Aviation Capstone – AVIA 490

Course Description

The Aviation Capstone Course is a culminating effort of the entire learning experience for the student in the School of Aviation. The goal of the capstone is to provide students with an industry-centered educational experience. The course will expose students to real-world problems, constraints, and performance issues faced across a wide variety of aviation-oriented disciplines. The course will also require students to develop and tests essential skills required in the aviation industry. Students will seamlessly merge a biblical worldview into practical applications within the aviation industry.

Rationale

The purpose of this course is to document significant evidences that program outcomes have been met and provide student evidence of experiences available to current and prospective employers.

Course Assignment

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

The student will complete the Discussion: Class Introductions in a visual presentation format. The visual presentation must include recorded presentation and will have a maximum time limit of 5 minutes. The student will be creative with the presentations. The student is required to reply to 2 other classmates’ threads. Each reply must be at least 150 words.

The purpose of the Proposal Paper Assignment is for the student to select an area of focus, service, or argument. The student must choose one option to focus on. Once the student has chosen his/her focus, he/she may select a topic within that focus. The student may not switch focus nor topic after the assigned Module: Week. The student should select the focus and topic he/she is most interested in so that he/she can be fully engaged with the topic. The student will use the template provided to complete the Proposal Assignment. Then, the student will receive peer feedback. (CLO: A, B, C, D)

Once the student has chosen a topic and a focus, he/she will begin researching that topic more thoroughly. All research must be from primary sources that are scholarly and peer-reviewed. The student is to find a minimum of 10 scholarly sources and 2 scholarly biblical sources (not including the Bible) about the chosen topic. Sources must prompt or align (support) with the student's opinion as well as oppose the opinion. The sources the student chooses must broaden the depth of knowledge and challenge personal opinion or stance on the need or the argument. The student will use the template provided in Canvas to complete the Annotated Bibliography Assignment. (CLO: A, B, C, D)

By this point, the student should have completed an in-depth reading of his/her sources and extracted data, quotes, and paraphrases that will be used in the outline. The 3-tier outline provides an organized method for keeping track of the source information that matches the details/notes being collected. The purpose of this 3-tier outline is for the student to plan out the Aviation Capstone Paper, think through the layout, and formulate the thesis statement incorporating a minimum of 2 lenses with two subheadings of support and oppose the need or the issue. Finally, the student will begin to weave a Biblical worldview into the topic of the paper. A 3-tier outline has 3 levels of information. The student must utilize the 3-Tier Outline Template provided in Canvas. Then, the student will receive peer feedback. (CLO: A, B, C, D)

The purpose of the Implementation Site Information Assignment is for the student to identify a final implementation site and to confirm a mentor. Utilizing the Implementation Site Information Template, the student will select an implementation site and mentor. The student must be sure to review the implementation information on the template to ensure he/she can fulfill the required expectations at the implementation site. The questions within the Implementation Site Information Template are designed to help the student think through the implementation in terms of integrating the thesis. The questions are also designed to help the student think through the specific details of the implementation itself. Signatures are acknowledging the validity of the substance of the student's answers to questions. This means that all persons signing the document need to be able to read the questions and answers before signing. (CLO: G)

The Aviation Capstone Peer Review involves researching and writing a 10–12-page paper about the topic chosen: developing a service that addresses a need or developing an argument that addresses an issue. Then, the student will receive peer feedback. See Aviation Capstone Paper in Canvas for assignment description. A template is provided called Aviation Capstone Template and should be used to ensure proper APA formatting. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H)

The purpose of this assignment is for the student to document the 24-hour implementation experience. The student must use the Implementation Site Daily Log Form provided in Canvas. It will be important for the student's presentation that he/she records these events daily. This way the student will obtain the most accurate record of his/her tasks and reflections. The student may use one log sheet each day while at the implementation site or the student may combine the entire experience into one log. Log sheet(s) must be filled out completely and thoroughly. They must demonstrate thoughtfulness and reflection in content. (CLO: A, B, C, D)

The mentor interview is an important component of your implementation. This is an opportunity for you to talk about your thesis topic and conclusions with an expert in the aviation field. The goal of this interview should be for you to use your mentor’s expertise to speak to the conclusions of your thesis and to integrate the conclusion with the implementation itself. Student should utilize the Mentor Interview and Reflection Paper Template. (CLO: A-D)

Utilizing the peer-review feedback from the Proposal Paper, 3-Tier Outline, Initial Draft of Aviation Capstone Paper, and the many other elements of the Aviation Capstone Project, the student will complete the final draft of the Aviation Capstone Paper. The student must utilize the Aviation Capstone Template in Canvas to ensure proper APA formatting.

The Aviation Capstone involves researching and writing a 10–12-page paper about the topic chosen: developing a service that addresses a need or developing an argument that addresses an issue. Once a topic has been established, it will take research to establish the service or position being addressed.

An Aviation Capstone Paper, also known as a thesis paper, starts with a question addressing a topic, gives informative details regarding that topic, integrates a biblical worldview into the topic, weaves an implementation correlating to the thesis, and draws a conclusion summarizing a solution or stance. Throughout the research, the student will clearly identify, understand, evaluate, and construct a conclusion either addressing a need or formulating a stance (argument) on an issue. The student is required to look through a minimum of 2 different lenses that address the topic of study. These lenses can be from an array of viewpoints; moral, ethical, economical, scientific, historical, etc., but the final lens must be from the biblical perspective, integrating biblical worldviews into the capstone. A template is provided in Canvas called Aviation Capstone Template and should be used to ensure proper APA formatting. References quoted in the body of the paper should be listed on a Reference page.

A minimum of 24 in-text citations must be used to support the contents of your paper. Cite works according to the APA format. The student must have at minimum 10 scholarly sources and 2 scholarly Biblical sources. The student may not include the Bible as part of the 12 minimum sources. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H)

While at the Implementation Site, the student must have a mentor who is supervising and guiding the experience. To gain insight into how the implementation is progressing, the student must be sure to provide the Mentor Evaluation Form to his/her mentor at the end of the implementation period. The purpose of this form is to provide the student and the professor feedback regarding student performance during the implementation week. Once the form is complete, including signatures, the student must to upload the completed Mentor Evaluation Form to the assignment page. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H)

The student presentation should incorporate all aspects of thinking on the topic chosen: an examination of Scripture, research, discussions, and conclusions based on knowledge, experience, and reflection of efforts. A Biblical worldview should be intrinsically and purposefully woven throughout the entire presentation. The presentation should demonstrate mastery of thesis, content, implementation, and reflection of the Aviation Capstone Project. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H)

Using the many course outcomes discussed within each module as well as the required reading How to Win Friends and Influence People, in 500–750 words (excluding Title and Reference pages), the student will reflect on what he/she has learned in this course and how this course has fostered his/her academic, professional, and personal growth. The Reflective Essay Assignment must include at least 3 citations of the Bible and at least 3 citations of How to Win Friends and Influence People, for a total of at least 6 in-text citations. (CLO: C, D, E, G, H)