[three_fourth]Introduction
This engineering capstone runs for two semesters in the 4th year and builds on the foundations of the first three years of the problem-based curriculum in the Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical and Electronic Engineering) at Victoria University. Students are given the opportunity to work on a significant project, usually with an industry client. They apply problem-based learning skills and engineering theory to solve real-world problems, undertaking a complete engineering project cycle, including identification and analysis of a problem, prototyping, experimental testing, refinement, final product and full performance testing against criteria. The unit provides invaluable experience in preparing students for entering the engineering sector.

A list of projects is displayed on VU’s e-learning platform for students to review one week before the start of semester. Students then form teams and nominate projects that they would like to undertake. As part of choosing a project, students are encouraged to make contact with both an academic mentor and a potential client partner, to inform their project choice. Student may also propose their own projects, in which case the Unit Coordinator acts as a proxy client.

Students work in teams, but each student also works individually on a defined part of a design problem.

Delivery
The capstone follows a typical engineering capstone project structure. Early in the semester we provide some lectures and tutorials. Ongoing tutorials are tailored to the needs of the projects and provided on an as-needs basis throughout the semester. Students may also be required to undertake specific elective units that will support their project. However, the majority of work is undertaken outside of class. It is expected that students spend a minimum of 10 hours per week on their project.

Projects are assigned an academic staff mentor (and an industry mentor from the client company where applicable) to provide technical guidance. Academic mentors are assigned on the basis of student preference, mentor background/expertise and their allocated teaching load. Students may nominate their preferred academic mentor at the time of project allocation, although they may not be allocated their preferred mentor.

Students are required to maintain regular informal meetings with their mentors and clients, with frequency of contact agreed to by all parties and outlined in the Project Management Plan early on in the project. Roles and responsibilities of mentors are also set out in the unit guide. These are primarily to provide timely advice and support and to ensure projects are technically and logistically feasible.

Feedback and assessment
Assessment is both academic and client based, and all assessment components are compulsory. Failure to submit any assessment component results in a failure for the unit. Students are required to complete a range of tasks for the unit assessment requirements, including:

• Feasibility study and project proposal
• Project contract
• Project management plan
• Initial project presentation
• Product demonstration
• Final report
• Final presentation and product demonstration

Clients also assess student performance on the basis of project quality (judged against how well the outcomes meet the contracted requirements and acceptance criteria) and professional attributes.

As most students work in teams, the project plans require students to delineate clear roles and responsibilities for the individual team members for the purposes of individual assessment. The Unit Coordinator reviews the proposed work plan to ensure a balance across team members. The final report must detail the contribution of each individual student to the project.

Detailed assessment rubrics for each task are provided in the student guide.

Resourcing
Project costs are normally paid for by the client, and these costs are laid out in the project scoping document. However a small budget of $100 is provided for each team for consumables. While academic mentors are assigned to each group, they are not expected to spend substantial time on this. Nonetheless, the resourcing implications of this are generally a little higher than for a standard lecture/tutorial structure.

Outcomes
Students undertaking these projects gain a significant project management experience in rigorous and testing circumstances. Students carry out all activities to industry standards, and are required to act as engineering professionals in the execution of their project and reporting of outcomes. They produce documentation and products that can then be used to demonstrate their capabilities in the full range of engineering project activities, as well as in the more general ethical and professional communication skills, dealing with ambiguity and adjusting plans to deal with unanticipated issues. As a result, students are challenged but also highly engaged. From the program perspective, students are able to demonstrate that they meet and exceed program-level learning outcomes. The strong industry involvement also enables ongoing relationships between the academics, students and clients. This in turn supports ongoing development of the engineering program in its entirety. Student feedback on the unit in surveys has been very positive, with a 4.8 mean and 100% agreement on satisfaction.

Full details of the capstone structure and requirements, as well as rubrics for assessment, can be found in the student guide.

[/three_fourth]

[one_fourth_last]

Key characteristics
Fourth year undergraduate engineering. Two semester independent major project, problem-based learning, industry clients.
Student numbers: 20-30

Tools provided: Student/unit guide

Authors/contacts
Dr Thinh Nguyen [email_link email=”thinh.nguyen@vu.edu.au”]Email Thinh[/email_link]

[/one_fourth_last]