Group work in a capstone design project: students’ perceived preparedness, expectations and reflections

Capstone design projects require students to tackle complex real-world problems by employing knowledge and problem-solving skills to develop solutions and design processes. One of the mandatory requirements of capstone design projects is group work. In a design project, students must work in groups to collaborate, discuss options, partition tasks and set deadlines. Group dynamic therefore plays a major role in the progress and outcome of a design project.

Our study surveyed chemical engineering students on their perceived preparedness to undertake group work before the start of a design project, and on their reflections regarding group work after the project. Both surveys used Likert and open text questions and targeted a population of 86 students. More than one third of the targeted students participated in the study.

Students showed a strong understanding of how group work is important to prepare them for the “real world” and reported benefits such as the synergistic use of individual strengths. However, they expressed concerns regarding a fair distribution of workload, and associated allocation of marks. It is also clear how students’ expectations are informed by previous experiences involving group work during the degree.

Students highlighted effective communication, honesty and reliability, as essential individual attributes for a good group dynamic. They also showed strong support for the use of peer assessment to directly affect individual grades. This study will inform measures to maximise the active learning benefits of group work in the context of a capstone design project, and may inform group-based activities in other disciplines.