An Empirical Study on Design-Based vs. Traditional Approaches in Capstone Courses in Engineering Education

This study focuses on the two main design approaches applied to the guidance of student product development during capstone design courses through a comparison of two major approaches: traditional design process (TDP) and design thinking (DT). The objective of this paper is to discuss the impact of these design approaches on student activities, outcomes, and learning. Our research, conducted over three years, compared two courses offered at the same university, one applying TDP and the other DT. The research method consisted of three phases: (1) a comparison of the course structures and materials; (2) an analysis of deliverables from 50 design projects developed by 274 students, which was based on documentation and prototypes; and (3) a quantitative survey of the students. Results show that the DT-based course characteristics, such as extended time dedicated to prototyping cycles, limited the possibility of addressing some of the TDP methods (e.g. Quality Function Deployment) in the course timeframe shared by the two approaches. Results also suggest that, despite the shortcomings related to documentation, the DT-based course led to more innovative prototypes when compared to the TDP-based course. It was also notable that the DT course led to increased student self-efficacy in terms of innovation and increased technical knowledge. The results of this study are applicable for supporting the selection of design approaches and the definition of course activities in capstone design project courses.