Disciplined Inquiry Capstone (EDUC90989)

This subject involves students undertaking a substantial project directly related to their own professional practice and/or within their area of specialisation. Students will draw on theory, knowledge and skills developed through their degree to design and complete their professional Capstone project.

The Capstone project will entail a gradual process of problem definition and mapping, and it will produce a research-informed plan (a Knowledge Mobilisation Strategy or KMS) to inform action. The experience will provide students with concepts, methods and skills to implement their project in a future professional or policy context.

The word “problem” does not imply a deficit view, and indeed a project can focus on opportunities and potentials. In all cases, however, students will be encouraged to treat their inquiries in a rigorous way, “problematising” their assumptions and considering counterarguments and other disciplinary perspectives.

The project will involve the following activities:

• Identification of a context - this can be an existing context of professional practice or a more generic future context. The context can also be understood more abstractly as a particular debate or trend in education policy.
• Iterative, reflective and dialogic cycles of problem definition, redefinition and expansion.
• Mapping of stakeholders and forms of knowledge: who should be involved? What diverse forms of knowledge should be mobilised? What forms of evidence should be generated? What methods should be used?

Students will present their KMS in a conference presentation format that facilitates peer learning and fosters professional alliances and networks.