Abstract:

Technical knowledge is necessary for the education of computer science students, but it is not sufficient to guarantee career success. The complexity of computer science and the dynamic nature of related technological applications make the development of effective writing, speaking and teaming skills an essential component of educating the computer scientist. This paper describes how a project management activity has shaped the capstone project experience offered by the North Carolina State University Department of Computer Science Senior Design Center. The Center facility provides a required industrially-sponsored capstone experience to undergraduate computer science seniors. Students are placed on teams and expected to solve a problem by creating a unique software system using an iterative development methodology. Students are coached on various activities related to teaming, one of which is referred to as task planning, a project management opportunity. In this session, students plan and manage their semester project with the guidance of faculty advisors. Many phases of the activity are described: estimation of hours and definition of project scope; team member accountability and development of software design; conflict resolution and proactive leadership; illumination of project deliverables; follow through; and task planning as a model for team interactions. Faculty advisors in the Center have facilitated task planning with over 500 student project teams – it has proven to be an extremely powerful exercise and has become the pivotal activity in this capstone project experience. Task planning can be adapted for team-based project courses within any discipline.

Keywords:

Capstone project course, project management, teaming, accountability, proactive leadership, conflict resolution, software design, project scope definition.