Capstone 41030/48006 Assessment
1. Assessment principles for individual contributions in a Group
It is necessary to effectively assess the professional contribution of each person in the group. These guidelines provide additional criteria for evaluating individual contributions in group projects.
The body of the report will clearly indicate the work attributed to other group members where applicable. As a guide, this should be clearly identified in the Introduction chapter, as well as reiterated in the opening introduction section to each subsequent chapter.
Included in the student’s report will be a personal reflection of at least 1500 words in length, addressing the following:
• The particular contribution of the student, in detail;
• How the group was structured and managed;
• The greatest technical challenge solved by the student;
• The greatest management challenge faced by the group;
• Lessons learned in how to complete a group project to time and specification;
• An estimate of the relative contribution to the overall project by each group member; and
• Timesheets showing all hours spent on the subject and the task done in those hours.
Students should make references to published material (journal articles, subject reading material from core subjects, text books etc.) when writing their reflection.
As noted above: Students should be aware that the assessments awarded to individuals may vary greatly within one group, even to the point where some students may not pass while others achieve distinctions. Each student will be individually assessed on their performance as a near graduate in the field.
2. Capstone Self-Assessment: Overview & Form
2.1 Overview
Table 1 below shows 21 indicators adopted from the Engineers Australia Australian Engineering Stage 1 Competency Standards.
The Competency Standards are divided into three Units: (PE1) Knowledge Base, (PE2) Engineering Application Ability, and (PE3) Professional and Personal Attributes. Each Unit has Indicators numbered PE1.1, PE1.2, PE1.3 etc.
In Capstone Project, you are required to identify a subset of Indicators that were applied in the assessment of your completed project. This includes choosing a number of indicators from each unit.
For example,
• (PE1) Knowledge Base, choose 3 out of the 5 Indicators
• (PE2) Engineering Application Ability, choose 5 out of the 11 Indicators
• (PE3) Professional and Personal Attributes choose 3 out of the 6 Indicators
It is the responsibility of each student to decide which indicators they think they have applied, you may wish to consult your supervisor. You should identify your chosen indicators by putting an [X] in table 1.
In this way, the assessment of them will most likely be a unique combination of indicators; as unique as your capstone project.
2.2 Instructions for using Table 1
Read through all of the indicators listed in Table 1 – determine your choice indicators by considering carefully how you believe you were able to deliver/demonstrate this competency by the end of your project.
Use the Assessment Template provided to list each of the indicators in the first column. You should complete a self-evaluation of the applicability of each indicator to your project. Use a simple scale – such as ‘0’ for not applicable (obviously there should be none which you choose that are not applicable) up to a ‘5’ for indicators which you consider were critical in your project work.
Table 1: Indicators adopted from
Engineers Australia Australian Engineering Stage 1 Competency Standards.
It is recommended to use this form to assess your capstone project against all 22 indicators. Use the results of this initial assessment to choose 3 indicators from PE1, 5 indicators from PE2 and 3 indicators from PE3.
