Senior Project Manual

Manual Prepared by Alan Dubrow, Patricia Earnest

September, 2004

Table of Contents
Introduction
Learning Goals
Syllabus & Course Description
Grading Policy
Fall and Spring Schedule
'Deliverables'
Design Methodology Model
Project Proposal & Need Statement
Project Selection
Mentors
Design Reviews Mandatory
Communication Skills
Dean's Award
Outcomes Assessment
Forms

Introduction

The 'Senior Project' is a two-semester course sequence which was instituted many years ago to give Engineering Students the opportunity to perform as practicing project engineers. The 'Senior Project' is as near to a real industrial project experience as could be developed by the School of Engineering. There are several learning goals emphasized during the courses, which relate to: engineering design, communication skills, problem solving skills and teamwork.

Throughout the engineering curriculum these learning goals have been emphasized. However, during the Senior Project, you will have to demonstrate your ability to apply them effectively. In order to reinforce the learning goals, you will be given additional training in engineering design, communication and teamwork.

The learning goals that you are expected to demonstrate are listed on the next page. These learning goals were established by the Engineering Departments and they are in compliance with those of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). 

As an added enhancement, each team will be assigned or may request a Mentor who will help guide the team, as outlined on a later page.   

Please note that self-reliance is also an important aspect of the Senior Project; therefore, it is the responsibility of the team to initiate all team activities, including scheduling meetings with the Mentor.

Most engineering problems require several disciplines to complete the solution. Each engineer is expected to work closely with those of a different technical discipline. Furthermore, as the engineer progresses professionally, he/she may direct those in other disciplines. In these instances the team leader must develop a respect and a working knowledge of the other disciplines. In the Senior Project: EE, ME, Mfg E, Computer and Software Engineering students may team together to accomplish the technical project.

Learning Goals (Of The Engineering Departments)

Graduates of the Engineering programs will have acquired:

1. Knowledge of relevant and fundamental areas of mathematics and science, and applications.
2. An up-to-date understanding of the fundamental areas in the engineering discipline, and associated technologies.
3. In-depth understanding of at least one area of specialization.

B. Skills

1. An ability to identify, formulate and solve open-ended engineering problems.
2. Engineering Design; an ability to design a system, a component, or process to meet desired needs.
3. An ability to design and conduct experiments as well as collect, analyze and interpret data.
4. Highly developed verbal and written communication and evaluation skills.
5. An ability to use the techniques and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.

C. Life-Long Practice

1. A desire and respect for innovation, life-long learning, and currency of one's knowledge and skills.
2. Appreciation and knowledge of the liberal arts and contemporary issues in a global environment.
3. How to function as collaborators and leaders in team situations.

D. A Sense Of Social Responsibility

1. An appreciation of the role of engineering technology and solutions in society.
2. An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility.

Syllabus

Fairfield University

School of Engineering

Class Requirements: All work must be submitted on time.

Syllabus (cont.)

Course Description:

A "Capstone" design experience where students work

in teams on advanced projects which require application of engineering concepts and design methodology. Literature searches, synthesis of concepts, as well as analysis and experimentation are required of project teams. In order to develop team collaboration, writing and presentation skills; the student is required to attend sessions in effective communication during the two course sequence. Written progress reports and oral summaries in the form of design review presentations will be required. An oral presentation and written report is required at the end of each semester. A demonstration of feasibility for the resulting product or process culminates the end of the second semester. This is a continuous two-course sequence beginning in the Fall.

Computer Usage:

Computer output is required throughout the Senior Project from project planning to final design. All written reports and presentations must be computer-generated. The School of Engineering computer laboratories and applicable software programs are available to the students.

Laboratory Usage:

As required for testing and reliability evaluation of design prototypes and final design. It is strongly recommended that initial concept feasibility be determined by experiments!

Course Objectives:

1. Students demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively.

Outcomes

a) Complete several oral presentations covering the Senior Project
b) Prepare detailed technical reports

2. Students are able to work in teams on a technical project comparable to an industrial environment.

Outcomes

a) Cooperate with others
b) Reconcile differences of opinion
c) Contribute their share of the workload
d) Each student has understanding of other teammates' tasks

3. Students can solve open-ended technical problems.

Outcomes

a) Demonstrate the ability to apply theoretical concepts to practical problem solving
b) Analyze problems from different view points

4. Students can apply design methodology in order to complete projects

Outcomes

a) Successfully apply design methodology to the Senior Project
b) Generate several potential solutions to a given design need
c) Demonstrate a basic understanding of the design process from concept to prototype

5. Students demonstrate the ability to build, test and validate systems.

Outcomes

a) Complete the construction and evaluation of the Senior Project prototype
b) Verify that the prototype meets the initial design need employing a specification verification matrix analysis.

6. Students learn and adapt methods for considering ethical, societal and other professional engineering practices.

Outcomes

a) Successful completion of ethical case studies solutions
b) Incorporation of the above considerations in the design.

