Course Description

The Aviation Capstone Course is a culminating effort of the entire learning experience for the student in the School of Aviation. The goal of the capstone is to provide students with an industry-centered educational experience. The course will expose students to real-world problems, constraints, and performance issues faced across a wide variety of aviation-oriented disciplines. The course will also require students to develop and tests essential skills required in the aviation industry. Students will seamlessly merge a biblical worldview into practical applications within the aviation industry.

Rationale

The purpose of this course is to document significant evidence that program outcomes have been met and provide student evidence of experiences available to current and prospective employers.

Measurable Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Highlight critical trends, practices, and issues within the aviation industry.
2. Objectively analyze constraints and issues faced in the aviation industry.
3. Apply academic knowledge to practical problem-solving.
4. Implement strategies to resolve hands-on real-world problems.
5. Demonstrate achievement of program outcomes.
6. Evoke extensive research efforts.
7. Provide tangible evidence to current and prospective employers.
8. Seamlessly merge a biblical worldview into practical applications within the aviation industry.

Course Assignment

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview at Liberty University.

The student will complete the Discussion: Class Introductions in a visual presentation format. The visual presentation must include a recorded presentation and will have a maximum time limit of 5 minutes. The student will be creative with the presentations. The student is required to reply to 2 other classmates threads. Each reply must be at least 150 words.

Throughout the academic writing process, the ability to give and receive feedback is important. Providing feedback to your peers requires you to critically think about the assignment’s intention and ensure your peer meets the expectations of the assignment. Furthermore, receiving peer feedback allows you to gauge whether or not your writing is clear, concise, and meets the assignment parameters. Your writing can greatly improve by giving and receiving feedback. This skill will serve you greatly in your work environment, as you seek to communicate more clearly and with purpose.

In this course, you will have the opportunity to review your fellow classmate’s work and offer insightful and constructive feedback on multiple assignments. You will be assigned to a Peer Review Group within Canvas. Throughout the course, you will work in this group to conduct peer reviews of specific papers. You will exchange papers within the Canvas Peer Review Group files area in Canvas, read the paper, and provide feedback on your classmate’s paper. (MLO: A-H)

The purpose of the Proposal Paper Assignment is to choose a topic the student will dedicate their personal time to investigate, research, and serve. The student has 2 options that they may direct their focus on Service or Arguments. The student must choose 1 option. Once the student has chosen his/her topic, he/she may not switch topics. God has given each student unique gifts and perspectives.

The student should choose the option and topic they are most interested in so that he/she can be fully engaged with the topic. Once the option is selected, the student will complete the Proposal Paper Assignment which focuses the student on a more in-depth study of the topic selected. This assignment must be completed in 4 paragraphs. (MLO: A-C)

Once the student has chosen a topic and a focus, it is time to begin researching that topic more thoroughly. All research must be from primary sources that are scholarly and peer-reviewed. The student is to find a minimum of 10 scholarly sources and 2 scholarly biblical sources (not including the Bible) about the chosen topic. Sources must prompt or align (support) with the student’s opinion as well as oppose the opinion.

The sources the student chooses must broaden the depth of knowledge and challenge personal opinion or stance on the need or the argument. The student will use the template provided to complete the Annotated Bibliography Assignment. (MLO: A-D)

By this point, the student will have completed an in-depth reading of their sources and extracted data, quotes, and paraphrases that will be used in the outline. The 3-Tier Outline Assignment provides an organized method for keeping track of the source information that matches the details/notes being collected. The purpose of this 3-Tier Outline Assignment is to plan the Thesis Paper Assignment, think through the layout, formulate the thesis statement along with a minimum of 2 lenses to support or oppose the need or the issue, and begin to weave a biblical worldview into the topic of the paper.

