Capstone teams: An industry based model

Abstract

Project teams, a mainstay in industry practice, are being employed in many capstone design courses. This paper examines industry models for teams and their application to a specific capstone design course. Following Katzenbach and Smith’s basics of high performing teams, teams are formed based on individuals skills. The team is made accountable and committed both as a group and as individuals through the structure and format of the course. The course structure is then planned so that teams progress through Tuckman’s development stages of forming, storming, norming and performing, during their two semester capstone design project.