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2004-558

A strategy for innovative capstone design projects

Peter Idowu

Pennsylvania State University - Harrisburg 777 W. Harrisburg Pike, Middletown, PA 17057

Abstract

The capstone design course is used by many engineering programs to provide students in their final year of training an opportunity to integrate knowledge from coursework and other sources in order to provide a solution for an engineering problem. The strategy for conducting the course, the process, implementation, and expectations vary between programs and disciplines. Often, there are conflicts or inconsistencies in expectations between course instructors, as well as between students and instructors. In many cases there appears to be no ‘systematic’ way for arriving at project ideas. Students are sometimes offered a list of potential topics, or asked to brainstorm and submit topics for approval. This non-methodical approach has resulted in a catalogue of poorly-conceived products showing a dearth of creativity and poverty of innovations. This paper discusses a pre-capstone course to guide students through the process of idea-production, selection of a title for a creative product or system, and a plan for development.

Index Terms – Capstone design, creative design, sustainable design.

Introduction

Many programs use the capstone design course as a process for getting students in their final year of engineering training to integrate knowledge from coursework and other sources to provide a solution for an engineering problem. Clearly, and as should be expected the strategy for conducting the course, the process, implementation, and expectations vary between programs and disciplines.

Heitman and Manseur 1 discussed the organization of a capstone design course. Students come up with project ideas, discuss and seek pre-approval from a faculty mentor. Sometimes, students involved in the cooperative education program propose industry-based projects.

Hanton 2 highlighted the organization and conduct of a capstone design course. The work addressed critical issues of what constitutes a “design project” – establishing that an electrical engineering project does not have to culminate in a piece of hardware. Members of the faculty Proceedings of the 2004 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright @ 2004, American Society for Engineering Education

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Idowu, P. (2004, June), A Strategy For Innovative Capstone Design Projects Paper presented at 2004 Annual Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah. 10.18260/1-2--13840