Enhancing the Evaluation Framework for Capstone Projects in Information Technology Undergraduate Programs

PDF (1194KB), PP.141-167

Views: 0 Downloads: 0

Author(s)

Thacha Lawanna 1,*

1. International College of Digital Innovation, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand

* Corresponding author.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2026.04.09

Received: 26 Jan. 2026 / Revised: 9 Feb. 2026 / Accepted: 8 Mar. 2026 / Published: 8 Aug. 2026

Index Terms

Evaluation Methodologies, Industry Internships, Capstone Project, IT Service Management, Devops Education

Abstract

A hybrid analytic–holistic evaluation framework is developed and validated for assessing Information Technology (IT) undergraduate capstone projects in Thai higher education. Drawing on five academic years of multi-stakeholder assessment data, the research identifies five critical dimensions influencing evaluation outcomes: student competency performance, project proposal quality, advising effectiveness, panel variability, and assessment-criteria weighting. By integrating structured analytic rubrics with holistic panel judgments, the framework addresses persistent challenges of grading inconsistency, evaluator bias, and misalignment between academic assessment and industry expectations. Statistical analyses indicate that documentation quality, project innovation, and internship performance are the strongest predictors of final panel grades, explaining 72% of evaluation variance. The principal contribution lies in providing empirical evidence of assessment variability and a validated, replicable model that improves fairness, transparency, accreditation compliance, and alignment with professional IT competencies. The framework supports outcome-based education standards (ABET, ASIIN, ETQA) and offers practical guidance for enhancing quality assurance and graduate employability.

Cite This Paper

Thacha Lawanna, "Enhancing the Evaluation Framework for Capstone Projects in Information Technology Undergraduate Programs", International Journal of Modern Education and Computer Science(IJMECS), Vol.18, No.4, pp. 141-167, 2026. DOI:10.5815/ijmecs.2026.04.09

