Abstract: Engineering schools across the country are developing ways of integrating design into their curriculum, and a question that often arises is how to best integrate design into the sophomore and junior level courses. Freshman design projects or mechanical dissection courses are designed to give the students hands-on experience in conceptual design and construction, with little if any of the mathematical modeling normally used in engineering design. The capstone senior design project is a true engineering design experience, where students draw from their background to conceptualize, analyze, model, refine, and optimize a product to meet design, manufacturing, and life cycle cost requirements. The sophomore and junior level courses should assist students in making the transition from the “seat-of-the-pants” freshman design approach to the engineering design approach required for the capstone experience and engineering practice. This paper summarizes a three year effort at integrating design into the Mechanics of Materials course, but the principal conclusions drawn would apply to most sophomore and junior engineering science courses.

Abstract: In an increasingly competitive marketplace, today's engineering graduate must be equipped to meet the needs of industry and these needs are not limited to technical competence. They include the ability to: consider alternative solutions and their impact on various operations; work in interdisciplinary teams; manage projects; tie projects to the bottom line profitability of the enterprise; and communicate effectively. In many cases, graduates are ill-prepared to meet these challenges. The Penn State Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, USA, has designed, developed and conducted a senior capstone course to address certain key skill deficiencies of the engineering graduate. The course is conducted in cooperation with parallel sections in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and as a consequence, many of the student teams are composed of students from all three disciplines. The course provides the student with a realistic experience that helps with the transition from theory to the real practice of engineering. This paper identifies those elements in the design and conduct of the course that ensures a good experience for both industrial partners and students. Important concepts such as selecting good industrial sponsors and coaching versus supervising are discussed.

Abstract: This paper describes a cross-functional teaming approach used in a computer-engineering capstone design course. Students are grouped into two sets of interdependent teams, "design teams" and "skill teams". While designing a product, students acquire an understanding of the need for lifelong learning and the need to depend upon each other for critical skills and knowledge necessary to ensure overall project success. Design teams are formed for the entire semester. Each team works on a specific engineering design project that involves the collaborative development and evaluation of a "product" containing an embedded computer. Skill teams are formed from representatives of each design team. These team members acquire specific skills and knowledge needed to ensure success within the individual design projects. Skill teams are highly focused. For example, one team learns how to use Microsoft's PowerPoint presentation software tools. These team members take this knowledge back to their design teams, instruct design-team members in PowerPoint basics, and use PowerPoint in team presentations. Other skill teams focus on topics such as: management of class and team activities; browsing the Internet to obtain information about embedded-system hardware components, software, design tools, and third-party suppliers; hardware and software standards related to embedded systems; and programmable-logic-device technologies and trends.

Abstract: Librarians have become a key component in the capstone mechanical engineering design course at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The design process was taught using a team based appraoch. A librarian was a member of each E-team (the "E" stands for Excellence and Entrepeneuriship as defined by the Lemelson Foundation, one of the sponsors of the course), attended lectures and acted as an information agent. One particularly startling discovery was that the students were apparently overwhelmed by the data gathered and were not familiar with analytic techniques for making effective use of it. This paper gives a contextual outline of the course, illustrates the librarian's role, discusses what was learned as a result of their invovlement and presents plans for the future.

Abstract: A capstone electrical engineering design course has been developed at the University of San Diego with the goal of providing students with the opportunity to: study design alternatives and select a design responsive to a request for proposal; sell the design concept to a panel of independent evaluators with a written proposal and oral presentations; obtain experience in design within a cooperating group; and completely fabricate and document a working electronic system. While innovation is not overtly discouraged, emphasis is placed upon satisfactory completion of a working product with the time constraints of a two semester course which spans one summer. The course is intended not only to provide a meaningful design experience but also to accomplish a confidence-building transition to the role of practicing engineer.

Abstract: The role and importance of design in engineering education is changing. Capstone design courses have become well established in many engineering programs in recent years, and their value has been realized by educators, students and employers alike. As such, many recognize the need to introduce the design process earlier than the senior year, and spurred on by changing ABET requirements, many engineering schools are beginning to explore methods for integrating design throughout engineering curricula. Exactly what form engineering curricula will take when design is integrated throughout remains to be seen, although they will surely be varied. Nevertheless, there will be trends, and these trends will shape the methods and approaches engineering graduates use in their careers. These trends will have an effect upon engineering as a profession and society as a whole, as well as the innovation and creativity of industry in the future. The author believes that as design is taught, students are socialized to behave in certain ways and not in others. By examining some of the commonalities in the well established capstone design courses that are offered by most engineering programs, the author argues that these courses take a narrower approach to design than they could and should. While there is much about these courses to be lauded, there are things that can and should change about the way design education is approached, especially as they begin to be integrated throughout entire curricula. By taking a broader perspective on design in engineering education, and treating design as a synthesis of many issues of a social and cultural, as well as technical and economic nature, students will be provided with fewer implicit constraints and an expanded concept of design. Students with broader perspectives on design will, the author believes, be better designers, and in the long run this will benefit engineering as a profession and society as a whole.

