Students are expected to apply concepts, theory, and research to real work situations. They often work in cooperative groups to solve problems. Once again these activities are assessed through written and verbal feedback from faculty, peers, and professionals. Because the field of Family Studies and Consumer Science is a very applied field, students seem to learn best when they are given opportunities to apply the findings of research and theory to practice. Upper division course work seems to be more effective for students because classes are smaller and more intimate.
Faculty have an opportunity to get to know the students' needs and abilities.
The senior capstone experience seems to be an enjoyable and challenging experience for students because they understand the the need to integrate all the knowledge, skills, and abilities learned during their academic experience. Writing, verbal, and math skills continue to be weak. Consequently we have incorporated a vocabulary component in the freshman seminar to attempt to remedy this problem. Students need more opportunities to learn about the resources of the library, how to access information, and how to write a professional piece of work. Students have to show a basic writing competency.