is a graduate student pursuing her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in automotive engineering. She graduated with her M.S. in Mechanical Engineering in December 2016 and B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in May 2015. Her research thrust is in engineering education focused on student motivation under the advisement of Dr. Beshoy Morkos.

I am a graduate student pursuing M.S. in Mechanical Engineering at Florida Institute of Technology with specialization in Structures, Solid Mechanics and Materials. I graduated with B.E. in Mechanical Engineering in India in May 2016. My research is focused on Student's Motivation in Engineering under the advisement of Dr. Beshoy Morkos.

is a graduate student working on her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at Florida Institute of Technology. Her research focuses on the impact of motivation on performance and persistence in mechanical engineering design courses under the guidance of Dr. Beshoy Morkos. She also serves as a graduate student advisor to senior design teams within the mechanical engineering department. Elisabeth is a member of ASME, ASEE,

Senior Capstone Design courses offer two major types of projects: industry sponsored projects and non-industry sponsored projects. Previous studies show changes in student motivation based on the type of project they select. However, the quantitative data analysis fails to capture the reasoning behind the student’s inclination towards a certain type of project in the beginning of the selection phase. Also, little is known about the personal experiences of the student working on the team and project they choose. This paper addresses the gap in the examination of student motivation based on the type of projects they select. This paper outlines a coding scheme developed to analyze the qualitative interview data gathered during an open-floor style exit interview with all of the senior design teams. The thirty minute exit interviews were conducted at the end of the semester to capture their experiences and reflections about the course. A coding manual is generated which highlights the codes observed frequently among the teams. Themes are developed highlighting the important phases of the course. The objective is to develop a coding scheme for senior capstone design courses which would serve as a guide to the educators to determine various factors that influence student motivation and improve the senior design experience for all students.

The goal of the study is to examine the effectiveness of using an incentivized “test/retest” scenario to improve participants’ performance during stressful situations. The study makes use of an electroencephalography (EEG) machine to detect participants’ stress levels during a one-minute typing test. The typing test administered was a standard, “story-typing” test. A total of 23 student participants were randomly divided into two cohorts: the control cohort and the experimental cohort. Participants were asked to complete a preliminary questionnaire self-assessing their ability to handle stressful situations. Both cohorts were then asked to complete the typing test (hereafter referred to as T1) and fill out an Emotional Stress Reaction Questionnaire (ESRQ), indicating their emotions during the typing test. The participants were then asked to complete the typing test and accompanying ESRQ a second time (hereafter referred to as T2). However, prior to the second test, the participants in the experimental cohort were told that the participant that shows the most improvement in their typing speed (measured in words per minute) will receive a $100 gift card. This stimulus is used to increase the already stressful situation for the experimental cohort and examine whether participants’ brain activity changes when the “retest” is incentivized. Each participant’s EEG data and heartrate were measured through the duration of the experiment and t-tests and regression analyses were used to determine if a statistically significant difference existed between cohorts (control vs. experimental) or within cohorts (T1 vs. T2). The results show that there were no significant changes in brain activity, emotions, or typing performance for the control group of participants (no reward offered). However, the experimental group showed an increase in EEG sensor activity; specifically, the sensors that control vision and emotion. Interestingly, the participant’s performance was found to be correlated to their emotional responses, rather than their EEG sensor data. Additionally, the experimental groups’ positive emotions were increased for the second typing test, which is incentivized. The findings lay a foundation for design settings scenarios where preparatory practices can be incorporated.