning via oral histories while others are interested in a specific historical event. Sharing our initial interests and ideas will help us identify other peers we can work with to develop a larger project. 

Format 

You will be sharing your pitch in a roundtable format, meaning we will go in a circle sharing our preliminary ideas. There won't be a need for slides but we ask that your oral proposal or pitch address the following questions and tasks: 

1. Identify the course unit you are most interested in 

2. Succinctly name what you will be focusing on and why

3. Describe the format your project might take and how you might accomplish it 

4. Explain the purpose of your project and its significance

Your accompanying word document should cover these four questions as well, whether it is in narrative form or in bullet points. 

Evaluation 

You will receive a "Complete" or "Incomplete" for this assignment. 

Description

Having finalized your groups and accountability plans, together you will submit a 5-10 double-spaced page written project proposal by September 26, 2025 at 11:59pm. 

The proposal should include a case study, project description, timeline, and revised plan for labor distribution. You will also have the option to resubmit portions of the proposal to incorporate feedback if necessary, primarily the timeline and plan for labor distribution. Because you will submit a self-assessment for your final project, we also ask that you delineate a rubric that includes key steps, components, and deliverables that you will use to assess yourself as a group and individually. 

Format

In your proposal, you must identify and analyze an existing example of a digital project we have covered in class or that you have found outside of the course in which you can draw inspiration from for your final project. You must outline the key components of your selected example, identify what you think the project does well and where it might be improved, and begin brainstorming how you might incorporate these lessons into your final project. You can find a list of possible examples here: https://www.teachingcentralamerica.org/resources. 

In the project description, you must outline the topic of your project, key course concepts you plan to engage with, preliminary literature review on the topic, the significance of your contribution, and a plan for the pedagogical component. 

Finally, you will create a timeline to complete your project that identifies which members of the team will be working on what and why as well as which components the whole group will work on together. 

Evaluation 

You will receive a "Strong," "Satisfactory," or "Revise" for this assignment. If you receive a "Satisfactory" or "Revise" you will have two weeks to resubmit. 

Description

As a group, you will submit a draft of the capstone project you plan to present at the end of the class. The draft should include the actual capstone project in whatever stage it is at (a working webpage, snippets of a podcast, etc.) with a 2-4 double-spaced page outlining what is left to complete, your plan for completing it, challenges you’ve faced, and any particular areas of focus you would like feedback on. We hope to have community partners join us this week so we ask that you submit your draft by October 27, 2025 at 11:59pm to give them enough time to offer feedback.

Evaluation 

You will receive a "Complete" or "Incomplete" for this assignment. 

Description

On December 4, 2025, groups will spend 10-15 minutes each presenting their final projects. We hope to invite community partners for these final presentations. 

Format 

Your presentations can take whatever format you feel best represents your project. You can use powerpoint slides or present the final product itself and walk us through it. However, you must address these four components:

1. What: summarize what your project is about and its crucial components.  

2. Why: explain the significance and purpose of your project. 

3. How: describe how you conceptualized and completed your project. 

4. Functionality: show us how your project will be used beyond the scope of this course. 

Evaluation 

You will receive a "Complete" or "Incomplete" for this assignment. 

Description

You will also submit an individual self-assessment where you will reflect on your specific role in the completion of the final capstone project in 2-4 double-spaced pages. Similarly, you must assign yourself an evaluation of “strong" or “satisfactory" and thoroughly explain why by providing evidence on your competency, excellence, growth, and risk-taking in the completion of this assignment. You must submit this assessment via canvas by December 11, 2025 at 11:59pm. 

Criteria

Much like the group self-assessment, your individual assessment should be structured around these four criteria but with a sole focus on your particular contributions: 

Competency

• Describes one’s ability to successfully and efficiently accomplish a task. Create a narrative that describes and demonstrates your group’s competency in completing this assignment. Make sure to incorporate evidence from your own experience as a group. Here are some key questions to consider:

  • • • 1. Did you complete all the tasks required for this assignment in a timely manner and within the specifications outlined for each task?

        2. What skills did you implement to complete this assignment? 

        3. How did you prepare to successfully complete this assignment?

Growth 

• Growth describes a process of transformation with a focus on improvement. Create a narrative that describes and demonstrates your group’s growth from beginning to end in completing this assignment. Make sure to incorporate evidence from your own experience as a group. Here are some questions to consider:

  • • 1. 1. What were your areas of improvement? How did you know you improved? How did you achieve that improvement? 

         2. Did you meet your personal goals for this assignment? 

         3. When faced with obstacles, how did you overcome them? 

         4. How well did you incorporate feedback?

         5. What new skills did you develop? 

         6. What did you learn about yourself throughout this process? 

Risk-Taking 

• Risks are typically seen as reckless and dangerous. However, risks also demonstrate bravery and offer an opportunity to push oneself or grow from a mistake. Create a narrative that describes and demonstrates your group’s risk-taking in completing this assignment. Make sure to incorporate evidence from your own experience as a group. 

  • • • 1. Was there something you were afraid to try but did it anyway? Why were you afraid of this and how did it feel to do it? 

        2. What is your comfort zone and did you step out of it? 

        3. Did you seek out ways to challenge yourself? 

Excellence

• Excellence speaks to effort and quality. Create a narrative that describes and demonstrates your group’s excellence  in completing this assignment. Make sure to incorporate evidence from your own experience as a group. Here are some questions to consider:

  • • 1. 1. Were your ideas creative and ambitious? How well were you able to implement them?

         2. Did you conduct any additional research to complete the assignment? 

         3. Was your effort consistent throughout the process?

Format 

We suggest concise and straightforward language when developing your narrative. For example:

Our co-facilitation as a whole demonstrates our performance was "strong" in each of the four categories. Below you will find more detailed descriptions and evidence for each:

• Competency: Narrative paragraph(s) demonstrating competency 

• Growth: Narrative paragraph(s) demonstrating growth

• Risk-Taking: Narrative paragraph(s) demonstrating risk-taking

• Excellence: Narrative paragraph(s) demonstrating excellence

Evaluation 

You will assign yourself a "Strong," or "Satisfactory" for this assignment. 

• A "strong" will demonstrate stellar performance and evidence in all four categories of competency, growth, risk-taking, and excellence. 

• A "satisfactory" will only complete the competency and growth categories. 

We will accept your assessment if there is enough evidence and a clear narrative justifying your self-evaluation. If we disagree with your evaluation, we will ask for more evidence or supplement with our own feedback if additional evidence cannot be provided.