The best aspect of this course included the freedom to pursue a project along with the financial and expert support of faculty members. Students also appreciated the opportunity to be creative alongside fellow pupils. Some students felt the course was poorly organized and that the grading was disproportional to the amount of work they completed. One suggestion was to require the project judges to provide constructive feedback. Another suggestion was to provide a clearer delineation between what is taught and what is expected on tests and exams. Prospective students should know that this course requires a lot of time-commitment outside of the classroom but the experience of working alongside ones’ peers is invaluable.

This class is highlighted by the intel ectual chal enge, the independent and practical nature of the project, and the real world applicability. The negative aspects of the course included the sheer amount of work involved, the politics of grading and patent applications, and the counter-productive nature of the instructor. Many students thought the grading system was arbitrary and based more on the instructors favorites than actual work. Suggestions for improving the course include assigning a different instructor, more impartial and transparent grading, and an earlier start time during the year for the course. Prospective students should know that this course involves a ton of work but you wil get the chance to work on things that might change the world.

35The best aspects of this course included the ability to access numerous resources and apply engineering knowledge to design a medical device to solve a clinical problem. Students felt that it was hard to get guidance from professors and that there were few opportunities for feedback. Lectures were irrelevant and students felt grading was unclear with no clear guidelines for assignments. Suggestions for improvement included incorporating set opportunities for feedback, having a clear grading rubric, having more industry-appropriate guest lecturers, and providing more skill-appropriate training and funding for students. Prospective students should be aware of the large time commitment and work load demands of the course.