Early Development Of Capstone Design Team Through Graduate Student Mentoring And Team Building Activities

Capstone design teams at the University of Idaho undertake year-long, industry-sponsored design projects extending from conceptualization through realization of functional prototypes. Team experiences at the U of I have shown that teams that have early external leadership are more prepared for a successful capstone experience than teams that are left to their own devices. This paper outlines how graduate student mentors facilitate team development. Strategies include leading the teams in introductory meetings and organizing team-building activities such as a ropes course, a shop orientation, tracking early progress on a present condition board, and visualizing accomplishments in team documentation. Successful teams tend to immerse themselves in the project very soon after team formation, generating insightful customer interview questions and producing a realistic schedule for the year. Graduate student mentors increase the likelihood of a successful transition by providing a model for effective team organization. Surveys show that teams benefit from structured activities and assistance received in the early stages of team development, leading to enhanced team confidence and understanding. Discoveries about start-up activities, mentor affirmation, and early design-team interventions from the capstone design program at the University of Idaho are likely to add value in other contexts.