Grade Distribution
Students’ final grade in each course is composed of three major components:
| Component | Weight | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Project Partner Evaluation | 25% | Assessment by your project partner or mentor using the project partner rubrics |
| Peer Evaluation | 25% | Assessment by your teammates using peer review surveys |
| Assignment-Specific Rubrics | 50% | Assessment by course instructors on assignments, demos, and other deliverables |
This distribution is consistent across all three terms (CS461, CS462, CS463), ensuring balanced evaluation throughout the capstone sequence.
Project Partner Assessment Facets
The project partner will evaluate the student team on different facets using the rubrics detailed on the project parter evaluation page. The emphasis on each facet changes throughout the year to reflect project progression:
| Facet | CS461 | CS462 | CS463 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reflection (learning outcomes, feedback, impact, IP, etc.) | 15% | 15% | 15% |
| Requirements and Specifications | 40% | 15% | 5% |
| Design, Implementation, and Deployment | 15% | 40% | 20% |
| Verification and Validation (outcome) | 5% | 10% | 40% |
| Teamwork | 15% | 10% | 10% |
| Communication (abstract, demo, presentation) | 10% | 10% | 10% |
Peer-to-Peer Assessment Facets
Students will evaluate their teammates on the following facets [1] through regular surveys:
- Contributing to the Team’s Work
- Interacting with Teammates
- Keeping the Team on Track
- Expecting Quality
- Having Relevant Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Assignment-Specific Rubrics
The assignment-specific rubrics assess students’ work on various assignments, demos, and deliverables throughout the capstone series. These rubrics are designed to align with the learning objectives and accreditation requirements of the course. They account for 50% of the final grade and are detailed in Canvas.
Important Notes
- If students change projects during the series, instructors won’t adjust the distribution accordingly, and they’ll likely need extra effort to meet expectations and achieve a good final grade.
- The project partner assessment facet distribution above applies specifically to project partner evaluations, which represent 25% of students’ total grade.
- Assignment-specific rubrics (50% of grade) are detailed in Canvas and focus on learning objectives and accreditation requirements.
References
[1] M. W. Ohland et al., “The Comprehensive Assessment of Team Member Effectiveness: Development of a Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale for Self- and Peer Evaluation,” AMLE, vol. 11, no. 4, pp. 609—630, Dec. 2012, doi: 10.5465/amle.2010.0177.