PE1 KNOWLEDGE BASE Chosen
Criteria
PE1.1 Demonstrated use of sound knowledge of the engineering discipline at a phenomenological level, mathematics, natural and/or physical sciences for systematic investigation, interpretation analysis and solution of complex problems of engineering practice [ ]
PE1.2 Advanced knowledge in a technical area in the student’s engineering discipline to a level that requires conceptual understanding of mathematics, numerical analysis, statistics, and computer and information sciences related to investigation, analysis, interpretation, assessment characterisation, prediction, evaluation, modelling, decision making, measurement, evaluation, and knowledge management techniques pertinent to the engineering discipline. [ ]
PE1.3 Demonstrated in depth understanding and ability to develop mathematical and/or physical models to use for analysis and design [ ]
PE1.4 Demonstrated ability to identify and critically appraise current developments, advanced technologies, emerging issues and interdisciplinary linkages, and to interpret and apply selected research literature to inform engineering applications in student’s engineering discipline. [ ]
PE1.5 Demonstrated knowledge of materials and resources relevant to a student’s discipline and the ability to select the most appropriate materials and techniques to meet a particular objective. [ ]
PE2 ENGINEERING APPLICATION ABILITY Chosen
Criteria
PE2.1 Demonstrated ability to identify the nature of a technical problem, make appropriate simplifying assumptions, achieve a solution, and quantify the significance of the assumptions to the reliability of the solution [ ]
PE2.2 Demonstrated ability to investigate a situation or the behaviour of a system and ascertain the relevant causes and effects [ ]
PE2.3 Demonstrated ability to address issues and problems that have no obvious solution, involving uncertainty, imprecise information, conflicting factors and require originality in analysis [ ]
PE2.4 Demonstrated appreciation of the interactions between technical systems, safety sustainability and the social, cultural, environmental, economic and political context in which they operate, and the relationships between these factors. [ ]
PE2.5 Demonstrated ability comprehend, analyse and quantify the nature of risk, both of a technical kind and in relation to clients, users, the community and the environment and devise strategies for managing this risk [ ]
PE2.6 Demonstrated ability to utilise a systems-engineering or equivalent disciplined, holistic approach to incorporate all considerations [ ]
PE2.7 Demonstrated ability to partition a problem, process or system into manageable elements, for purposes of analysis or design; and of re-combining these to form the whole, with the integrity and performance of the overall system as the paramount consideration [ ]
PE2.8 Demonstrated ability to conceptualise and define possible alternative engineering approaches and evaluate their advantages and disadvantages in terms of functionality, cost, sustainability and all other factors to deliver an optimal approach and defend the selection. [ ]
PE2.9 Understanding of the need to incorporate cost considerations throughout the design and execution of a project and to manage within realistic constraints of time and budget. [ ]
PE2.10 Demonstrated ability to consider the commercial, financial, and marketing aspects of an engineering project
[ ]
PE2.11 Demonstrated proficiency in employing technical knowledge, design methodology, and appropriate tools and resources to design components, systems or processes to meet specified performance criteria [ ]
PE3 PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES Chosen
Criteria
PE3.1 Demonstrated effectiveness in discussion and negotiation and in presenting arguments clearly and concisely in both oral and written communication (including clear diagrams and engineering sketches or drawings) [ ]
PE3.2 Demonstrated ability to locate, catalogue and use relevant information , including proficiency in accessing , systematically searching, analysing and evaluating relevant publications [ ]
PE3.3 Demonstrated ability to apply creative approaches to identify and develop alternative concepts and procedures and identify opportunities for improvement. [ ]
PE3.4 Demonstrated intellectual rigour and an ability to recognise limits to ones knowledge and seek advice, or undertake research, to supplement it [ ]
PE3.5 Demonstrated awareness of legislation, statutory requirements standards and codes of practice relevant to your project [ ]
2.3 Instructions for using Table 2
Once you have finalised your indicators, you will need to use Table 2 ‘Descriptors for Assessing
Indicators’ listed below to complete a self assessment of your work. The descriptors applied here are identical to the descriptors for (H)igh Distinction, (D)istinction, (C)redit, (P)ass, and (Z) Fail grades awarded in UTS subjects – so they should be well known to you, and your supervisor.
Table 2: Descriptors for assessing indicators – based on descriptions for UTS grades of H, D, C, P, Z
Indicator Score Descriptors for UTS grades
5 Work of outstanding quality as for 4, but superior – at a standard worthy of publication
4 Work is of superior quality, including a capacity to demonstrate a competency/indicator at a level well above what is expected from late stage UG coursework; demonstrates learning at a superior level
3 Work is of good quality demonstration of a competency / indicator at a level higher than what is expected from late stage UG coursework AND presents a clear rationale / critique / discussion for the appropriateness / validity of the technique or tool or methodology used / applied
2 Work is satisfactory demonstration of a competency / indicator at a level equivalent to what is expected from a late stage UG coursework. Note, in capstone projects – we should have expectations that students are delivering at a level greater than 2 out of 5!
