1. Keywords: Capstone design course, business plan, interdisciplinary collaboration
Integration of Real-life Engineering Design Problems into Engineering Education: A Case of a Capstone Course

2. Why? What problem are you solving? Educational objectives:
An innovative capstone project model for senior students in the Industrial Engineering program, by collaborating with professionals from industry and medical schools.
Educational objectives:
Integrate product/service design skills acquired through previous coursework to design and fabricate a prototype of a complex product/service
Synthesize analytical market, production system, and cost estimation evaluation and design skills acquired through previous coursework to perform commercialization activities associated with the product of item 1, above,
Develop team skills necessary for the completion of a large design project requiring input from many individuals
Demonstrate critical thinking and creativity in the course, through discussion, design, and analysis of relevant topics/design problems

3. When? What is the developmental history of your innovation?
Spring 2015
I am scheduled to teach it again in Spring 2016

4. Where? Have you tried this in other institutions?
The first time implementation
Adopted at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville
Department of Industrial Engineering
Is this developed for a single class, a full course, or a curriculum?
For a full course, IE 490 Integrated Engineering Design

5. What? What learning activities and materials have you developed?
Established a collaboration with professionals in industry and medical schools according to their expertise
A model to form heterogeneous groups
Business plan contents
Formal lectures
Guest speaker series and journal writing
Formal group meetings
What is your theory of change?
Working with professionals increases students’ awareness of engineering issues
What has worked really well?
Heterogeneous groups, journal writing, formal group meetings, working on real life problems

6. What?

7. Prognosis? How are you documenting impact?
Obtained feedback from students about their experiences through a survey
How do you plan to scale-up?
Establish a collaboration with faculty members in the marketing department
What challenges are you currently facing?
Students need more time to complete the projects
What advice would you like from others at FOEE?
I believe it is critical to be open to suggestions and learn from one’s and others’ experiences. Therefore, I am eager to learn from my colleagues’ experiences, their approaches to engineering education, and the courses or other activities carried out in their institutions

8. Outcome