Reference

[1]N. Bukhari, M. Noman, F. A. Apoi, and M. K. Kasiran, “Designing and implementing the undergraduate capstone project in the information technology program,” Journal of Institutional Research South East Asia, vol. 22, no. 3, 2024. Available: https://jirsea.amecea.org/index.php/jirsea
[2]A. Lopez et al., “Improving the assessment of capstone projects in the bachelor’s degree in computer engineering,” ACM Trans. Comput. Educ., vol. 25, no. 2, pp. 1–28, 2025, doi: 10.1145/3678912.
[3]N. Etezady and P. Wang, “Capstone project design for an undergraduate cybersecurity program,” in Proc. Int. Conf. Information Technology–New Generations, Cham, Switzerland: Springer, 2025, pp. 84–94, doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-59756-6_8.
[4]M. Noman and M. K. Kasiran, “Undergraduate capstone projects in information technology course: Bridging the gap between theory and practical skills,” Int. J. Innovation and Learning, vol. 33, no. 2, pp. 161–176, 2023, doi: 10.1504/IJIL.2023.131785.
[5]A. Shakil and P. Denny, “Enhancing student engagement in large-scale capstone courses: An experience report,” in Proc. 2024 Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education Conf., ACM, 2024, pp. 722–728, doi: 10.1145/3649217.3653580.
[6]P. F. H. Navarrete, “Design of rubrics for the evaluation of research work in the capstone project subject of an electronic engineering program,” in Proc. IEEE World Engineering Education Conf. (EDUNINE), 2024, pp. 1–6, doi: 10.1109/EDUNINE61384.2024.10558209.
[7]M. Kakkar, D. Mehrotra, and K. Kakkar, “Four-quadrant approach – An improved pedagogy for capstone project,” J. Research in Innovative Teaching & Learning, 2025, doi: 10.1108/JRIT-11-2024-0277.
[8]K. Abdulmawjood, M. S. Zilany, and M. Sheet, “An in-depth examination of assessment methods for capstone projects,” 2024. Available: https://www.researchgate.net/
[9]U. Naeem et al., “Data-driven interventions for capstone projects,” in Proc. IEEE Global Engineering Education Conf. (EDUCON), 2024, pp. 1–7, doi: 10.1109/EDUCON62025.2024.10512345.
[10]R. Jezrawi et al., “Partnering with students to develop a capstone for a graduate health informatics program,” Applied Clinical Informatics, vol. 15, no. 5, pp. 1080–1092, 2024, doi: 10.1055/s-0044-1787236.
[11]R. Gafni, M. Leiba, and S. Sherman, “Let’s get ready for work: Employability skills development in an IS capstone project,” J. Information Technology Education: Research, vol. 22, pp. 391–410, 2023, doi: 10.28945/5172.
[12]S. Sasidhar and J. Vachery, “Leveraging Industry 4.0 in education for remote implementation in a team-based computer engineering capstone project,” in Proc. IEEE Frontiers in Education Conf. (FIE), 2024, pp. 1–9. Available: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/
[13]E. Chatzidaki et al., “Identifying project management skills in industry-driven capstone projects,” in Proc. ACM Int. Conf. Foundations of Software Engineering, 2025, pp. 959–969, doi: 10.1145/3663529.3663807.
[14]K. Ammar and R. N. B. Rais, “Outcome-based performance evaluation approach using rubric-based capstone projects assessment,” in Proc. Int. Multi-Conf. Systems, Signals & Devices, 2023, pp. 777–783, doi: 10.1109/SSD57923.2023.10121028.
[15]M. M. Morsy, M. N. Uddin, and F. Znidi, “Multidisciplinary capstone senior design projects: A comparative analysis of industry–sponsored and faculty–sponsored projects using comprehensive performance metrics,” Education Sciences, vol. 14, no. 3, p. 314, 2024, doi: 10.3390/educsci14030314.
[16]P. Howell and A. Aryal, “IS capstone course design: Quasi-internships using Harvard business cases,” J. Information Systems Education, vol. 35, no. 1, pp. 14–24, 2024. Available: https://jise.org
[17]J. S. Latham-Campbell, Internship Report for HCA 693: Capstone Project, California State Univ., East Bay, 2023. Available: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12680/xs55mk62b
[18]A. K. Patil et al., “Enhancement in student employability by providing internship and project track,” J. Engineering Education Transformations, vol. 36, no. 3, pp. 52–56, 2023, doi: 10.16920/jeet/2023/v36i3/2779.
[19]J. Whalley, A. Imbulpitiya, and T. Clear, “Computing capstone courses as preparation for practice: A global survey of instructors,” ACM Inroads, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 26–39, 2025, doi: 10.1145/3696237.