1 Work is less than satisfactory demonstration not sufficient to demonstrate competency / indicator at level expected from late stage UG coursework material, or perhaps satisfactory demonstration of only early stage foundation level engineering science material
0 This Indicator is not applicable to or not demonstrated in the capstone
2.4 Instructions for using Table 3 and Table 4
Table 3 lists evaluation criteria which considers the overall (holistic) aspects of the project rather than specific components assessed by the indicators. Your supervisor will use this, as well as Table 4 in determining your overall recommended project mark/grade. Again, table 2 ‘Descriptors for Assessing Indicators’ listed above are used to score each evaluation question out of 5.
Table 4 provides a guide showing how assessment (out of 5) of your chosen indicators (from Table 1) are combined with the overall evaluation (Table 3) to provide a recommended grade for your project. You supervisor will use Table 4 to confirm a final mark/grade for your project.
Table 3: Overall Project Evaluation Criteria
Evaluation question Supervisor evaluation
Content
Does the candidate clearly identify a question to be answered or problem to be solved? 0 1 2 3 4 5
Does the candidate present the results of the project in a succinct and cogent form, with suitable illustration where appropriate? 0 1 2 3 4 5
Does the candidate demonstrate significant engineering judgement at a level that would be reasonably expected from a recent engineering graduate? 0 1 2 3 4 5
Is the content sufficiently substantial and broad ranging to allow coverage of the chosen assessment indicators? 0 1 2 3 4 5
Does the report contain sufficient material suitable for publication?
H (5): Peer Reviewed Conference Paper D (4): Editor Reviewed Conference Paper (IEEE standard) C
(3): Engineering Paper / Seminar for graduate audience P (2): Engineering application note
(provide graduate engineers to help them to learn about / gain an appreciation of subject material. 0 1 2 3 4 5
Knowledge /
Ability
Does the candidate exhibit sufficient knowledge of the research topic and familiarity with the discipline it embraces for a final report at this level? 0 1 2 3 4 5
Does the candidate demonstrate a capacity for clear thinking? 0 1 2 3 4 5
Does the candidate demonstrate significant techniques of analysis and/or evaluation as outlined in the chosen assessment indicators? 0 1 2 3 4 5
Has the candidate demonstrated an understanding of project management techniques and applied them effectively in their capstone project. 0 1 2 3 4 5
Has the candidate demonstrated an ability to manage their own time and processes effectively, prioritising competing demands to achieve the required goals and objectives 0 1 2 3 4 5
Presentation
Does the work represent a well planned approach to the subject matter? 0 1 2 3 4 5
Is the report structured appropriately? 0 1 2 3 4 5
Does the candidate appropriately orient the reader to the ground to be covered and the arguments made? 0 1 2 3 4 5
Is the presentation of the report, in matters of grammar, spelling, punctuation and general appearance, adequate? 0 1 2 3 4 5
Table 4: Combining assessment and evaluation criteria to recommend a mark/grade.
Chosen assessment indicators requirement Overall evaluation criteria requirements Final Mark/Grade
A total of: 3 × 5’s in PE1 Knowledge Base, and 5 × 5’s in PE2 Engineering Ability, and 3 × 5’s in PE3 Professional Attributes AND Work demonstrating outstanding quality in ALL Evaluation Questions (ie: 5’s in all questions in Table 3) High Distinction
[85, 90, 100]
At least: 1 × 5’s in PE1 Knowledge Base, and 1 × 5’s in PE2 Engineering Ability, and 1 × 5’s in PE3 Professional Attributes, and the remaining indicators should be 4’s AND Work demonstrating superior quality in ALL Evaluation Questions (ie: 4’s or 5’s in all questions in Table 3) Distinction [75,
80]
4’s in at least 7 of the 11 chosen indicators AND work demonstrating good quality showing
more than satisfactory achievement in
ALL evaluation criteria (ie: 4’s in at least 8 of the 14 questions in Table 3) Credit [65,70]
At least 3’s in ALL chosen indicators AND work demonstrating satisfactory achievement in ALL evaluation criteria (ie:
at least 3’s in all questions in Table 3) Pass
[50, 55, 60]
2’s in any of the chosen indicators OR work demonstrating unsatisfactory achievement in ONE or more of the evaluation criteria (ie. 2’s in any of the questions in Table 3) Fail [less
than 50]

Capstone Self-Assessment Form
Email directly to supervisor
Project
Number: Supervisor:
Student Name Project Title
Student No. Major (eg.
