Pedagogical implications of project selection in capstone design courses

The heart of the capstone experience is the project itself. There are a variety of projects used in capstone design: projects sponsored by industry with or without a fee, service learning projects, student competitions, campus projects, \u27paper designs,\u27 and faculty projects. The project management can range from being managed completely by the faculty advisor or the project sponsor to those that are completely managed by the student team. Teams can be allowed to fail or the faculty project advisor can ensure successful completion. Projects may emphasize creativity and/or communication and/or technical depth. This paper evolved from a panel discussion of capstone projects at the Capstone 2010 Design Conference and notes the distinct differences between project types. © 2011 TEMPUS Publications