Dauntrica Woods

Lecturer, Computer Science and Engineering

Tell us about your Computer Science and Engineering capstone

CSE 5911 (Software Applications) and CSE 5915 (Information Systems) capstone courses at The Ohio State University are designed as immersive, end-to-end, team-based experiences that simulate real-world software development and enterprise system delivery. Students work in multidisciplinary teams to apply industry-standard software engineering methodologies across the full lifecycle including requirements gathering and architecture design to development, testing, and deployment. All using modern enterprise frameworks and tools.

In CSE 5911, students focus on building scalable software applications, emphasizing agile and structured methodologies, project management, and stakeholder communication, while handling real-world constraints like risk, timelines, and system performance. In parallel, CSE 5915 centers on information systems design, where students develop database-driven solutions using principles like data modeling, indexing, search optimization, and system evaluation to solve complex business problems.

Across both courses, the capstone experience prioritizes hands-on learning, iterative development, and continuous stakeholder engagement culminating in formal presentations, demonstrations, and deliverables that mirror industry expectations. The result is a high-impact, career-aligned experience that equips students with both the technical depth and professional skills needed to deliver enterprise-grade solutions in real-world environments.

My role as coordinator is to recruit projects and the university has corporate alliances that send us projects. We source projects internally within the school, from government organizations, nonprofits, and small businesses.

Is there any common structure for project consistency across so many instructors or is each section organized independently?

Each instructor maintains autonomy in managing their respective capstone sections, while aligning to a common syllabus to ensure consistency in learning outcomes and expectations. This balance allows for instructional flexibility while preserving a standardized academic framework across courses.

To support this model, we leverage EduSourced as our central platform for project execution and stakeholder engagement. EduSourced enables seamless communication between students and external partners, while also serving as a centralized repository for code, documentation, and all project artifacts—effectively creating a single source of truth across the lifecycle of each project.

The platform also enhances project staffing and team formation. We utilize its placement tools to align students with projects that match their interests and skillsets through a combination of automated matching and manual selection based on student input. This careful matching process ensures stronger engagement and better project outcomes.

From a performance management perspective, EduSourced provides robust survey tools that we use for midterm and final peer evaluations. These evaluations deliver actionable insights into teamwork, technical competency, and leadership, with flexible options for automated scheduling and distribution.

Finally, from an instructional and program oversight standpoint, the platform offers real-time visibility into team activity. Instructors receive notifications on document updates, can easily manage project workspaces by course section, track progress, and archive completed projects. All of this streamlines both execution and governance at scale.

Your capstone is very large at nearly 100 teams per year. What advice would you give for supporting capstone at scale?

Supporting capstone at scale requires a disciplined pipeline, strong stakeholder relationships, and the right operational infrastructure. One of the most effective strategies we’ve implemented is maintaining a robust backlog of vetted projects in a “proposed” state. We actively cultivate this pipeline by partnering with returning stakeholders (including corporations, government agencies, and local businesses) while leveraging word-of-mouth and prior sponsor success to drive continued engagement and new opportunities.

We also encourage multi-semester projects, which allow us to scale capacity while enabling deeper, more meaningful outcomes for both students and sponsors. Platforms like EduSourced play a critical role by streamlining project intake through structured submission forms, standardizing information, and reducing administrative overhead.

From an execution standpoint, we operate within the clear constraints of student enrollment and instructor capacity. We optimize around team structure and engagement. Teams are typically composed of 3–5 students to ensure accountability and productivity. Once assigned, teams initiate a formal project kickoff with stakeholders and follow a structured engagement model that includes regular touchpoints and three formal demonstrations throughout the semester. Stakeholders remain actively involved and provide end-of-course feedback on both team and individual performance, reinforcing real-world accountability.

Engaging practitioner faculty and industry professionals is a cornerstone of our model. We bring in instructors with real-world experience who can bridge the gap between academic theory and industry execution. These practitioners are engaged not only as instructors but also as mentors and advisors to guide teams, help set expectations and ensure projects align with current industry standards. Their involvement is sustained through strong professional networks, prior sponsor relationships, and a clear value proposition: access to emerging talent, fresh perspectives on real business problems, and a structured environment for innovation.

Scaling successfully comes down to three things: pipeline discipline, stakeholder continuity, and practitioner integration. This, along with using the right tools and processes, keeps everything moving efficiently.

AI is constantly in the news for software development and related fields. Has it impacted your capstone?

AI is beginning to influence our capstone program, and we are actively evolving our approach to integrate it in a thoughtful and practical way. While we are still fine-tuning this area, we are seeing increased demand from stakeholders who specifically request AI-driven components within their projects ranging from intelligent automation to data-driven decision support.

Our approach is intentionally balanced. We encourage students to leverage the most effective tools available, including AI, while ensuring they maintain a strong foundation in core software engineering principles. The priority is not just using AI, but understanding when and how to apply it responsibly within the full software development lifecycle to deliver real-world, production-ready solutions.

At the same time, we know AI is reshaping the expectations of software engineers. As a result, we are continuously adapting the capstone experience to create opportunities for students to build relevant, future-ready skills. This includes exposure to emerging tools, evolving project requirements, and stakeholder-driven use cases that reflect how AI is being adopted in industry today.

Ultimately, our goal is to produce well-rounded graduates who can navigate both traditional engineering practices and the growing influence of AI for long-term career growth in a rapidly changing landscape.