Abstract: A recent report of the American Sociological Association calls for revision of the sociology major to promote greater study in depth. A key recommendation in the report is that the major include at least four levels of sequencing. These consist of introductory courses, skills courses, advanced substantive courses, and capstone courses. St. Cloud State University revised its sociology major to incorporate many of the recommendations in the ASA report. An initial revision of the major omitted the third level of sequencing, but a recent revision includes all four levels. Faculty members concerns about scheduling, enrollments, and autonomy slowed the pace of change and influenced the content of the major. The experience of St. Cloud State University suggests that implementing the study in depth guidelines is a difficult but rewarding process

Abstract: Public administration programs, like all professional programs, offer a unique opportunity to provide a truly integrative educational experience. Yet the attempt to marry theory and practice often proves to be a difficult task for many academic programs. If a program aspires, as most do, to prepare students for the challenges they will encounter in their professional careers, then programs must strive to make instructional methods relevant to the student's future professional experiences. In the following discussion we center our analyses on the use of a capstone course to accomplish this goal. We begin with some normative questions that inform our discussion. We then proceed with an exploration of the literature which includes a general description of the rationale and content of the capstone courses offered in many programs. We will report the findings of an exploratory survey we conducted to develop a sense of the current practice. Because the great diversity of P.A. programs makes generalizations diff...

Abstract: This paper describes the development of the undergraduate digital signal processing curriculum at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. A real-time digital signal processing laboratory is setup to enhance digital signal, processing courses and to conduct senior capstone design projects. This effort has been supported by an NSF grant and by the University of Michigan-Dearborn.

Abstract: This paper describes a novel format for a proposed Capstone engineering design course that combines industrial experience with international collaboration and uses distance learning as a pedagogical tool. The course is designed for programs in the Industrial Engineering Departments at the University of Pittsburgh and the Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM) in Monterrey. The team for the design project has two students from each institution and is conducted at an industrial concern whose location alternates between Mexico and the US each year. Project responsibilities are divided between the two sets of students and a faculty supervisor at each institution works with the two groups which stay in close contact with each other by means of electronic mail, the Internet and distance learning technologies. During the last week of the term, the members of the team at the remote location join their teammates to put the finishing touches on the project and to make the final presentation to the faculty and the industrial client. This paper explains the proposed program in detail.

Abstract: This paper presents the design of a curricular program that meets the educational needs of an interdisciplinary student cohort (e.g. where many are not majoring in any engineering discipline) through courses with intradisciplinary involvement between different stages in the instructional sequence. It proposes a curricular paradigm which allows students to work in groups on a single, large, real-world problem over multiple terms. Students from senior level courses act as the group leaders/mentors for student groups from lower level courses. This teaching method will provide the student with an engineering design experience more consistent with his/her eventual real-world experience than more traditional curricular paradigms have allowed.

Abstract: Engineering design is being used to better prepare graduates for engineering practice by providing a balance between the theoretical and practical aspects of the engineering degree program. Capstone design courses have become increasingly popular, particularly with engineering educators in North America. However, there is some concern that the skills and experiences derived from design-based courses are occurring much too late in a students education and instead should be spread throughout the degree program. This paper describes a strategy for reaching digital systems which includes the integration of design and theory at all levels in the students' engineering education and which is particularly suitable for the early years of the engineering degree program. Student-based assessment is used in conjunction with open-ended design to develop problem-solving strategies and to encourage students to take more responsibility for their learning.

