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MQP EXPECTATIONS AND GENERAL ORGANIZATION
Grading
Project grading is different than regular course grading. For details, see "Qualifying Project Grading" in the undergraduate catalog. Fundamentally, if you perform well on all that you are assigned to complete in a regular course, you tend to have earned an "A" grade. On a project, performing well on what you agree to complete generally corresponds to an earned grade of "B". Here is the wording from the WPI catalog for project grading:- A: This grade denotes excellent work that attains all of the project goals and learning outcomes. The product and process of this work meet all of the expectations and exceed them in several areas.
- B: This grade denotes consistently good work that attains the project goals and learning outcomes. The product and process of this work meet but generally do not exceed all of the expectations.
- C: This grade denotes acceptable work that partially attains project goals and learning outcomes. The product and process of this work meet some but not all expectations.
- By depth, were are referring to 3000- and/or 4000-level skills in ECE (occasionally 2000-level, since ECE has a few sufficiently advanced 2000-level courses). We are not requiring graduate-level skills. We want you to show that you can integrate past course knowledge into your project by applying it appropriately.
- Critical thinking refers to careful assessment and evaluation of information as a means to guide your actions towards project progress. It also refers to making reasoned decisions (or objections!) about the use of information (e.g., from the Internet or even from your Advisor).
Students: Run Your Own Project!
- Unlike regular courses, your Advisor is really only going to advise and provide high-level technical and management help. If you have an external project sponsor, that sponsor will help specify overall project goals and deliverables. Else, your Advisor may do so. (On student-initiated projects, the students provide overall project goals and deliverables!)
- Most project teams will meet weekly with their advisor (more frequently if registered for more than 1/3-unit in a term). The team should arrive at each meeting with an Agenda, usually including a description of work completed last week, goals for next week, and written questions. As portions of the project complete, the "work completed last week" often includes schematics, result figures and tables, etc. At each meeting, one student should "facilitate" the meeting and another should serve as "recording secretary." Rotate these roles every meeting.
- Do not wait to be asked for anything. The project is yours, so be pro-active. If something needs to be done: bring it up with your team, plan it, then do it.
- As a team, use your time together wisely. Work together when that advances your project, work individually when that advances your project.
- Take care of and respect each other emotionally, as well as academically. Your academic work will benefit from doing so!
What to Expect From Your Faculty Advisor(s)
- Overall direction and guidance. A (patient ?) critique of every technical detail of your work, including high-level goals and deliverables.
- Consultant on all aspects of your project, as their skillset permits.
- Someone to direct you to relevant textbooks, literature or other techical specialists (we have a lot of those at WPI!).
- Review and comment on all written work contributing to the MQP report. Usually, writing review is performed for each chapter for a first draft and a second draft. But, some of the later chapters may receive less review, if they are received too close to project completion. Then, a final full draft tends to be reviewed late in the project (although most of the previously-reviewed chapters should not require much attention).
- Be as available as their schedule permits. In particular, if you have an important question, don't wait for the next meeting to ask your Advisor.
Typical Project Milestones for Three-Term (A-, B-, C-Term) MQPs
There tend to be two genres of ECE MQPs, those which complete a design primarily involving hardware or embedded software (design-oriented) and those which do not (research- or exploratory-oriented, such as research and off-line signal processing projects). In any case, the following gives some general expectations as to what work and milestones are performed/completed each term. Many ECE MQPs are completed over terms A, B and C in the senior year. If yours is completed over a different time span, these expectations should be shrunk/stretched appropriately.
Note that these milestones are only general guidelines. Each faculty advisor has their own expectations and focus for your project progress.
A-Term:- Research and write a draft Background chapter. Should include a review of existing devices/methods that solve this or associated problems.
- Plan and write a draft Design Options chapter (for design-oriented MQPs) or a Research Plan Options chapter (for research-oriented MQPs). The problem to be solved should be clearly stated. Multiple options for pursuing a solution should be described, usually at a high level. Often, a summary table comparing the main attributes, pros and cons of each method is developed. These chapters tend to be written at a high level and are used to select an initial approach for solving your problem.
- Many faculty will ask that these writing components be organized in the form of a written Project Proposal. Some faculty require an oral presentation of this proposal.
- Prior to term break, it can be useful to order select long time-lead items, if such can be identified. In doing so, you make judicious use of the term break time period.
- Much of the detailed design is initiated in this term (either paper and simulation design of hardware, or design and initial coding of software/algorithms).
- For hardware projects, it is useful to wire and test solderless breadboards and/or solder-board versions of appropriate circuits. If PCBs are desired, ordering them prior to (or over) winter break also reduces time lost during C-term awaiting board delivery. If several PCB revisions are anticipated, the first might be completed earlier, i.e., in B-term. Alternatively, depending on board complexity and other project activities, a first PCB order may need to wait until C-term.
- For research-oriented projects not producing hardware, detailed algorithms are usually designed, coded and tested, producing initial results.
- With respect to report writing, most teams will make editorial improvements to their Background (and other prior chapters) based on Advisor comments. Methods and Results chapters are drafted, at least for the work completed. Writing later portions of the Methods and Results sections may have to wait until C-term.
- Many teams make metered progress over Winter break, appropriately budgeting their time for family, friends and other non-MQP interests.
- There is usually some substantial technical design and revision required in C-term. And, additional project technical scope may be completed. Final testing is completed. All of these aspects must be driven to conclusion.
- A full draft MQP report is completed, typically no later than week four or five. This draft includes the Cover Page, Executive Summary, Abstract, Table of Contents, body chapters (including Discussion), References and Appendices. After Advisor review, those comments are used to produce the final MQP report for end of term.
- Some teams will complete a video of not more than 3 minutes duration, for use on Project Presentation Day in D-term.
- D-term is reserved, only if needed, for additional completion time (which requires 1/6-unit additional project registration).
- Present your work in the ECE Department as a poster at Project Presentation Day.
- Top projects compete in the ECE portion of the Provost's MQP Competition (for best ECE MQP). Such projects must submit a video of not more than 3 minutes duration.
- In any case, all ECE MQPs can produce a ≤ 3 minute video and compete in the Best Video competition within the ECE Department.
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