LAUSR

ABSTRACT Capstones, as culminating educational experiences, are expected to meet many purposes: synthesis and application of prior learning, developing skills and attributes related to employability, and more recently, quality assurance. However, research has not yet identified a comprehensive list of capstone purposes or considered how multiple purposes are prioritised. This paper presents an analysis of ratings of importance for a series of literature-derived capstone purposes by staff involved in capstone design and delivery across disciplines (n = 216). Findings confirm the broad range of purposes reported in the literature with the addition of an affective dimension. The number of purposes rated as highly important suggests a highly pressured curriculum space. Analysis of cross-disciplinary ratings also revealed a large set of ‘core’ capstone purposes that are equally important across disciplines, and a smaller set that vary significantly. Results provide an empirical basis for interrogating capstone purposes and their implementation through curriculum design and delivery.