Computer Science Honors
Course Progress
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Learning Goals 3
→Form Teams of 2-3 (Wayfinding Game + Tooling)
→Draft Preliminary Abstract
→Initialize GitHub Repo / Kanban Board (Projects or Jira)
1 assignment due
Learning Goals 3
→Instructional Problem, Current & Desired State KSAs
→Gap Analysis + Research Questions
→Team Norms & Technical Ownership Roles
Learning Goals 4
→Review 3+ Existing Commercial/Open-Source/Academic Solutions
→Product Requirements Document (PRD) w/ Quantified Metrics
→Patent & Open-Source License Search (MIT, GPL, Apache)
→Peer Review: Trade Problem Statement + PRD with Another Team
1 assignment due
Learning Goals 3
→Present PRD to Industry Mentor for Feasibility Feedback
→Signed Mentor Agreement Form
→Initialize Engineering Portfolio
1 assignment due
Learning Goals 4
→Reflect on Sprint
→Self-Assessment
→Peer and Teacher Feedback
→Set Future Knowledge Goals
2 assignments due
Learning Goals 4
→Sketch 3+ Competing Design Concepts
→Score Concepts in a Decision/Design Matrix
→Concept Testing (Paper Prototype, Wireframe, or Spike)
→First Mentor Meeting: Present Concepts for Design Feedback
1 assignment due
Learning Goals 3
→Justify Design with Math/Science/CS Principles
→Technical Drawing / CAD / System Architecture Diagram
→Material List, Tool Selection & Tool Safety
1 assignment due
Learning Goals 3
→Assess Cost, Manufacturability & Technical Feasibility
→Vendor & Material Cost Sourcing / Bill of Materials Audit
→Prototype Timeline for Build & Test
1 assignment due
Learning Goals 4
→Mock-up / Concept Model
→Prototype Build (Assembly) Procedure
→Preliminary Design Review
→Build Working MVP + Log First Test Results vs. Sprint 1 PRD
1 assignment due
Learning Goals 4
→Second Mentor Meeting: Demo Prototype for Feasibility Feedback
→Define Testing Criteria & Testing Procedure
→Run Physical Testing & Record Data
→Critical Design Review → Redesign, Refine & Re-test
1 assignment due
Learning Goals 3
→Demo Prototype to Target Users / External Stakeholders
→Collect & Document Structured External Feedback
→Update Multimedia Display with Evaluation Findings
Learning Goals 3
→Post-Mortem on Technical Debt & Bugs
→Individual + Team Reflection on Trimester 1
→Finalize Sprint 1-3 Engineering Portfolio
1 assignment due
Learning Goals 3
→Element L: Draft Recommendations for Next Design Iteration
→Element M: Finalize Electronic Portfolio & Multimedia Display
→Element M: Night at the Museum (N@tM) — Defend Alpha to Judging Panel
1 assignment due
Learning Goals 3
→Log Trimester 1 Failures & Pivots in a Version-Controlled Changelog
→Root-Cause Analysis of N@tM Panel & Sprint 3 Issues
→Revise Problem Statement with Post-Alpha Evidence
1 assignment due
Learning Goals 3
→Build an FMEA Risk Matrix with Your Mentor
→Document & Analyze Your Trimester 1 Prototype as the 'Previous Solution'
→Rank Failure Modes by Severity, Occurrence & Detection
1 assignment due
Learning Goals 3
→Revise PRD to Stricter, Industry-Grade Quantified Specs
→Justify Each Spec Change Against FMEA + Mentor/User Feedback
→Peer Review the Revised PRD with Another Team
1 assignment due
Learning Goals 3
→Reflect on Redesign Decisions
→Reset Team Norms & Technical Ownership for the Build Phase
→Set Knowledge Goals for Sprint 5
1 assignment due
Learning Goals 3
→Generate Production-Fidelity Design/Architecture Options
→Decision Matrix v2 Against Revised PRD
→Select & Justify the Beta Design
1 assignment due
Learning Goals 3
→Full Sub-System Integration Plan
→Updated Technical Drawings / CAD / Architecture Diagrams
→Apply Advanced STEM Principles at Production Fidelity
Learning Goals 3
→Cost Out Manufacturing / Hosting at Scale
→Regulatory & Compliance Considerations
→Revised Timeline for Beta Build & Test
1 assignment due
Learning Goals 3
→Build Production-Grade Beta Prototype
→Fully Integrate All Sub-Systems
→Log Beta Build Results vs. Revised PRD
1 assignment due
Learning Goals 3
→Edge-Case, Load & Regulatory-Compliance Testing
→Record Data Against Revised PRD Targets
→Comparative Data Analysis: Beta vs. Alpha Prototype
1 assignment due
Learning Goals 3
→Run User Acceptance Testing with External Participants
→Document External/Mentor Evaluation of the Beta
→Redesign & Refine Based on UAT Findings
Learning Goals 3
→Write the Final Engineering Assessment
→Draft the Future Roadmap Beyond Capstone
→Individual + Team Reflection Across Both Iterations
1 assignment due
Learning Goals 3
→Element L: Final Designer's Recommendations Across Both Iterations
→Element M: Package Final Technical Portfolio (Repo, Docs, Testing Logs)
→Element M: Deliver Venture-Style Capstone Defense to Judging Panel
1 assignment due
Element J: Documentation of External Evaluation
1 min read
Week 10: Documentation of External Evaluation
PLTW Element J — Documentation of External Evaluation.
Why External Evaluation Is Different from Mentor Feedback
Your mentor (Weeks 5 and 9) evaluates technical feasibility. External evaluation means putting the prototype in front of the people it’s actually built for — target users, another class, a teacher outside CSH, a relevant club or community member — and watching how they actually use it, not how you expect them to.
Run the External Evaluation
- Identify 3+ external evaluators who represent your target users or stakeholders.
- Give them the prototype (or a guided demo) with minimal hand-holding, and observe.
- Collect structured feedback: a short survey or interview covering usability, whether it solves their problem, and what confused them.
Document the Findings
- Summarize findings by theme (usability, feature gaps, trust/adoption concerns), same structure as your Element B literature review.
- Update your Multimedia Display (portfolio, demo video, or slide deck) with real evaluator quotes/data — this becomes part of your N@tM (Week 12) presentation evidence.
- File any resulting bugs or feature requests as GitHub Issues so they’re tracked, not lost in a notes doc.
Core Deliverables
- External evaluation plan (who, how many, method).
- Raw + synthesized feedback, organized by theme.
- Multimedia display updated with evaluation evidence.
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