Abstract: Culminating five years of planning by faculty and students, the Integrated Teaching and Learning (ITL) Laboratory opened its doors in January 1997. One of the goals of the new facility is to link theory and experimentation in a hands-on way. Custom designed LabStations facilitate this goal with the capability to easily take quantitative measurements from an experiment and store them electronically for analysis. This paper presents the details of LabStation design and describes some of the portable experimental modules that will utilize the LabStations. Integrated Teaching and Learning Overview The College of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Colorado at Boulder is making a significant shift in the way undergraduate engineering students are educated. Integrated Teaching and Learning (ITL) is an interdisciplinary program that integrates team-oriented, handson learning experiences throughout the engineering curriculum and engages students in the design process beginning with their first year. ITL is horizontally integrated across all six engineering departments and vertically integrated through all four years. The program combines leading-edge computer and instrumentation technology with the knowledge and confidence that comes with hands-on, project-based learning. The cornerstone of this new program is the 34,400 sq. ft. ITL Laboratory, which opened its doors in January 1997. The laboratory’s curriculum-driven design accommodates a variety of learning styles and features two first-year design studios, an active-learning arena for 70 students, a computer simulation laboratory, a computer network integrating all the experimental equipment throughout two large, open laboratory plazas, capstone design studios, group work areas and student shops. The building itself is even an interactive teaching tool that gives students the capability to demonstrate, monitor and manipulate the facility’s many complex engineering systems (Carlson and Brandemuehl, 1997). Interdisciplinary Curriculum Reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of ITL, planning for the new curriculum has crossed traditional departmental boundaries. The initial impact on students is First Year Engineering Projects, a College-wide course that introduces beginning students to the excitement of engineering and to the practical considerations of the design process (Carlson et al., 1995, PiketMay et al., 1995). Students design, build and test real products with real customers, such as an assistive glove that a quadriplegic student uses to grasp a soda can. At the other end of the curriculum, senior-level capstone design projects are being piloted with interdepartmental

Abstract: Ada 95 is being used as the implementation language for a senior level compiler design course at the United States Military Academy. This paper describes experiences and Iessons learned as well as the scenario based approach for a large object oriented compiler project in that course. The term-long compiler project gives the students experience as a part of a (fictitious) designimplementation team building a production compiler. Ada 95 is compared to Pascal and C-H for the same course and positive and negative aspects of the three languages are described.

Abstract: The capstone course in chemical engineering at Widener University is divided into two semesters. In the fall semester, students experience the application of chemical engineering principles to the development, design, operation and evaluation of all major process equipment. Two in-class examinations are given during the term and a common project is assigned to all students. Students are allowed to work in small teams, although each student must submit a separate project report. In doing so, students also gain exposure to industrial computing tools. The course is taught in a state-of-the-art computer classroom in which each student has his or her own computer station which is part of a LAN that serves the school of engineering. In the second semester, students randomly pick a technology out of an envelope. The course requirements are for students to provide a process design package for a world scale manufacturing facility by the end of the semester. Such a document is often called a "black book" in industry. Students are also required to present and defend their design. Feedback from the students has been positive and they exhibit pride and ownership in their work. There are no tests given. Some suggestions on milestones are provided in the course syllabus and the professor works closely with students as they proceed with the design. About midway through the semester, the students give a short, five slide presentation on the status of their process design to the full faculty and fellow students. A final presentation is due at the end of the course in which the students describe their results.

Abstract: The paper deseribes recent steps in the development of a new undergraduate curriculum in aerospace engineering for the University of Cincinnati, which will be implemented starting in the 1997-1998 academic year pending university approval. The new curriculum places a strong emphasis on instruction and experience in collaborative and individual design exercises beginning in the sophomore year by mandating an 'integrated engineering' sequence for all aerospace engineering majors from sophomore through junior years, culminating in the 'capstone' design experience of the senior year. The integrated engineering sequence, which is described briefly here, combines formal instructional modules in design-related material and in nontechnical skill areas including technical writing and presentation with design experience related to corequisite prerequisite technical courses, and is intended to be team-taught. The paper also describes the procedure by which the new curriculum and the integrated engineering sequence was developed and approved by the department faculty, which provides some lessons in the overhaul of undergraduate engineering curricula. (Author)

