What is KIN 5995 and why it is required?
The ME.d. culminating project is KIN 5995: Research Problems in Applied Kinesiology. This assignment—also known as the Capstone Project—should be completed near the end of your MEd program, preferably in the Spring Semester of your final year. A Capstone Project is labeled as such because it is considered the “crowning achievement” of your graduate coursework and it can take many forms. The student will identify a problem or need in her/his specific area of professional practice and expertise within the broader field of Kinesiology. Once identified, the student—working in consultation with their ME.d. Program Director in Kinesiology—must propose a specific project that addresses this need to fulfill the requirements of KIN 5995.
The purpose of a Capstone Project is to encourage students to demonstrate and apply the critical thinking skills they have developed through their degree program to address problems or needs in their respective areas of interest. Students are encouraged to undertake a project of importance or significance that also has a practical application to their educational and professional objectives.
A Capstone Project may include: a research-based document which highlights the purpose of the student’s project (study), a literature review and a section that encompasses the student’s own critical judgment about the issue in question. The final format and the requirements of the project is completed in direct consultation with the student’s M.Ed Program Director. Some examples of past topics include but are not limited to:
- Handbook for college athletics department
- Curriculum guide for school physical education
- Youth sport parent survey
- Parent or athlete handbooks
- Athletic recruitment handbook for high school students
- Teaching assistant course materials for university athletic training course
- Annual plan for coaching
- Interviews with specific populations regarding sports participation
- Proposal for adding a new sport to meet gender equity requirements
- Action research project on motivational orientation for participation in physical education classes
- Video or video series for use in an educational environment
- Review of literature on selected topic
- Summer camp youth sport guides
- Developing an internet site
- Action research or small pilot studies
The project you outline should require approximately 135 clock hours (45 hrs/semester credit x 3 credits) of effort on your part to complete. If you are working with human subjects, you MUST go through the Institutional Review Board (IRB).
Students interested in registering for RESEARCH PROBLEMS should:
- Have at least 50% of their M.Ed. program completed.
- Develop an understanding for what the requirements and expectations are for the Research Problems course.
- Contact M.Ed. Program Directors to discuss student's project ideas and goals. Program directors will assist student in identifying appropriate resources, including other teaching faculty whose teaching and research interests line up with their project goals and ideas, to consult with in developing their project.
- Complete the Research Problems Proposal Form and turn it into the student’s M.Ed. Program Director. The student and Director will need to be clear on the project plans, what will be submitted at the end of the project, number credits for the project, and the evaluation criteria to be used.
- Obtain a permission number from the M.Ed. Program Director.
- Complete the work as agreed upon, submitting all course work prior to the first day of Finals Week. If work is not completed by this time, the student may receive an “F” unless a prior agreement has been recorded in writing with the instructor.