Work in Progress - From First-Year Projects to Senior Capstone Design ... What Skills are Really Gained?

Innovative curriculum reforms have been instituted at several universities and colleges with the intention of developing the technical competence and professional skills of engineering students. First-Year, or Freshman Design courses have been integrated into undergraduate engineering curriculaacross the country. Many of these courses provide students with hands-on engineering opportunities early in the curriculum. Senior Capstone courses are ubiquitous in engineering programs, incorporating technical knowledge and real-world problem solving. However, it is unclear what professional and technical engineering skills are gained between freshman and senior year design courses. This research project investigates the longitudinal technical and professional skill development of mechanical engineering students at the University of Colorado at Boulder. An overview of First-Year Engineering Projects and the Senior Capstone Design project courses is detailed. The assessment tools and schedule are presented, and the initial findings are discussed. Additionally, a summary is addressed discussing how the evaluation results, which may affect skills development, will be integrated into the next course offering of Senior Capstone Design.