Assessment Item G1 – Capstone Course Self-reflective Essay
Submitted as PDF to D2L dropbox by the announced deadline
Skills being assessed: Apart from the technical software engineering aspect of their
capstone experience, does the student understand how software projects in their
particular focus area are likely to affect the computing milieu of individuals and
organizations that use them? Beyond that, has the student developed a perspective
on how their learning experiences have related to our general student outcomes A-K
(see http://www.uwosh.edu/computer_science/major-minor-emphasis/objectiveslearning-outcomes)?
Program outcome to which this skill is mapped: (g) An ability to analyze the local
and global impact of computing on individuals, organizations, and society
Performance Assessment Abstract: In a carefully written essay comprising at least
2500 words, you should address the following three issues:
1. How has your capstone experience in practicum or internship contributed to
your perspective of the local and global impact of computing on individuals,
organizations and society? (Outcome G)
2. Which outcome (excluding G) do you feel best prepared for as you near
graduation?
3. Which outcome (excluding G) do you feel least prepared for as you near
graduation?
As you “allocate” the words you spend in writing this essay, about 60% of the essay
should address point 1 above, with the remainder dedicated to points 2 and 3.
Here's the approach you should take in addressing Point 1. During your capstone
experience you have been working on a large software project. Imagine that the
project is successfully completed from a technical perspective. In essay form,
discuss either:
 How the clientele for which the software is intended will use the completed
project and how that usage could more broadly affect the way in which an
organization operates. OR
 How the software you developed fits into the big picture of a broader
research area.
Include in your discussion:


In non-technical terms, a description of the particular problem your software is
designed to solve. Think of this as a synopsis that someone from outside the
area of computer science (for example, a manager, a politician, …) could read to
quickly gain an understanding of the goals of your work.
A description of how others will use the software artifact(s) that you are

working on in your capstone experience. Depending upon the nature of the
artifact, this description could focus on use-case scenarios for your artifact or on
how your artifact might fit into a broader context of related software being
developed by others. If the latter case, your description should include a
detailed discussion of how your software artifact might be leveraged by another
developer or researcher in the same area.
From a broad perspective, how is future software development in the area in
which you’ve done your capstone likely to affect individuals, organizations and
society in the coming years? Here don’t focus on your particular software
artifact but rather examine the entire area of software applications in the area
where your work has focused. Your artifact has represented one small
contribution to that area – that’s the way in which progress is made. In general,
how will such progress manifest itself in the coming decade and beyond? Before
you address this question, do some research as to what experts in this area are
predicting. Be sure to cite your research sources in the essay you write.
Here's the approach to take in addressing points 2 and 3. For each of the outcomes
that you identify do the following:


The outcomes, as we state them on our website, are intended to be broad and
general. As you've progressed toward graduation, you should have
developed your own perspective on the specifics behind that generality. So
describe in a well-written paragraph what that outcome now means to you as
you embark on your career as a “computing professional”. Make your
description specific by citing multiple examples of activities computing
professionals engage that require mastery of the outcome.
After you have described what each outcome means to you, explain why you
feel particularly well- or under-prepared for that outcome. Your explanation
in this regard should be consistent with the description of the outcome that
you've previously provided. We can't improve the way in which we help our
students achieve these outcomes unless we are informed of the specific
strengths and weaknesses that students perceive in our curriculum.
Rubric for Evaluation
Criteria
Description of
problem from a
non-technical
perspective
Exemplary
Described
problem in lucid
terms, avoiding
jargon that
would cause
confusion among
those outside of
technical fields.
Satisfactory
Described problem
in detailed fashion
but occasionally
used technical
jargon that would
confuse readers
outside of
computer science.
Marginal
Provided a
description of the
problem that,
although not
inaccurate, was
flawed in both in
grammatical
quality and in its
reliance on
technical jargon
Deficient
Did not
demonstrate a clear
grasp of the
problem that is the
basis of the work
for the capstone
project.
Description of
usage/utility of
the software
developed in
capstone
project
Provided
accurate and
detailed account
of either the
user’s interaction
with the
software or the
fashion in which
the software
could form the
basis for future
development and
research.
Provided a realistic
portrayal of either
the user’s
interaction with
the software or the
fashion in which
the software could
form the basis for
future
development and
research.
However, details
were occasionally
lacking in the
description.
Provided only a
sketchy account of
either the user’s
interaction with
the software or
the fashion in
which the
software could
form the basis for
future
development and
research.
Was not able to
discuss with any
degree of accuracy
either the user’s
interaction with the
software or the
fashion in which the
software could form
the basis for future
development and
research.
Understanding
of future
trends in the
domain area of
the capstone
experience
Did a thorough
job of
researching
future trends in
this area and was
able to describe
the results of
that research in
detail in their
essay.
Did an adequate
job of researching
future trends in
this area but was
not sufficiently
thorough in their
written analysis of
the conclusions to
be drawn from that
research.
Did a relatively
superficial job of
researching future
trends in this area
and
correspondingly
was only able to
draw sketchy and
often vague
conclusions about
future trends in
this area.
Description of
future trends
seemed to be
largely based on
subjective,
unfounded
opinions. No
evidence provided
of any sort of
substantive
research into these
trends.
Analysis of
preparation
with respect to
outcomes
Described in
detail what each
of the two
identified
outcomes means
to them as a
“computing
professional”.
This description
includes multiple
Described in
moderate detail
what each of the
two identified
outcomes means to
them as a
“computing
professional”.
However, a lack of
specific cited
Described without
providing much
detail what each
of the two
identified
outcomes means
to them as a
“computing
professional”.
However, no
Description
provided by the
student is
completely lacking
in detail.
Writing Style
examples to
reinforce their
perspective.
Written in clear
and lucid style
with few, if any,
grammatical
errors
examples detracts
from the clarity of
their presentation.
Written in a
coherent style with
a modicum of
grammatical errors
that could be easily
corrected without
necessitating an
entire re-write
examples were
provided.
Written in a
fashion that
includes
numerous
grammatical
errors,
necessitating that
significant
portions of the
essay be rewritten to convey
the intended
meaning.
Written in a fashion
replete with so
many grammatical
errors that the
essay must be
completely rewritten to
accurately convey
what the student is
trying to say