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 E: Application of STEM Principles & Practices
1 min read
Week 6: Application of STEM Principles & Practices
PLTW Element E — Application of STEM Principles and Practices.
Justify the Design with STEM Principles
For a CS/software Capstone, “STEM principles” means the computer science, data structures, algorithms, or systems concepts that make your design work — not just that it works, but why it works. Document, for example:
- The algorithmic or architectural approach and its complexity/scaling tradeoffs.
- Any math/statistics underlying your solution (e.g. a scoring model, a cognitive-load metric, a signal-processing step).
- Relevant CS principles from prior coursework you’re applying (data modeling, API design, security, concurrency, etc.).
Technical Drawing / Architecture Diagram
- Produce a Technical Drawing appropriate to your build: for hardware, a dimensioned CAD drawing; for software, a system architecture diagram (components, data flow, API boundaries).
- Diagrams belong in your engineering portfolio, versioned alongside your code — not as a one-off image nobody can trace back to a decision.
Material List, Tool Selection & Tool Safety
- Draft a Material List — for software, this includes libraries, frameworks, APIs, and hosting/services you intend to depend on, each with its license noted.
- Tool Selection — what you’re building with and why (language, framework, hardware platform).
- Tool Safety — for physical builds, standard shop/tool safety sign-off; for software, note any tools with elevated access (deploy keys, admin APIs) and how you’re handling them safely.
Core Deliverables
- STEM justification write-up.
- Technical drawing or architecture diagram.
- Material list with licenses noted.
- Tool selection & safety notes.
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