[20]P. D. Pike, “Internships,” in High-Impact Practices in Online Education. Routledge, 2023, pp. 147–163, doi: 10.4324/9781003248717.
[21]I. Kato and D. Van Greunen, “Capstone projects and their transition into the software development industry: A 10-year systematic review,” in Proc. Int. Conf. Artificial Intelligence and its Applications, IEEE, 2023, pp. 114–119. Available: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org
[22]M. Wolf et al., “Modeling determinants of undergraduate computing students' participation in internships,” in Proc. ACM SIGCSE Tech. Symp., 2023, pp. 200–206, doi: 10.1145/3545947.3569629.
[23]A. Badir et al., “Fostering project-based learning through industry engagement in capstone design projects,” Education Sciences, vol. 13, no. 4, p. 361, 2023, doi: 10.3390/educsci13040361.
[24]S. G. Atluri and A. Ganne, “Education posters,” In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology – Animal, vol. 59, no. 1, pp. S109–S111, 2023, doi: 10.1007/s11626-023-00764-2.
[25]P. Matibe, “Capstone: Merging experiential learning, research, and 21st century pedagogy,” 2025. Available: https://doi.org/10.33774/apsa-2025-xfd5g
[26]R. Jayaraman, “Development of a comprehensive pedagogy to improve the connect between industry and business schools through capstone projects in executive MBA education,” Int. J. Education, vol. 4, no. 1, 2023. Available: https://ijournal.co.in
[27]K. Hang et al., “Industry mentoring and internship experiences at a community college baccalaureate program in software development,” in Proc. ACM SIGCSE, 2024, pp. 456–462, doi: 10.1145/3626252.3630823.
[28]K. Shine, “Benefits of the project model capstone: Key experience themes for journalism students,” Pacific Journalism Review, vol. 29, no. 1–2, pp. 167–180, 2023, doi: 10.24135/pjr.v29i1-2.1511.
[29]P. T. Lourencao et al., “Capstone design project in the professional master’s in aeronautical engineering,” in AIAA SCITECH 2025 Forum, 2025, p. 1652, doi: 10.2514/6.2025-1652.
[30]B. Gupta, “Experiential learning in higher education,” University News, vol. 61, no. 9, pp. 1–24, 2023. Available: https://www.aiu.ac.in
[31]S. Hooshangi et al., “Instructors’ perspectives on capstone courses in computing fields: A mixed-methods study,” in Working Group Reports ITiCSE, 2025, pp. 68–94, doi: 10.1145/3689187.3709608.
[32]S. Hooshangi et al., “Assessing team-based capstone projects: Challenges and recommendations,” in Proc. ITiCSE, vol. 2, 2025, pp. 701–702. Available: https://dl.acm.org
[33]T. Hussain, “Assessing ABET’s outcomes through a software engineering capstone course,” in World Congress in Computer Science, Springer, 2024, pp. 109–122. Available: https://link.springer.com
[34]Q. I. Ali, “Surveying different student outcome assessment methods for ABET accredited computer engineering programs,” Research Reports on Computer Science, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 56–76, 2023. Available: https://rrcs.org
[35]R. M. L. L. P. Abad and E. R. Yabut, “Capstone projects: An empirical study on the effectiveness of hybrid code review,” in Innovating Education with AI, Springer, 2025. Available: https://link.springer.com
[36]I. Atoum et al., “Comprehensive rubrics for evaluating computer-related capstones,” in Proc. ICCR, IEEE, 2024, pp. 1–5, doi: 10.1109/ICCR59732.2024.10445200.
[37]Z. O. Abu-Faraj, “The ABCs of senior capstone design in engineering education,” LinkedIn Pulse, Sep. 25, 2025. Available: https://www.linkedin.com
[38]K. D. Strang and N. R. Vajjhala, “Integrating industry-crowdsourced projects in university capstone courses,” Industry and Higher Education, vol. 38, no. 6, pp. 574–582, 2024, doi: 10.1177/09504222241249894.
[39]A. K. Peters et al., “Sustainability in computing education: A systematic literature review,” ACM Trans. Comput. Educ., vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 1–53, 2024, doi: 10.1145/3632488.
[40]A. C. Szatmary, “Tools for comprehensive assessment of the 7 ABET student outcomes,” in Proc. ASEE Annual Conf., 2023, doi: 10.18260/1-2--44505.
[41]H. Kamper et al., “Using machine learning to understand assessment practices of capstone projects,” in Proc. WEEF–GEDC, IEEE, 2023, pp. 1–6, doi: 10.1109/WEEF-GEDC59285.2023.10319231.
