In Capstone Design Project, you will work as an independent group to deliver value on a real-world project. Teams will work to define and scope their project in consultation with project clients, and tailor and manage system life-cycle processes to the delivery of the project.

Students will undertake skills modules during the project, designed to improve the quality of the final deliverables. During the project, you will be situated with other teams to simulate an engineering firm working on multiple projects, and will take a lead in reviewing the output and processes of other projects.

Design Project

You will be expected to negotiate, scope, manage and deliver on all aspects of a significant design project, and present your work at a public showcase towards the end of the project. As a capstone course, you will be applying what you have learnt throughout their degree, including the systems methodology throughout the Engineering Design core and your engineering major. Project teams will be formed during a Team Formation event in the early weeks of your first semester.

Engineering Design @ ANU

At ANU, students are challenged to think of engineering design at a systems-level. At this stage in your degree, you will be using engineering design to make a positive impact on society through five domains: design, analysis, research, professional practice and teamwork. In Capstone Project, you will be able to navigate the whole project autonomously, drawing upon earlier Engineering Design courses and your major.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Synthesise technical knowledge and approaches to generate solutions to an open-ended engineering problem
2. Develop, analyse, and critically evaluate alternative options in order to justify and generate solutions in a real-world project
3. Apply research skills and methodologies to identify, collate, summarise and critically evaluate relevant literature, data and sources
4. Apply project management and organisational skills to produce time-sensitive deliverables in a multi-disciplinary team
5. Transmit design decisions and solutions using appropriate media to professional and lay audiences
6. Demonstrate and reflect on research, leadership and creativity as an individual and within a multi-disciplinary team

Research-Led Teaching

Authentic engineering projects are drawn from a wide range of sources including industry, government and community groups, research groups across the ANU and student-generated projects.

Field Trips

Travel off-site to meet with project hosts may be required. Insurance must be arranged prior to travel and student must complete a WHS risk assessment.

Costs should be covered by project hosts.

Limited microgrants are available by application. Approval must be sort from the course convenor.

See the course guide for details.

Additional Course Costs

We do not expect students to bare any significant costs associated with the course. In general, any significant project costs should be covered by the project host. However, there may be times when teams choose to cover minor costs for project items such as materials or consumables. To offset these costs, a number of Microgrants will be available to teams that comply with financial reporting requirements. Approval must be sort from the course convenor.

See the course guide for more details.

Examination Material or equipment

There is no exam for this course.

Required Resources

Depending on the project, appropriate clothing and safety equipment, such as enclosed shoes and safety glasses, will be required for prototyping, manufacturing and testing.

Recommended Resources

Whether you are on campus or studying remotely, there are a variety of online platforms you will use to participate in your study program. These could include videos for lectures and other instruction, two-way video conferencing for interactive learning, email and other messaging tools for communication, interactive web apps for formative and collaborative activities, print and/or photo/scan for handwritten work and drawings, and home-based assessment.

ANU outlines recommended student system requirements to ensure you are able to participate fully in your learning. Other information is also available about the various Learning Platforms you may use.

It is recommended that you attend an induction for the ANU/Engineering MakerSpace to access these facilities if required for your project work.

The following resources are recommended for managing professional engineering projects:

• The Systems Engineering Body of Knowledge (SEBoK)
• The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBoK)

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• written comments
• verbal comments
• feedback to whole class, groups, individuals, focus group etc

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). Feedback can also be provided to Course Conveners and teachers via the Student Experience of Learning & Teaching (SELT) feedback program. SELT surveys are confidential and also provide the Colleges and ANU Executive with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement.

Other Information

Personal Information

Capstone ENGN4300 is a group project course. Students in the ‘Capstone may be required to share their personal information with a third party, including Host Organisations.  

If you elect to work on a project with a Host, the College of Engineering, Computing and Cybernetics will provide the Host with your name, your ANU ID number, your Academic Degree Program Level (e.g. Master/ Bachelor/Honours) and your ANU email address, as required. ANU will share your personal information only to the extent necessary for you to undertake your group project course.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Introductory lectureProject selection night	Course induction quiz Project selection
2		Project offers and acceptance
3	Tutorial
4	Audit 1 tutorial	PA 1: Audit reviews and team member evaluation submitted Team repository and landing page Concept of operations and other course documentation
5	Audit feedback tutorialModule 1 - Part A	Response to PA1 feedback
6	TutorialModule 1 - Part B
7	Tutorial
8	Tutorial
9	TutorialModule 2 - Part A
10	Mid-project presentation eventModule 2 - Part B	Mid-Project Presentation
11	Audit 2 tutorial	PA 2: Audit reviews and team member evaluation submitted
12	Audit feedback tutorial	Response to PA2 feedback
13	Tutorial	Week 1, S1 2024
14	Tutorial
15	Tutorial
16	Audit 3 tutorial	PA3: Audit reviews and team member evaluation submitted
17	Audit feedback tutorialModule 3 - Part A	Response to PA3 feedback
18	TutorialModule 3 - Part B
19	Tutorial
20	Tutorial
21	TutorialModule 4 - Part A	Showcase poster submission
22	Project Showcase EventModule 4 - Part A	Showcase pitch and poster presentation
23	Audit 4 tutorial	PA4: Audit reviews and team member evaluations submitted
24		Final project repository and documentation Complete handover Final team review

