I think they can do well in either. I have a lot of columbines and all of mine are in part-sun or light shade. (Sun space is limited in my yard so I reserve it for plants that must have full sun). However some of my columbines are in hot afternoon sun and they do not suffer at all. Frankly, I would probably put them in the part-sun beds though. The reason is that I find they bloom beautifully in the shadier locations and there are much fewer flowers that do. There are SO many options for the sunny locations. However if shade is at a premium in your yard and you want to reserve it for certain plants that can't tolerate full sun then I think they will be fine in the sunnier location. They are quite easy to move if you don't like where you put them. I find columbines tend to seed around a good bit too, though I am not sure about the hybrids, so you may have more to try in different locations. Good luck.-Ais.

I have a bunch of Eastern columbine that get morning sun and afternoon shade and they've done very well.

I meant to add that as far as starting from seed, Eastern columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) does not require any stratification, but species vary. The Ontario Rock Garden Society has a good germination chart, arranged in alphabetical order by scientific name.

Here is a link that may be useful: germination guide