Abstract: A good source of both graduate and undergraduate students to assist with or develop “research” efforts is from programs designed to introduce under-represented students to research. Some of these programs available to students are the National Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering and Science, Inc. (GEM), Alliances for Minority Participation (AMP), and Minority Academic Career (MAC) to name a few. In order for faculty to work with students in these types of programs, they must be aware of the students who are eligible for or in these programs. In addition, an awareness, by both students and program coordinators, of which individual faculty are interested in the mentoring program, is imperative. At New Jersey Institute of Technology, the authors not only meet the above requirements, but are also involved with programs for minority students K to 12. These efforts which have led to enrollment of students at NJIT, have raised the profile and familiarity of the faculty by students from these programs and led to mentoring involvements. Over the past three years a number of students, both graduate and undergraduate who are in various programs have worked with the authors in numerous “research” projects. These experiences have been rewarding and fulfilling to both constituencies. Introduction New Jersey Institute of Technology is an inner city urban institution located in Newark, New Jersey with a social, economic, and academically diverse student body consisting of 5007 undergraduate and 2830 graduate students. The undergraduate population is approximately composed of one third (women, Hispanic, and Afro-American) minority. NJIT has a long history of outreach programs for elementary through college level students with many originating in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry over the past 30 plus years. It is therefore not unusual to find departmental faculty being involved in the development and teaching of various minority outreach programs. Some programs that the authors have developed curriculum for are: 1. Upward Bound Program in Math and Science 2. Females in Engineering: Methods, Motivation, and Experience (FEMME) 3. Chemical Industry for Minorities in Engineering (CHIME) 4. Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) 5. Undergraduate Research Experience (URE) 6. Alliance for Minority Participation (AMP) Programs (1), (2), and (3) are elementary and high school level programs while (4), (5) and (6) are college level efforts. These programs provide faculty recognition and exposure to students, program administrators and advisors which lead to recruits for research programs both of a graduate and undergraduate nature. The authors believe in exposing students to experimental research projects which expose students to a laboratory type experiment, data reduction, a written document and as the capstone portion of the experience an oral report. These oral presentations may be to other students or to peer review panels in program competitions. However, in all cases the main goal is to give the student an exposure to independent learning and allow the individuals or teams to experience what a “research” project is like. Projects As one would expect, the research undertakings are a function of the student’s level of educational background. Students in the junior FEMME program, a summer offering, undertake two experiments. One is the titration of an acid, actually a series of four acid strengths, with a base in order to simulate neutralization of stomach acid by an equivalent (a base) of Tums. The other experiment is a temperature measurement of a heated liquid; actually heating water from room temperature to boiling, by using a metallic thermometer (with five degree sub-units) and a conventional mercury in glass thermometer with smaller subsets. The senior FEMME and the Upward Bound students are asked to undertake modifications of experiments in our Freshman Engineering Design (FED) laboratory. These experiences are predicated on simplifying the experimental data required and minimizing the required theoretical background. Experiments that can be undertaken are the calibration of a rotameter by the direct weight method, calibration of an air rotameter, power measurements in mixing, pressure drop in conduits or in packed towers, dynamics of emptying a cylindrical tank and fluidization of packed beds. When working with students, usually chemical engineering majors, on the undergraduate level we require more of them, but still tailor the projects to their respective capabilities. The students that have been involved in projects with the authors are of a diverse ethnic, racial and sexual background. Interestingly, most are of a minority group but not all have been associated with the college level programs described earlier. The students have had a varied experience, with all of them being involved in finding an appropriate area available to locate an undergraduate unit operations type laboratory experiment, designing or ordering equipment, siting it, installing it, operating the equipment, analyzing the data and then preparing an operational manual for the experiment. The quality of the finished product is amazing. Our FED laboratory was completed in this fashion. Several of the students, Jenny Lin and Hugo Fernandez have gone on to undertake graduate research projects with the authors in the area of combining soil fractionation with ultrasonics. The relationship established with these students is one that is truly enjoyable and relaxed because of the interaction developed previously. Other students have graduated and moved into the industrial sector. Without the EOP, URE and AMP programs the financial support required by the students during the semester and summer would not have been available and the students would have had to work elsewhere to support themselves. In addition, the progress achieved in developing our laboratories would never have been reached so quickly.

Abstract: In the fall of 1996, 10 students from the Electrical Engineering capstone design course at Texas A&M University became mentors to high school teams that were entered in a statewide robotics competition. In addition to attending the course lectures and performing the design process themselves, the capstone students became active participants in an intense 5 week experience in design by providing their skills and leadership as mentors to teams of students from near by high schools. Two engineers at Texas Instruments began the Texas Best competition in an effort to Boost Engineering Science and Technology (BEST). Last year, Texas A&M became the host of the statewide final competition. Preliminary competitions that matched 123 teams against each other were held in 6 locations around the state. 26 teams proceeded to the state finals. The growth rate of participation of these kinds of competitions indicates their popularity among the students, parents, sponsors and schools. This paper discusses the value to the student of using the mentoring experience as part of the capstone experience. An outline of the capstone course is also discussed.

