An analysis of the implementation and continuity of WBL delivery evident in Capstone Projects in a private business college in the UK

Abstract

Purpose An analysis is conducted on the implementation of Capstone Projects (CAPP) at a private business college in the UK as part of their work-based learning (WBL) strategy. CAPP are introduced for the first time in this college in the Autumn semester of 2017. The purpose of this paper is to study the continuity and impact of WBL through the CAPP. Design/methodology/approach Comparative data of student experience were collected and analysed from online polls throughout the Autumn and following Summer semester webinar lectures and a content analysis of formative assessment work included in the final submissions. Findings Data indicated that recommended changes after the Autumn semester were only partially successful by the Summer semester and that the continuity of the key pedagogical strategies identified in the Autumn semester were still noticed and mentioned (implicitly and explicitly) in the following Summer semester. Data indicated that the CAPP was a rewarding challenge, that the process of using a webinar was an appreciated and effective process overall and that good supervision made a significant impact on the success of the process. Research limitations/implications The implication of the research is that it indicates student experience from the application of WBL in the CAPP process. Practical implications Key future recommendations addressing improvements were mainly focussed upon the programme administration. Originality/value The work adds to a minimal amount of research on WBL within CAPP in the UK and adds to the knowledge within the field of WBL.

Preparing for the future: understanding collective grief through the lens of the Kubler-Ross crisis cycle

“…WBL focused modules called Project/Placement, Design and Implementation (PPDI) and Evaluation and Reflection (EVRE) ran at the start of the second semester at level 5. At level 6 (the semesters) was the Capstone Project (CAPP) (Gerhardt, 2019b). A 2-h PPDI lecture early in the week was followed by 3-h project groups, subject and project specific.…”

“…The Case, the private for -profit UK Business and Law College, established in 1973, differentiated itself from many other providers in Higher Education (HE) by embracing the opportunities of diversity and inclusion, among other similar providers. About 80% of the 7,000 students lived within 10 miles of the campus, 90% were Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic, 80% were mature (an average age of 30) and 16.6% were drawn from Participation Of Local Areas (POLAR) 1 and 2 postcodes (low educational achievement and aspiration); the largest percentage of any Higher Educational Institution (HEI) in London (Gerhardt, 2019a, b; Gerhardt and Karsan, 2022). The crisis, plunging staff and students into a crisis overnight, is an opportunity to understand how an educational institution copes collectively with a crisis, such as what all HEIs had to cope with during Covid 19.…”

“…The CAPP submission was the equivalent of 8,000 words. In the appendixes, as part of formative assessment, the CAPP submission also included: a reflection (the student's reflection in writing on their experience across their degree); and a personal professional statement (Gerhardt, 2019b). This paper analyses 120 EVRE scripts with weekly reflective journal entries and 121 CAPP reflections.…”

Talent management in private universities: the case of a private university in the United Kingdom

“…Students had an average age of 30 (in 2017) and they had a 90% Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) demographic with 16% from participation of local areas (POLAR) 1 and 2 postcodes, i.e. areas of low educational attainment and aspiration (Gerhardt, 2019).…”