Abstract
Engineering design as capstone course creates an
opportunity for practitioners to demonstrate their familiarity with
the particular landscape of practice of their chosen field. This
research follows a team of seven final-year Mechanical
Engineering students as they complete a capstone design project
to design and build an energy efficient vehicle to be entered into
an international race. A qualitative, ethnographic study was
conducted, collecting data through observation, reflection, and
interviews with each of the student-participants and their
academic supervisor. Landscapes of practice are defined through
patterns of interaction within and between the various
communities occupying the landscape. How we design the
landscape of practice determines the opportunities we create for
student development. The research demonstrates how the
institutional and technological backdrop of capstone design
introduces pressures that can both hinder student learning and
create space and opportunity for deep learning to occur. It is
concluded that the engineering curricula should include a series of
design projects which allows for conceptualization to operation of
the final product, challenging students learning both with respect
to technical and social skills.