Abstract: The multitude of specializations within biosystems engineering makes traditional capstone design courses, which typically focus on a single topic, less relevant. In our department, our yearlong capstone design experience involves machine component design. While this experience is useful to students in all concentrations, ideally, students concentrating on biological-, food-, and soil and water-engineering will have a capstone design experience that integrates their unique technical capabilities. New capstone courses should also enhance the broader skills of undergraduate engineers, including teamwork, time and resource management, oral and written communication, and integrated computer skills. However, a variety of issues militate against simply adding new courses to the curriculum, whereas altering existing courses to provide new content is more acceptable. We report here on two years (four semesters) of experience with a hybrid design course based on two existing design courses, and appropriate to biological-, soil and water-, and food-engineering students. The catalyst for this hybrid course was an invitation to enter the Padnos Design Competition, which our students won with their first year’s effort, despite lukewarm course evaluations. In this paper we discuss this paradox, describe changes we have suggested for our entire curricula based on our experiences in the design sequence, and explain how we are modifying our presentation of technical material to better suit the needs of the design course.

Abstract: In 1992, an individual with industry experience was hired to coordinate the capstone design course in the Electrical Engineering Department at Texas AM entry in national design competitions; community service projects; joint projects between departments and colleges; undergraduate research; industry projects; mentoring high school design competitions; and the evaluation of matrix management techniques as applied to the capstone course. An outline of the course content and some analysis of the critical factors in implementing the various alternative design project environments are discussed.

Abstract: This article describes a course in Business Ethics, team-taught by a professor of philosophy and a professor of business administration. Written by the philosopher, it focuses on the philosophical materials of the course. It details the use of primary sources, but with a very practical aim: the extraction of a “Moral Decision-Procedure,” a step-by-step way of applying abstract philosophy to ethical issues in business. Three philosophical assignments are described, leading to the “capstone assignment,” which is designed to integrate the philosophical material of the course with the practice of business. The capstone assignment has the format of business problem analysis. Ethical issues are raised, and addressed, in language appropriate to business. However, in a series of footnotes keyed to those discussions, the ethical issues are examined more fully, with heavy reliance upon primary sources in philosophy.

Abstract: In teaching an undergraduate controls course, several concepts are introduced. Students often perceive these materials as unrelated, thus of little application. There is a need to unify these concepts into larger problems. Examples could be presented in class, however, this would create a passive roll for the student. To encompass a larger number of concepts and involve the students, the capstone term project was incorporated into the course. It requires a large amount of design effort, appropriate use of class concepts and the use of a simulation language. This satisfies ABET design requirements and adds to students credentials by requiring a simulator such as MATLAB to successfully complete the project. Sophistication of the project encourages collaboration and team effort among the students, serious design consultation with the instructor, and other elements of a working engineering environment. Project reports for credit are individual submissions.

Abstract: Traditional engineering education has tended to compartmentalize subject matter. This tendency can be viewed at a curriculum level where courses are established along subject lines such as Thermodynamics, Statics or Machine Design. There is also this tendency within the individual courses themselves. One purpose of a capstone senior design experience is to help students recognize the connectivity among the subjects throughout their curriculum as they apply their knowledge to a meaningful problem. Establishing projects that demonstrate the connectivity in a specific course is also beneficial, not only as it relates to the course material, but as a precursor to the more involved projects in the senior capstone experience. This paper describes a semester-long project for courses on machine design where the students are required to completely design a simple machine to demonstrate fundamental kinematic principles. The students are required to provide complete working drawings of the machine with all parts specified from vendor catalogs or drawn in sufficient detail for fabrication. From this system design project, the students gain experience with the activities required to specify the common machine elements that are discussed in a traditional classroom setting. They learn the importance and relevance of calculations required to support their decision making. They also recognize the influence imposed on the system design from individual component decisions. The scope of this project remains within the bounds of the course material with some application to the pre-requisite kinematics course.

Abstract: This paper describes the working relationship between the Genesee Economic Growth Alliance and GMI Engineering and Management Institute's industrial engineering program to provide operational improvement technical assistance to area businesses This paper discusses the unique working relationship between the Manufacturing Innovation Council, GMI's industrial engineering capstone design program, and the Genesee County business community In addition to the working relationship, the paper describes how students are taught to develop a work plan for an unstructured and open-ended problem using a project problem solving process Finally, a project completed during the summer and fall semesters is reviewed