Partnering with Students to Develop a Capstone for a Graduate Health Informatics Program

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics Education
• Curriculum Design
• Student-Centered Learning

Background:

• Integrating project-based capstone courses into existing curricula is a common challenge.
• Health Informatics programs require adaptable curricula to meet evolving industry demands.
• Student input is crucial for developing relevant and effective educational experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the desirability, feasibility, and sustainability of a project-based capstone course in an MSc Health Informatics program.
• To assess the impact of a student-partnered steering committee and student-centered approach on curriculum integration.
• To identify student perspectives on benefits and challenges of capstone course implementation.

Main Methods:

• An online cross-sectional survey of 87 health informatics students and alumni.
• Three semistructured focus groups with 18 participants.
• Descriptive analysis of survey data and inductive/classic analysis of focus group transcripts.

Main Results:

• Students overwhelmingly supported capstone projects, preferring flexibility in individual or group work.
• Key themes included professional development, real-world learning, and course structure.
• Concerns were raised regarding implementation, evaluation, and group dynamics.

Conclusions:

• Student partnership in curriculum design enhances the value and relevance of educational programs.
• A co-developed, student-centered capstone course can integrate project knowledge with inquiry-based learning.
• Educators can leverage these findings to optimize health informatics capstone course design.