A Multidisciplinary Capstone Project A successful experience for engineering undergraduates

Abstract

This paper reports a single-case study of an innovative multidisciplinary capstone project (CP) designed and implemented at Universidad Católica del Norte (UCN), Chile, involving students and professors from two Engineering Schools. Grounded in constructive alignment and the CDIO (Conceive–Design–Implement–Operate) framework, the CP engaged four students from three engineering programmes in the design, creation, and validation of an automated control system and hydraulic pump test bench prototype commonly used in the copper mining industry. The project included four students from Computing and Informatics Engineering, Chemical Process Engineering, and Risk Prevention and Environmental Engineering, four faculty mentors, and a company evaluator. The study addresses three research questions concerning CP design across faculties, competency development, and replication conditions. The paper describes the objectives for meeting the company’s needs and those required for graduation, the methodology to validate students’ abilities and skills across disciplines, and the validation of the product delivered to the company. A three-dimensional assessment architecture (mentor evaluation, employer evaluation, and a revised rubric including discipline-specific technical indicators) is reported. The work methodology, developed under pandemic constraints, yielded a standards-aligned prototype, registered intellectual property, and positive employer evaluations. Limitations, including small sample size and single-company scope, and the institutional conditions necessary for replication are discussed.