[42]B. B. Balilo Jr et al., “Insights and trends of capstone project of CS/IT department of Bicol University,” Int. J. Computing Sciences Research, vol. 7, pp. 1255–1272, 2023, doi: 10.25147/ijcsr.2023.001.
[43]M. Fazelpour et al., “Engineering design education: Assessing student learning in cornerstone through capstone programs,” in ASME IDETC-CIE, 2024, doi: 10.1115/DETC2024-12345.
[44]A. D. Suleiman et al., “Systematic literature review on project-based learning in computing education,” ACM Trans. Comput. Educ., vol. 25, no. 4, pp. 1–53, 2025, doi: 10.1145/3678910.
[45]L. Al-Salmi, “Capstone portfolios as an accreditation and professional development tool,” Int. J. Early Childhood, vol. 57, no. 1, pp. 115–132, 2025, doi: 10.1007/s13158-025-00378-2.
[46]E. Kučera and O. Haffner, “Competency-based hybrid learning,” IEEE Access, vol. 13, pp. 54892–54919, 2025, doi: 10.1109/ACCESS.2025.3555333.
[47]M. Han et al., “Development and evaluation of a forensic nursing competency-based hybrid simulation education program,” Nurse Education in Practice, vol. 73, p. 103819, 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.nepr.2023.103819.
[48]E. Cano et al., “Competency-based assessment practices in higher education,” Trends in Higher Education, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 238–254, 2023, doi: 10.3390/higheredu2010017.
[49]N. A. Rahman, “Competency-based and ethical assessment models,” Sinergi Int. J. Islamic Studies, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 57–69, 2025. Available: https://journal.sinergi.or.id
[50]R. Mulenga and H. Shilongo, “Hybrid and blended learning models,” Acta Pedagogia Asiana, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 1–13, 2025, doi: 10.58967/apa.v4i1.103.
[51]C. L. Garay-Rondero et al., “Competency-based assessment tools for engineering higher education,” Cogent Education, vol. 11, no. 1, p. 2392424, 2024, doi: 10.1080/2331186X.2024.2392424.
[52]L. T. Nguyen and K. Tuamsuk, “Digital services as catalysts for lifelong learning,” J. Academic Librarianship, vol. 51, no. 6, p. 103152, 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.acalib.2025.103152.
[53]A. Jiwasiddi et al., “Digital nomadism as a new part of the visitor economy,” Information Systems Journal, vol. 34, no. 5, pp. 1493–1535, 2024, doi: 10.1111/isj.12534.
[54]J. Wongwuttiwat, T. Lawanna, and T. Tantontrakul, “The state of digital technology and innovation development,” Electronic J. Information Systems in Developing Countries, vol. 90, no. 4, e12311, 2024, doi: 10.1002/isd2.12311.
[55]N. Tachaboon, An Innovation Capability Assessment Method for Early-Stage Start-Ups in Thailand, Ph.D. dissertation, Univ. Leeds, 2024. Available: https://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk
[56]L. T. Nguyen et al., “Competency-based curriculum design for a master of information science program,” J. Librarianship and Information Science, 2025, doi: 10.1177/09610006251367456.
[57]M. Ryalat et al., “Research and education in robotics,” J. Sensor and Actuator Networks, vol. 14, no. 4, p. 76, 2025, doi: 10.3390/jsan14040076.
[58]A. Ratanawaraha et al., Policies to Promote Private Sector Engagement in Science, Technology and Innovation: Workbook, 2024, doi: 10.18356/9789213587029.
[59]M. Alenezi and F. Alanazi, “Integrating ESG values into higher education curriculum,” Int. J. Evaluation and Research in Education, vol. 13, no. 5, pp. 3493–3503, 2024, doi: 10.11591/ijere.v13i5.29440.
[60]A. Vuoriainen et al., “The six C’s of successful higher education–industry collaboration,” European J. Engineering Education, vol. 50, no. 1, pp. 26–50, 2025, doi: 10.1080/03043797.2024.2466670.
[61]N. M. De Jesus, “Descriptive analytics and interactive visualizations for performance monitoring,” Int. J. Advanced Computer Science and Applications, vol. 14, no. 2, pp. 123–132, 2023, doi: 10.14569/IJACSA.2023.0140216.
[62]S. Bag and M. S. Rahman, “Navigating circular economy,” Business Strategy and the Environment, vol. 33, no. 2, pp. 504–528, 2024, doi: 10.1002/bse.3560.
[63]S. Daimi and S. Rebai, “Sustainability performance assessment of Tunisian public transport companies,” Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, vol. 89, p. 101680, 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.seps.2023.101680.