civil eng)
Subject No. External supervisor:
Preparing your Capstone Self-Assessment Form
Use this template to document your assessment indicators. You should download this template and use a different font to highlight the relevant indicator. On a new line, add sufficient detail; no more than
50 words per indicator, identifying exactly how or where or when you have delivered/demonstrated this indicator. Be clear and specific; include crossreferences to relevant sections and/or page numbers in your report, quote actions/activity that you undertook and when. Use Table 2 Descriptors for assessing indicators to self-assess the extent to which you believe you have been able to deliver/demonstrate each indicator.
You should then email a copy of this form directly to your supervisor. The form will be used as basis to mark your final capstone project report.
Student Self–Assessment Summary
Write your self-assessment (a score out of 55 as there are 11 indicators worth 5 each)
Student signature Date
Supervisor Assessment Summary
Write your assessment (a score out of 55 as there are 11 indicators worth 5 each)
Supervisor signature Date
Assessment Template
Indicator
In undertaking your project, identify how or where or when you have delivered/demonstrated this (choice) indicator self
assessment
(out of 5) based on descriptors
in table 2 supervisor assessment
(out of 5) based on descriptors in table 2
PE1._ 0 1 2 3 4 5 0 1 2 3 4 5
PE1. _ 0 1 2 3 4 5 0 1 2 3 4 5
PE1. _ 0 1 2 3 4 5 0 1 2 3 4 5
PE2. _ 0 1 2 3 4 5 0 1 2 3 4 5
PE2. _ 0 1 2 3 4 5 0 1 2 3 4 5
PE2. _ 0 1 2 3 4 5 0 1 2 3 4 5
PE2. _ 0 1 2 3 4 5 0 1 2 3 4 5
PE2. _ 0 1 2 3 4 5 0 1 2 3 4 5
PE3. _ 0 1 2 3 4 5 0 1 2 3 4 5
PE3. _ 0 1 2 3 4 5 0 1 2 3 4 5
PE3. _ 0 1 2 3 4 5 0 1 2 3 4 5
total (out of 55)
Additional assessment comments:
Example: Extract from Assessment Template for a final report submission. Assessment Template
3. Capstone Final Report
Overview
The faculty only requires a soft copy submission of the final report on UTSOnline.
Document structure/layout
The final report body text size of the characters shall be 12 point in a serif font (such as Times New Roman); the line spacing shall be 1.5 spacing.
The number of pages in the report will depend to an extent on the nature of the work undertaken. Your supervisor will be able to offer relevant advice. As a guide you could expect to write a maximum of 100 pages for your report (not including appendices). A better guide is the number of hours you must dedicate to your project. For example, around 360 hr for a passing grade 12cp project would be typical.
Your final report must conform to the following structure. The first page will be a title page as shown in the example below.
Example Format for Final Report Title page
University of Technology, Sydney
Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
APPLYING TECHNOLOGY TO PLANT MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT STUDY SITE - THIESS MT OWEN MINE
by
John Lucas Smith
Student Number: 10123456
Project Number A12-099
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Supervisor: Dr David Eager
Industry Co-supervisor: Mr Fred Brown (Thiess Bros Pty Ltd)
A 12 Credit Point Project submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the Degree of Bachelor of Engineering
26 July 2017
The second page should be a signed Statement of Originality in which you declare that you are the sole author of the report, that you have not used fragments of text from other sources without proper acknowledgment, that theories, results and designs of others that you have incorporated into your report have been appropriately referenced and all sources of assistance have been acknowledged. If your Capstone extends work you undertook in (say) another subject then you must declare this and clearly identify the extent of this material in your report. The subject coordinator reserved the right to fail any student who does not sign a statement of originality.
The statement of originality is available here:
https://my.feit.uts.edu.au/pages/course/undergraduate/assignment_cover_sheets_forms/FEIT_Assignment_Cove r_S heet.pdf
The third page of the report must contain an abstract of the work, of not more than 300 words. It should first give the project title, your name and the session. It must then describe the problem giving rise to the project, the method adopted by the student to solve it, the resulting achievements and their significance to the field of study.
