Recent Trends and the Current State of Capstone Design

Abstract

A recent report issued by the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) titled “Innovation with Impact: Creating a Culture of Scholarly and Systematic Innovation in Engineering Education” includes the development of critical thinking, teamwork, and communication skills among the expectations of engineering education [1]. Capstone design courses are uniquely situated to play a major role in helping students develop these skills. Although opportunities to develop these skills would ideally be available in other courses prior to the senior year, the capstone design course and associated team-based project experience provide students with the opportunity to apply what they have learned prior to the senior year towards the solution of a technical problem.