This assignment is intended to reinforce previously learned concepts in the health sciences program and emphasize the steps and importance of critical thinking, decision making and problem solving. In this way, it lays the foundation for future assignments within a capstone course focused on the development of a plan to address a real-world healthcare issue from the perspective of a healthcare manager.

Background and Context

By design, the capstone course’s (BHS499) Module 1 Assignment compels students to draw from previous coursework in the exploration of complex problems impacting health care settings, thus giving the students an opportunity to develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of the problem and its effects on the chosen organization.

According to the program learning outcomes curriculum map this assignment is intended to “reinforce” previously learned concepts and “emphasize” the steps and importance of critical thinking, decision making, and problem solving.

This assignment lays a foundation for future assignments within the capstone course. The capstone course challenges students to synthesize what they have learned in the BSHS program’s core courses to develop a plan that addresses a “real-world” topic in healthcare management. As students proceed through the assignments, they will have an opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills gained from previous coursework while conducting research to interpret the issues and implications of a healthcare topic from the perspective of a healthcare manager, and developing a plan to address the issue.

The Degree Qualifications Profile (DQP) proficiency that the capstone assignment is intended to assess is intellectual skills (specifically use of information resources and analytical inquiry). Â Intellectual skills correspond with the Trident University institutional student learning outcomes that pertain to information literacy and critical thinking. The undergraduate students’ ability to use multiple information resources with appropriate citations, and the capacity to evaluate the relative merits of competing resources with respect to clearly articulated requirements will be assessed.

“Information literacy” is the 2014 Trident University academic theme and “intellectual skills” is the first DQP proficiency that TUI will assess. TUI developed a “TUI degree qualifications profile” that is based on the DQP to closely “personalize and customize” the Lumina DQP framework to the university’s mission and institutional learning outcomes. Faculty used a curriculum map to identify the courses and assignments in which “information literacy” will be assessed in signature assignments.

Reflections

The assignment supports student learning by having students engage in a meaningful review of the literature and apply the knowledge and skills gained from their previous coursework while conducting research to interpret a healthcare issue and its implications. The student also gets the opportunity to demonstrate an ability to clearly organize, synthesize, and communicate information from various sources in a manner that achieves a specific purpose with necessary clarity, rigor, and depth. The assignment also allows students to improve their written communication skills. The assignment is assessed with an analytic grading rubric.