Textbook: G. Dieter, Engineering Design, 3^rd Edition, McGraw-Hill.

This text will be used for background reading as assigned in the class schedule and homework deliverables. Some chapters will be valuable for the teams depending on the type and depth of the project. This is an excellent reference book for your engineering library.

The following references are recommended, although they will not be required texts:

B. S. Dhillon, Engineering Design, A Modern Approach. Irwin Publishers (Division of McGraw-Hill) This is a soft cover book that describes all elements of project engineering.

Ertas, The Engineering Design Process, 2nd edition, published by Wiley. Although this is primarily a mechanical engineering text, the techniques required to plan, schedule, and track progress are delineated in this text. The text is found in the Fairfield University library.

Reference Material: Extensive literature research is expected to fully investigate alternative concepts and to complete projects.

Attendance Policy:

Although there are several open sessions, which provide class time for the teams to work together at locations other than the classroom, students are expected to attend all scheduled sessions where lectures or project status discussions, design reviews and presentations are required. In case of absence from lectures where homework is required, the student is responsible for acquiring notes and homework assignment from a teammate. There will be several of these open sessions where a representative from each team is expected to meet with the Instructor to discuss the team's progress.

Grading Policy:

A) Grading                   (Team)               Points

B) Grading                  (Individual)                        Points

Note: The project report must address the areas listed in the Project Evaluation Checklist and include the true-to-scale Dimensioned Layout.

**The detailed interim report must have the proper format as a final report but will only include status and analyses to date. This should include:

1. Accepted proposal
2. requirements and specifications
3. function chart
4. the decisions for the final concept
5. Schedule to date

Senior Project

'Deliverables'

Fall Semester

1. A 'Project Proposal' based on a 'Need Statement' complete with an estimate of the cost of the Project (Week 3)

2. One Design Review is scheduled during the term (see Fall schedule) where all members of each team will present a portion of the project status to mentors and instructors.

3. A detailed technical report on the "Optimal Design Configuration" complete with a true-to-scale dimensioned layout along with all backup materials demonstrating the design methodology, mathematical engineering analyses, and experimental results. (Week 14)

4. A team presentation to the faculty, sponsors and peers, of 15 minutes which will provide a clear and concise description of the design methodology and analyses leading to the "Optimal Design Configuration". (Week 15)

5. Monthly progress reports, an interim written report and Design Review presentation (see Schedule)

6. Homework assignments including Ethics Case Studies.

. Spring Semester

1. A detailed technical report, complete with final assembly drawing, based on engineering practice, full description of test results and data, and assessment of results. The report must justify the feasibility of the final product or process developed by your team. (Week 14)

2. One Design Review is scheduled during the term (see Spring schedule) where all members of each team will present a portion of the project status to mentors and instructors.

3. A team presentation to the faculty, sponsors and peers, of 15 minutes which will provide a clear and concise description of your project efforts and the resulting product or process. (Week 15)

4. A 10 minute demonstration to faculty, sponsors, industrial representatives and peers, of a working prototype. (Week 15)

5. Monthly progress reports and Design Review presentations (see Schedule).

'Project Proposal' & 'Need Statement'

Prior to the start of any project, an engineer prepares a Project Proposal. For the 'Senior Project' the proposal should not be more than two pages. It should start with the 'Need Statement' which clearly states 'what' function need is required at the most basic conceptual level. The remaining proposal should than answer the following questions:

'Why' is the design required?
'When' is the design required?
'Where' is the design used?
'Who' requires the design?
'How' is the design solution constrained?

In your proposal, the above questions are answered with factual statements based on your analysis of the real need. As you go through the Senior Project you will learn why this 'Need Statement' is so important.

Project Selection

Each team will select a project based on their interests and the faculty's determination of feasibility:

•   The team should be able to complete the project on time.
•  The project cost is permissible.
•   The project demonstration and experimentation will be safe.
•   The project is worthy of execution.

Role Of The Mentor

The School of Engineering will provide a mentor

for each project to assist the team.

The mentor is a highly skilled engineer selected from the faculty or industry. The mentor will have experience related to the project to which he or she will be assigned. More than one mentor may be assigned to a project depending on its scope.

1. Helps the team stay on track.
2. Guides the team through the design methodology. The mentor will not direct you on your decisions, he will only advise.
3. Does not perform analyses for solving technical problems for the team.
4. Comments on alternatives to help the team avoid problems and schedule slippage.
5. Tries to prevent the team from getting into serious difficulty.

Design Reviews

The Senior Project teams are required to prepare presentations, reports and attend all design review sessions indicated on the Fall and Spring schedules. Outlines of what is to be presented must be available to the faculty the week prior to the presentation. Evaluation sheets are located in the forms section at the end of the manual.

