Students’ perceptions of learning experiences from the final-year engineering project

Abstract

The final-year project (FYP), also known as a capstone course, is usually the principal course, where many learning experiences are realised and gained in an undergraduate engineering programme. Therefore, several exit learning outcomes required by professional accrediting bodies are assessed in the FYP. Programme and instructional designers know the skills and graduate attributes that students should possess, and several studies have been published from the lecturer's perspective. However, whether those attributes are delivered can only be corroborated by the students themselves. Hence, students as primary stakeholders in any evaluation of the FYP have been asked to assess their FYP experiences. The article presents an assessment of students' perception of the FYP that was delivered over two semesters at the Botswana International University of Science and Technology, Palapye, Botswana. A questionnaire type quantitative method based on a Likert scale was used. The questionnaire also included an open-ended section where students were requested to suggest how the FYP could be improved. The questionnaire was administered to 186 completing students in three engineering programmes. It is envisioned that the results of the study will provide a continuous improvement mechanism of the learning experience for students in the context of the three programmes.