Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
TABLE 24.1
UW-REN restoration ecology Capstone community partners (2000-2010).
Number of
Community partner type
projects
Examples
Local government: Municipalities
20
Cities of Bothell, Kirkland, Redmond,
Seattle, Shoreline, Woodinville
Regional government
3
King County, Snohomish County, Port of
Seattle
Public utilities
1
Tacoma Power
K-12 schools/environmental education
2
Evergreen School, Islandwood facilities
Colleges and universities
10
Tacoma Community College, Pierce Col-
lege, University of Washington
Community organizations
10
Friends of Licton Springs Park, Madison
Valley Neighborhood Association
Nonprofit organizations; private
landowners
10
The Nature Consortium, Earth Sanctuary
TABLE 24.2
Student participation in the UW-REN senior Capstone from different academic disciplinary
areas at the University of Washington (2000-2010).
Major or department
Number of students
Biology and biochemistry
25
Forest sciences/conservation
91
Environmental science
95
Environmental studies
53
Geology/earth science, geography, and engineering
9
Social sciences, arts, and humanities
10
Fisheries and oceanography
3
Landscape architecture, architecture, and urban planning
25
Education
8
the Capstone all of the required elements and project implementation are team ef-
forts. Thus each student in a team receives the same score for each element. Varia-
tions in individual contributions are accounted for through a peer assessment process.
Peer grading has a significant impact on the grade a student receives in the Capstone.
In our peer grading process, the students are asked to evaluate the performance of
every member of their team, including themselves. Scores are averaged, and students
scoring above the average have their grades adjusted up, while those scoring below the
average have their grades adjusted down. This grading method discourages team
members from riding on the coattails of their classmates. While it does not eliminate
lack of effort, it acts as a deterrent.
We have seen students mature and work their way through a number of challenges
during the course of the nine-month Capstone. For the first few weeks of the course,
students are not eager to commit themselves to the perceived complexity and poten-
tial time demands of the course; they are also timid about all of the interpersonal in-
teractions that are going to be required (with community partners, teammates, faculty,
teaching assistants, volunteers, donors, public officials, nurseries, practitioners, etc.).
