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Capstones, as culminating educational experiences, are expected to meet many purposes: synthesis and application of prior learning, developing skills and attributes related to employability, and more recently, quality assurance. However, research has not yet identified a comprehensive list of capstone purposes or considered how multiple purposes are prioritised. This paper presents an analysis of ratings of importance for a series of literature-derived capstone purposes by staff involved in capstone design and delivery across disciplines (n = 216). Findings confirm the broad range of purposes reported in the literature with the addition of an affective dimension. The number of purposes rated as highly important suggests a highly pressured curriculum space. Analysis of cross-disciplinary ratings also revealed a large set of 'core' capstone purposes that are equally important across disciplines, and a smaller set that vary significantly. Results provide an empirical basis for interrogating capstone purposes and their implementation through curriculum design and delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

System models are commonly used in tertiary education as a mechanism for describing the interacting components of educational phenomena, but have hitherto been uncritically accepted. This paper provides a critical review of existing systems models, including the 3P model defined Biggs, and outlines their conceptual challenges. A revised model developed for curriculum research is presented. The paper would be of interest to those undertaking education-focused research, scholarly teaching practitioners as well as those with an interest in the use of systems models as a framework for educational alignment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]