Tutorial Registration

Students will decide on the project they will work on at a project selection night held in week 1 of their initial semester. Then they will enter their project and tutorial preferences into Wattle. See MyTimetable for tutorial times. Teams will attend the same tutorial time throughout the two consecutive semesters they are enrolled in the course.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Learning Outcomes
Design Project	70 %	1,2,3,4,5,6
Mid- Project Presentation	10 %	5
Mid-Project Reflection	10 %	4,6
End-of-Project Professional Portfolio and Reflection	10 %	4,6

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines , which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Integrity Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Guideline and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure
• Code of practice for teaching and learning

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the Academic Skills website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

We expect all students to attend the weekly tutorials to ensure they deliver the best possible outcomes to their project host. In particular, attendance to tutorials for project audits and audit feedback responses is essential. Attendance will be noted.

Students are required to attend the four Professional Development module sessions throughout the course. See the timetable for scheduling. Attendance will be noted.

Students will be part of an engineering team and their positive contribution to the team including attending meetings, delivering on their commitments to the project and contributing to team success is expected. This contribution will be captured during the audit process by self-assessment, and by their peers who will evaluate the relative contribution of each team member.

We also expect students to keep an Engineering logbook demonstrating their day-to-day work, project host interactions, resources accessed, the hours worked in each session, ideas generated, and how previous courses and extra-curricular activities have assisted with the project. The logbook will help the students prepare for audits, mid-sem reflection, and their end-of-semester professional portfolio.

Examination(s)

There is no exam for this course.

Assessment Task 1

Design Project

Students will choose their preferred project and become part of a team working on delivering value to their client.

• To monitor the progress of the project, the assessment includes 4 x project audits over 2 semesters. Students will submit audit reviews for their project (self) and a peer review. They will also evaluate the relative contributions of each member of the team.
• group assessment, total value 70%

Please see the course assessment guide for more details.

Assessment Task 2

Mid- Project Presentation

• Group presentation at the mid-point of the project.
• 10 minute presentation and 5 minute question time
• 10% group assessment

All members must actively participate in the presentation or question time unless approval is sought from the course convenor. Members that do not participate will receive a zero grade.

Please see the course assessment guide for more details.

Assessment Task 3

Mid-Project Reflection

Mid-project reflection – 1500-2000 words reflecting on?the student's?personal?contribution?and?approach?to?their?project. The reflection will include how this experience maps to the attainment of the Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competency Standard for Professional Engineers.

• Submitted during the exam period of the first semester.
• Total value 10%
• Individual assessment

Please see the course assessment guide for more details.

Assessment Task 4

End-of-Project Professional Portfolio and Reflection

Professional Portfolio - Students will reflect on?how their required engineering courses, work experience, choice of electives, Capstone Design Project, and any extra-curricular activities (such as internships, societies, and student teams) have contributed to their own development (breadth or depth). Also, students will reflect on how any multi-disciplinary engineering skills they have acquired have helped them develop their professional identity as they prepare for graduation. As part of the Professional Portfolio, students will submit a resume, career episode reports and competency mapping demonstrating attainment of the competency elements in the Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competency Standards for Professional Engineers. 

• Total value 10%
• Individual assessment
• Please see the course assessment guide for more details.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. The University’s students are an integral part of that community. The academic integrity principle commits all students to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support, academic integrity, and to uphold this commitment by behaving honestly, responsibly and ethically, and with respect and fairness, in scholarly practice.

The University expects all staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle, the Academic Integrity Rule 2021, the Policy: Student Academic Integrity and Procedure: Student Academic Integrity, and to uphold high standards of academic integrity to ensure the quality and value of our qualifications.

The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 is a legal document that the University uses to promote academic integrity, and manage breaches of the academic integrity principle. The Policy and Procedure support the Rule by outlining overarching principles, responsibilities and processes. The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 commences on 1 December 2021 and applies to courses commencing on or after that date, as well as to research conduct occurring on or after that date. Prior to this, the Academic Misconduct Rule 2015 applies.

 

The University commits to assisting all students to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. All coursework students must complete the online Academic Integrity Module (Epigeum), and Higher Degree Research (HDR) students are required to complete research integrity training. The Academic Integrity website provides information about services available to assist students with their assignments, examinations and other learning activities, as well as understanding and upholding academic integrity.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Individual assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

• Late submission not permitted. If submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date is not permitted, a mark of 0 will be awarded. Late submissions will not be accepted on project audit reviews.
• Late submission permitted. Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

The Academic Skills website has information to assist you with your writing and assessments. The website includes information about Academic Integrity including referencing requirements for different disciplines. There is also information on Plagiarism and different ways to use source material.

Returning Assignments

Feedback will be made available via pdf links in the Wattle gradebook.

Audit feedback will be available by COB on the Monday following an audit week.

Marks and feedback for the final individual assessment will be made available at the end of the exam period via Wattle gradebook (as occurs for final exams).

For other submissions feedback will be available 10 working days after submission.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Access and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students