The fourth page may be an Acknowledgment page making specific reference to the sources of help, in material or human terms, which you have valued during the course of the work.
The next pages should include the Contents, List of Figures, and List of Tables sections. These sections should include appropriate numbering right justified.
These pages should be followed by a Nomenclature section that lists symbols and abbreviations used in the text. The remainder of the written report may be arranged in Chapters as follows:
• Introduction: The problem is defined and the contents of each Chapter discussed briefly.
• Literature Review: This Chapter includes the results of the literature survey on or related to the report topic (see References example below).
• Two or three Chapters: These should appropriately describe, under suitable headings and subheadings, the main theory behind the work done, the experimental results, techniques and equipment used. In particular, aspects which demonstrate the quality of the work done should be emphasised (e.g. how problems were overcome, the theoretical model of the problem tackled).
• Conclusion: Results are evaluated and recommendations for future work made.
References: Others works that have been used for information should be listed. They should be listed alphabetically by author. The Faculty uses the Harvard or author/date referencing style. UTS Library has a clear guide to this style at:
http://www.lib.uts.edu.au/students/discover-your-library/referencing-and-writing
The following is an example of references in a text and their associated bibliography in the Harvard style which was created using EndNote. EndNote is a bibliographic software program for managing references. Information about EndNote is available at http://www.lib.uts.edu.au/help/referencing/endnote
Publicly funded research institutes in most countries have been pressed by economic (Tomkovick & Miller, 2000) and political pressures through the 1990s to become more financially independent (Porter, 1998), to be more accountable and to adopt more businesslike principles and practices. In this context, the occupational roles and career options for scientists and research managers in these organizations have undergone considerable change (Duta, 2000). As the research cultures of these institutions take on a more commercial perspective (Bell, 1999, p. 73), new and critical career path choices for both researchers and the organizations themselves have emerged. The changing occupational roles of research scientists and research managers in the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, one of the world's largest research organizations, are important examples of this phenomenon (Walker, 2001).
References
Bell, T. 1999, Commercialisation of research cultures, PhD Thesis, University of Technology,
Sydney. Duta, M. 2000 'Management of technological innovation in a transition economy', In IEEE International Engineering Management Conference 2000 IEEE, Piscataway, NJ, USA, pp. 236-238.
Porter, M. E. 1998, The competitive advantage of nations: with a new introduction, Macmillan, London. Tomkovick, C. & Miller, C. 2000, 'Perspective - riding the wind: Managing new product development in an age of change', Journal of Product Innovation Management, vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 413-423. Walker, J. 2001, Research management to-day, http://www.uts.edu.au (17 August, 2001).
Appendices: Material of interest that would be a distraction if it was placed in the main text. The appendices may include details of design calculations, theoretical analysis and data sheets and so on.
Your report should not contain any material that cannot be justified as either contributing to your explanation of the problem that you are tackling or explaining the chosen solution.
Softcopy submissions to TURNITIN (UTS Online)
A PDF (portable document format) copy of the final version of the report must be submitted via UTS Online on the final report submission day. Results for this subject will be released after you submit a soft copy report which your supervisor will download and mark.
Requirements include:
• The file size of your final document should be less than 40MB and number of pages less than 400.
• The pdf document must not have any security or protection enabled; printing, changing, assembly, extraction, commenting, etc must all be permitted. Rationale: often we want to be able to print or extract or comment on material from these documents for other purposes (ongoing projects).
• The pdf must be created from the relevant application (eg. WORD) – it must not be a scanned image. Rationale: obviously we can’t search for key terms in a scanned image.
• The pdf must include all material (including drawings, charts, appendices). Rationale: we want one complete document, not multiple files from various applications.
• In cases where confidentiality agreements are already in place, you should submit a report directly to your supervisor and inform feitcapstone@uts.edu.au .
• Most applications should have no difficulty producing a PDF version of your submitted material (eg. word document, spreadsheet, CAD application, etc). You should use the ‘image-compress’ feature (especially with photographs and scanned images) to further reduce the size of the final pdf.
