Grant Recipients
Ada Hurst, Management Science
Ken McKay, Management Science
(Project timeline: January 2023 - December 2023)
Description
- This exploratory study investigates potential grading methods for capstone design courses which are oriented toward holistic competencies. The research is innovative in four ways: the Engineering context, design/studio course framework, potential use of mixed grading schema in a course setting, and incorporating longitudinal mixed-method research on student perceptions and feedback.
- The research findings will support evidence-based recommendations to capstone instructors, as well as instructors of non-Engineering studio courses.
- Engineering programs are often highly competitive situations for students and in certain post-graduation situations, marks are still the focus for some students. The study will probe these potentially important student concerns in addition to the possible impacts related to motivation and teamwork.
Project Objectives
- Information gathering: review range and effectiveness of various grading schemes for capstone design courses.
- Intervention and evaluation: Select, pilot, and assess alternative (non-numerical) grading schemes.
- Synthesis and sharing: Use findings to make recommendations for future offerings of the course and share findings and exchange experience with other stakeholders.