Journalism capstone units Associate Professor Trevor Cullen 2015 National Teaching Fellow Edith Cowan University
four aims of the fellowship work with journalism educators and news editors to design journalism capstone units that demonstrate graduate skills and capabilities and offer agreed principles and best practice
website www.journalismcapstoneunits.org
government national priorities in higher education - (AQF & TEQSA) assure graduate outcomes improve work integrated learning enhance graduate employability
WHY (for JERAA) in line with higher education standards framework provides consistency (across programs) improves employability
OLT Fellowship project builds upon 2011 OLT project Threshold learning outcomes for Journalism knowledge thinking skills communication and tech skills self management integrity, ethics and responsibility resourceful and reflective learning 2011 OLT project Industry needs and graduate attributes interviews with editors and academics exposed wide variety of courses affirmed tertiary based teaching need for basic skills work more with industry
focus of this project third-year journalism students in 29 universities in Australia enrolled in a journalism degree / major
Current situation students without proper skills set. affects employment possibilities. Consequences Current courses only 8 out of 29 tertiary journalism programs (officially) run capstone units. others mainly rely on professional placements emphasis on “acquire” rather than test and demonstrate skills and capabilities
Australian Qualification Framework The revised AQF requires that under graduate and masters degrees are designed such that graduates can demonstrate the application of knowledge and skills "to plan and execute a substantial research-based project, capstone experience or piece of scholarship”. Need to embed capstone component to meet the AQF requirement.
fellowship so far - Sept to Nov 2015 Activity audit of 8 universities that run journalism capstone units Interview questions what is a capstone principles what do you do Positives pitfalls Where Monash Melbourne Swinburne RMIT Canberra UTS Sydney Wollongong
professional placement initial feedback what is a capstone? Common responses (n16) transition unit (s) rounds off degree bring it all together apply knowledge & skills get students job ready capstone units 3 types newsroom simulation professional placement personal project Most use 2 spread over 1 year
ALTF 2016 phase 2 phase 3 January – July 2016 1. more interviews 2. collate and analyse data 3. circulate discussion papers phase 3 August – Dec 2016 1. use responses to build principles and best practice 2. disseminate and promote
Website www.journalismcapstoneunits.org
websites Journalism capstone units www.journalismcapstoneuits.org Capstone curriculum www.capstonecurriculum.com.au Assuring Graduate capabilities www.assuringgraduatecapabilities.com
discussion questions some problems with capstones? Feedback on your current situation some problems with capstones? what type of capstones do you run? what knowledge and skills should be demonstrated in capstone units? is it possible to agree on minimum standards?