The outline must include at least 10 scholarly sources in proper APA format. At least 2 Bible references and 2 biblical scholars must be referenced. (MLO: A-D)

The purpose of the Implementation Site Paper Assignment is to identify a final implementation site and to confirm a mentor. This assignment has no word count limit nor formatting requirement. However, all information required within the instructions document must be included in the paper. Signatures of mentor and student are required. (MLO: G)

The student will participate in a 24-hour implementation pertaining to the service of choice or the application of the topic chosen. The implementation must be relevant to the topic and must be applied within the thesis paper. It is up to the student to design an implementation experience to test the thesis. The goal is for each student to engage the particular topic in a “real-life” setting in order to get a feel of the topic and to be around experts who are working through the issues of the topic.

The implementation chosen will be supported and expanded upon within the thesis paper to demonstrate a growing understanding of the area of interest while offering a reflection upon the topic.

While at the implementation site, the student is required to complete daily logs detailing what was accomplished. The student must accumulate a minimum of 24 hours at the implementation site. Be sure to view the instructions and rubric for detailed expectations. Students must use the Daily Implementation Log Template. (MLO: G)

The Mentor Interview and Reflection Paper Assignment is an important component of the implementation aspect of the Aviation Capstone Project. This is an opportunity for the student to talk over his/her thesis topic and conclusions with an expert in the field of the chosen topic. The chosen professional should be the person who is mentoring the student through the implementation hours.

The goal of this interview should be to use the professional’s expertise to speak to the conclusions of the thesis and to integrate the conclusion with the implementation itself. Invariably, this is going to be a very valuable exchange in regard to the final presentation and working out the thesis through the implementation process. (MLO: A-D)

While at the Implementation Site, the student must have a mentor who is supervising and guiding the experience. In order to gain insight into how the implementation is progressing, be sure to provide this form to your Mentor at the end of the implementation period. The purpose of this form is to provide the student and the professor feedback regarding student performance during the implementation week. (MLO: G)

The Thesis Paper Assignment involves researching and writing a 10–12 page paper in current APA format about the topic chosen that addresses a need or developing viewpoints that address an issue. The paper must contain a minimum of 10 scholarly research articles as well as demonstrate a thorough integration of a biblical worldview by using a minimum of 2 scholarly biblical sources (not including the Bible, although the Bible must also be cited).

Once a topic has been established, it will take research in order to establish the need or position being addressed. A Thesis Paper Assignment starts with a question addressing a topic, gives informative details regarding that topic, integrates a biblical worldview into the topic, and draws a conclusion summarizing a solution or stance.

Throughout the research, the student will clearly identify, understand, evaluate, and construct a conclusion either addressing a need or formulating a stance on an issue. The student is required to look through different lenses that address the topic of study. These lenses can be from an array of viewpoints; moral, ethical, economical, scientific, historical, etc…, but the final lens must be from the biblical perspective and integrate biblical worldviews into the capstone. Please be sure to read the instructions for detailed expectations as well as the grading rubric. (MLO: A-H)

The objective of the Capstone Presentation Assignment is to explain the thesis, and the arguments, integrate the biblical worldview, and provide a conclusion of perspectives once all previous capstone components have been completed. The student will complete a 10-15 minute Narrated Presentation that includes an overview of all components required within the Aviation Capstone course. A major portion of the presentation will be the discussion of the implementation process and how it changed or confirmed the student’s thinking about the thesis.

The connection between the implementation, thesis, and thesis research paper must be clear. The student’s formulation, as well as the implementation of their biblical worldview, should be apparent throughout the presentation. The presentation will be the final opportunity to share and reflect on all the incredible learning experiences each student endured while completing the Aviation Capstone Project.  Please be sure to read the instructions for detailed expectations as well as the grading rubric. (MLO: A-H)

Using the many course outcomes discussed within each module as well as the required reading How to Win Friends and Influence People, in 500–750 words (excluding Title and Reference pages), reflect on what you learned in this course and how this course has foster your academic, professional, and personal growth. The Reflective Essay Assignment must include at least 3 citations of the Bible and at least 3 citations of How to Win Friends and Influence People, for a total of at least 6 in-text citations. (MLO: C-E, G-H)