COURSE SYLLABUS – APPROVED FORMAT
General Information
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College of Arts and Letter, Department of Modern Languages
LAN 450C Capstone Seminar
Spring semester
3 credit hours
Office and office hours t. b. a. The course will be team-taught by a primary instructor, responsible
for class organization and supervision of the work done in English and in one target language (FRE
or GER), and by a secondary instructor who serves as target-language advisor in the other language.
Course prerequisites
FRE 303W, FRE 304W, GER 304W or GER 350W
Course description
LAN 450C is the capstone course for the revised BA in Modern Languages (under review as of the completion of this
syllabus). Students in the LAN Capstone class are required to pursue a project in their target-language that
methodologically builds on their field of study such as literature, language, film, linguistics, or culture studies, and also
integrates expertise from their other majors or minors and professional interests. In addition, the project will address the
three program learning outcomes for the BA Modern Languages. Students will choose their individual project in
consultation with the instructor of the course and their target-language advisor. Projects will require research, a written
presentation in the form of an academic paper in the target-language, and a public oral presentation in English. The
capstone seminar focuses on research along with target-language reading and writing proficiencies.
Student Learning Expectations/Outcomes for this Course
As a capstone experience, this course requires you to demonstrate understanding of core concepts within the Modern
Lanyuages degree in your subplan language of either French or German. Additionally, students will demonstrate advanced
research skills. They will demonstrate that they can identify, understand, analyse, and critically apply knowledge gained
from various sources to a new project. Students’ projects will directly address all program learning outcomes for the BA
Modern Languages:
1. Understand the cultural, political and artistic interconnectedness of the cultures of the target-language-speaking
populations on a global scale and demonstrate transcultural and translingual competence.
2. Analyze the socio-historical context, language, themes, and structure of literary, visual, and cultural texts of the
target language and reflect upon the nature and consequences of diversity and on how it is represented in these
texts.
3. Recognize, investigate, and produce target-language written or oral discourse communicating findings about
historical, environmental, ethnic, and other related contemporary issues important to life in the target-languagespeaking countries.
Liberal studies essential skills: critical thinking and effective writing
Course structure/approach
The course will be divided into three phases. I. During Phase One, students identify and refine a research topic. They also
present the topic, their methodology, and their main resources to the other members of the class for peer feedback. In
addition, students reflect on the meaning of their project for their future academic or professional career. II. During Phase
Two, students conduct their research under the guidance of the capstone instructor and their target-language advisor.
Students present drafts of their work on a bi-weekly basis. III. During Phase Three, students prepare the written paper in
the target language and present their project in a public forum in English.
Textbook and required materials
Revised 04/22/03
Reading materials and other resources will depend on the student’s target language and topic of the research paper.
Students will develop an annotated bibliography in consultation with the instructor and/or target-language advisor.
Revised 04/22/03
Course outline
Phase I
The primary instructor will be joined by the target-language advisor from the other language. Together they will
introduce students to the principles of the capstone course and facilitate student reflection on developing their
individual research projects.
Week 1
Introduction to the course.
Week 2
Students present a research proposal to the class. It will address the following questions:
How did the project grow out of the student’s previous course work? How did their study abroad experience
shape the topic? In what way does the project address the program learning outcomes? How will this project
relate to the student’s future career? How will the student pursue the project (resources, timeline)?
Students receive feedback from the class and the two instructors.
Week 3
Students submit a 3-page written proposal for their project. It will include an annotated bibliography of the main
resources.
Phase II
Students work on their projects. Students meet with the instructor and target-language advisor individually, as
needed but at least bi-weekly. Students meet with their target-language peer group for a discussion of their
progress.
Weeks 4-10
Phase III
Students present their project in two forms and two languages: In written form in their target-language of study
and as an oral presentation at a public symposium in English.
Week 11
Draft 1 of written paper due. Peer review within target-language groups.
Weeks 12-14
Public presentation of research project: at undergraduate research symposium or at departmental symposium/end
of year reception. Lower division students and new majors and minors attend presentations and receive extra
credit in their courses for attending. 300-level students integrate the presentation topic into a review essay of the
symposium.
Week 13
Final draft of written paper due.
Week 14
Week 15
Class meets to discuss research projects and presentations. Students prepare a 3-page reflective essay on their
course of study and the capstone experience.
Finals Week
Student Portfolio due at the end of the final exam time for the course. The portfolio will include:
The research project proposal (in English), a working journal of their project’s progress (in target language), the
main research paper (in target language), including peer review feedback, and the reflective essay on the capstone
project (in English).
Revised 04/22/03
Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes
a. Methods of Assessment
I. Students will prepare several short written assignments and a longer research paper that demonstrates their advancedlevel writing skills in the target language. Students will demonstrate through their written work that they have acquired the
skills and abilities assessed through rubrics I and II. In addition, the public oral presentation will be assessed using the
rubrics III. (see below)
b. Timeline for Assessment
Week 2
Week 3
Weeks 11 + 13
Weeks 12 – 14
Week 15
Finals Week
Oral in-class presentation of research proposal (in English)
Written research proposal (in English)
Research paper (in 2 drafts) (in target language)
Public presentation of research (in English)
Working journal (in target language), reflective essay
Portfolio
c. Grading System
Attendance and Participation
Research proposal
Research paper
Public presentation
Working journal
Reflective essay
10%
10%
45% (incl. 5% for first draft, 5% for peer review of other student’s paper)
15%
10%
10%
Total
100%
d. Grading Scale
90-100%
80-89%
70-79%
60-69%
below 60%
A
B
C
D
F
Course policy: Attendance is mandatory and missed classes or meetings will result in a lower participation
grade.
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Revised 04/22/03
INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD
Any study involving observation of or interaction with human subjects that originates at NAU—including a course project, report, or
research paper—must be reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for the protection of human subjects in
research and research-related activities.
The IRB meets monthly. Proposals must be submitted for review at least fifteen working days before the monthly meeting. You
should consult with your course instructor early in the course to ascertain if your project needs to be reviewed by the IRB and/or to
secure information or appropriate forms and procedures for the IRB review. Your instructor and department chair or college dean
must sign the application for approval by the IRB. The IRB categorizes projects into three levels depending on the nature of the
project: exempt from further review, expedited review, or full board review. If the IRB certifies that a project is exempt from further
review, you need not resubmit the project for continuing IRB review as long as there are no modifications in the exempted procedures.
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office or on their website: http://www.research.nau.edu/vpr/IRB/index.htm. If you have questions, contact the IRB Coordinator in the
Office of the Vice President for Research at 928-523-8288 or 523-4340.
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SENSITIVE COURSE MATERIALS
If an instructor believes it is appropriate, the syllabus should communicate to students that some course content may be considered
sensitive by some students.
“University education aims to expand student understanding and awareness. Thus, it necessarily involves engagement with a wide
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encouraged to discuss these matters with faculty.”
Revised 04/22/03