• Acrobat Professional V9 can be used to collate the individual pdf documents together (very simple - start by
opening your ‘main’ pdf and then use Documents /Pages / Insert to add other pdf’s where you want
them in the main file).
• please do not lock or block or password protect the pdf file
• Your pdf should have the following filename format: A18-xxx Final Report FamilyName . For example: A18321 Final Report Jarman
• We recommend you forward your supervisor a copy of the pdf submission so that they have a copy as well.

This form may be used by the supervisor to decide the final mark. Completed form to be retained by the supervisor.
DO NOT SUBMIT ANYWHERE
Capstone Final Report Assessment Form
Supervisor:
Student Name Project Title
Student No. Major
Subject No. External supervisor:
Please outline here key assessment criteria for this project (other than those identified in Capstone Assessment Form):
CHECKLIST: Supervisor to download the report from UTS Online – Turnitin submissions and ensure that the
following are complete
• A statement of originality signed by student is included in the report
• Capstone Self-Assessment Form has been completed by student and submitted to the
supervisor • Correspondence from subject coordinator approving extension of deadline is submitted (if applicable)
• Other (please specify):
Supervisor (and assessor if required) to complete:
You should use the completed Capstone Self-Assessment Form provided by the student to assess the project indicators. Table 2 in Appendix B of the student guide provides a description of the ‘level’ expected for a score of 0 to 5. Complete and sign the assessment summary on page 1 of the Capstone Self-Assessment Form..
Your overall evaluation of the project is required to be documented by completing the table 3 – reproduced below. The evaluation considers the overall (holistic) aspects of the project rather than specific components assessed by the indicators. Your response to the questions below should be scaled using the same criteria described in table 2.
Evaluation question Supervisor/
Assessor evaluation
Content
Does the candidate clearly identify a question to be answered or problem to be solved? 0 1 2 3 4 5
Does the candidate present the results of the project in a succinct and cogent form, with suitable illustration where appropriate? 0 1 2 3 4 5
Does the candidate demonstrate significant engineering judgement at a level that would be reasonably expected from a recent engineering graduate? 0 1 2 3 4 5
Is the content sufficiently substantial and broad ranging to allow coverage of the chosen assessment indicators? 0 1 2 3 4 5
Does the report contain sufficient material suitable for publication?
H (5): Peer Reviewed Conference Paper D (4): Editor Reviewed Conference Paper (IEEE standard) C
(3): Engineering Paper / Seminar for graduate audience P (2): Engineering application note
(provide graduate engineers to help them to learn about / gain an appreciation of subject material. 0 1 2 3 4 5
Knowledge /
Ability
Does the candidate exhibit sufficient knowledge of the research topic and familiarity with the discipline it embraces for a report at this level? 0 1 2 3 4 5
Does the candidate demonstrate a capacity for clear thinking? 0 1 2 3 4 5
Does the candidate demonstrate significant techniques of analysis and/or evaluation as outlined in the chosen assessment indicators? 0 1 2 3 4 5
Has the candidate demonstrated an understanding of project management techniques and applied them effectively in their capstone project. 0 1 2 3 4 5
Has the candidate demonstrated an ability to manage their own time and processes effectively, prioritising competing demands to achieve the required goals and objectives 0 1 2 3 4 5
Presentation
Does the work represent a well planned approach to the subject matter? 0 1 2 3 4 5
Is the report structured appropriately? 0 1 2 3 4 5
Does the candidate appropriately orient the reader to the ground to be covered and the arguments made? 0 1 2 3 4 5
Is the presentation of the report, in matters of grammar, spelling, punctuation and general appearance, adequate? 0 1 2 3 4 5
Finally, Table 4 in Appendix B of the student guide prescribes how your recommended final mark/grade for the project is determined.
I have reviewed the turnitin similarity report and am satisfied with the originality and academic integrity of
this work.
I recommend the student is awarded the following mark/grade for Capstone Project:
….. Z, 50P, 55P, 60P, 65C, 70C, 75D, 80D, 85H, 90H, 95H, 100H (circle mark)
Supervisor:…………………………….…… Signature:…………………………...…….Date:……………………