Elements Of A Design Review

1. The design review is a status report of progress. Refer only to the project specifications and schedule.
2. Do not use the design review to start redesigning the product or process.
3. Prepare an agenda, set a meeting timeline, and distribute a summary in advance. There should be a definitive objective for the meeting. Present action items from last Review and their solutions.
4. Keep it short - under 20 minutes.
Keep it simple - stick to meeting the objective.
5. Leave time for questions and comments. 
6. Collect comments for consideration action items and report back, as soon as possible with an answer to the comments.

Communication Skills

The Senior Project teams are required to attend all communication classes indicated on the Fall and Spring schedules. It is important to attend these sessions because during them you will learn how to enhance personal and interpersonal communication. You will learn techniques for understanding the strengths of your team members and resolving conflicts that may arise in those teams. You will learn how to think "outside the box" and will develop an awareness of the importance of listening skills.

During the sessions, you will be shown how to develop reports that communicate your ideas clearly and effectively. You will learn how to structure the report with a table of contents, bibliography and so on. We will discuss overall design methodology, such as choice of page layout, fonts, typefaces, and use of white space. Voice, style and format will be discussed and you will learn how to develop an effective introduction, body and conclusion.

You will be expected to fully participate in team presentations and will learn how to work as partners in a presentation team. During classes we will discuss how to present overheads as well as stand up and deliver your part of the presentation. Topics will include how to develop your verbal skills and how to create overheads with accurate, clear and informative content.

Teamwork:

You will be working in teams of 3 to 4 persons maximum. Each member will be expected to pull their weight and participate fully. Grades will be awarded based on each individual's contribution to the group effort. We feel that this experience will be most important as you develop your engineering career and find yourselves working in team environments. Each team will produce a report to be worked on during each semester as well as deliver presentations to faculty and others.

Presentation:

There will be two major team presentations at the conclusion of each semester as well as others to faculty members. In addition, there will be a mid-term formal Design Review session each term. Each member of each team will be expected to participate with verbal and visual input. Content will include a technical view of the project, including problem areas and how these were resolved as well as scheduling details. Projectors for the PowerPoint presentations will be provided.

Report.

Reports are due in triplicate (mentor, Ms Earnest, Prof. Dubrow) at the end of each semester. Students are expected to study previous years' reports (on hand in the SOE offices) and have an outline complete by the first Communication Class. Each report will include topics such as Table of Contents, Bibliography and a complete technical picture of your project. All drawings and schematics must be computer-generated. Test data collected must also be included with the proper comments as to the observations and conclusions. The report copies will be placed in the Senior Project File, provided to the Sponsor and one will be returned to the team with comments.

Dean's Award

Each year the Dean awards a special prize for the most outstanding project. The prize consist of a certificate and a $200 check to each member of the Senior Project team. The judging is performed by three engineers selected from the faculty and industry. The criteria for selecting the best project is based on the evaluation forms used for the oral presentation and the feasibility demonstration.

Senior Project

Outcomes Assessment

The Senior Project represents the culmination of your undergraduate engineering program. The educational strategy of the Senior Project involves the creation of a realistic environment requiring the use of your skills and abilities learned through the School of Engineering. Specifically, the Senior Project requires you to act as a practicing engineer. In doing so, you experience how engineers must interact with each other, communicate effectively, apply engineering concepts to solve design problems and properly utilize design methodology from concept to manufacturing.

In order to determine whether you have achieved the skills and abilities required to complete the Senior Project, several assessment forms have been established. A listing and samples of these forms are given on the following pages. Please review these forms and if you have any questions, please contact the course Coordinator or Associate Dean.

Senior Project Assessment

Written Report

"Project Evaluation Check List"

Technical Content

Addressed      Instructor

 in Report       Review

Team Input

1. Established project objectives exactly describing the need.
2. Created feasible concepts and configuration alternatives.
3. Assembled relevant data necessary to initiate the project.
4. Clearly defined design problems and issues.
5. Proposed solution to open-ended design problems.
6. Documented criteria for selecting design specification and features.
7. Demonstrated the utilization of the design methodology.
8. Based system or product description on appropriate mathematical models engineering scientific concepts.
9. Established safety requirements and issues to extent necessary.
10. Confirmed cost projections and budget requirements.
11. Completed social and environmental impact study.
12. Considered product sustainability.
13. Determined aesthetic and ergonomic factors.
14. Resolved all ethical issues.
15. Met schedule milestones.
16. Considered product reliability and maintainability.
17. Addressed product manufacturability.
18. Completed a documented literature search.

Ratings 1 - No consideration
2 - Minimal consideration
3 - Satisfactory
4 - Very Good
N/A - Not Applicable

Written Report Evaluation Form

Ratings 1 - Unsatisfactory
2 - Needs Improvement
3 - Satisfactory
4 - Very Good
5 - Excellent

Written Report Grading Guideline

Competency-Based Review Form for Basic Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Instructor         Team         Date

Course #                               Course Title

Design Review Assessment

Scoring: 1 = Meets Requirements fully
2 = Meets Requirements marginally
3 = Does not meet Requirement