Fall 2026#
The course schedule and assignments are subject to change based on overall project progress and guest speaker availability. Any updates will be communicated in advance.
Schedule#
Class meets on Fridays from 10:05–11:20 AM.
Date |
Topic |
Assignment / Notes |
|---|---|---|
Aug 28 |
Course Kickoff & Orientation |
Syllabus review, expectations, deliverables; Client/Mentor/Student Breakfast |
Sep 4 |
Project Development Fundamentals |
Prepare project checklist |
Sep 11 |
Story Circles |
Team Contract (communication protocol + conflict escalation plan) |
Sep 18 |
Requirements Analysis & System Architecture |
Translate requirements into structured tasks (including priorities, dependencies, estimated effort, and expected deliverables), validate with mentor/client and continuously update |
Sep 25 |
Professional Communication with Clients |
Practice communication strategies; gather client feedback on how effectively you use meeting time and recommendations for improvement; update team contract |
Oct 2 |
Guest Talk 1 |
Schedule a brief discussion or lunch meeting with the guest speaker (or other domain experts of your choice) and submit a one-page reflection on key takeaways. Each team submits one domain reflection for the entire semester. |
Oct 9 |
Q&A / Team Discussion |
No lecture; team disucssion reflection, expert meetings, or team discussion with the capstone director. |
Oct 16 |
Guest Talk 2 |
Domain reflection (if not yet completed) |
Oct 23 |
Team Presentation 1 |
Progress presentation + feedback integration |
Oct 30 |
Team Presentation 2 |
Progress presentation + feedback integration |
Nov 6 |
Team Presentation 3 |
Progress presentation + feedback integration |
Nov 13 |
Team Presentation 4 |
Progress presentation + feedback integration |
Nov 20 |
Q&A / Team Discussion |
No lecture; team disucssion reflection, expert meetings, or team discussion with the capstone director. |
December Work Period
Dec 4-Dec 11: Continue working with clients. There are no formal class sessions.
How Will My Learning Be Assessed, And How Will My Grade Be Determined?#
Grades are determined through a combination of client feedback, mentor feedback, team documentation, peer evaluation, individual participation, and presentation work.
Component |
Weight |
Assessment Focus |
Type |
|---|---|---|---|
Client Feedback on Project Team and Individual |
25% |
How well the planning, early prototyping, and overall progress meets client expectations, including professionalism, functionality, and responsiveness to client needs and feedback. |
Team & Individual |
Mentor Feedback on Individual Student |
15% |
Mentor evaluations of individual contributions, collaboration, initiative, and professionalism throughout the project. |
Individual |
Team Member Evaluation |
15% |
Peer evaluations of teamwork, contribution, reliability, and collaboration. |
Individual |
Sprint Submissions (total of 3) |
15% |
Quality and completeness of sprint submission, including progress updates, communication tracking, requirement to task, project design, and reflections on challenges encountered. |
Team |
In-Class Presentations |
10% |
Graded on clarity, organization, delivery, and ability to effectively communicate project progress and solutions during class presentations. |
Team |
Participation and Attendance |
10% |
Points awarded for consistent attendance and active participation in discussions. |
Individual |
Team Contract |
5% |
Develop a team contract that outlines communication protocols, roles and responsibilities, use of GenAI, meeting expectations, and a conflict escalation plan. |
Team |
Expert Engagement & Lessons Learned |
5% |
Engage with a guest speaker or domain/technical expert through a brief discussion. Submit a one-page team reflection summarizing key insights and how they inform your project approach. |
Team |
Client and mentor feedback emphasize understanding and translating client requirements into actionable solutions, demonstrating professionalism, responsiveness, proactive engagement, clear communication, and strong follow-through.
Sprint logs and end of semester documentation should clearly capture project planning, technical prototyping decisions, and the rationale behind key challenges and trade-offs.
Teams communicate their work to diverse audiences through presentations, while fostering effective internal communication and incorporating feedback from domain and technical experts.