Case study: Developing an acoustics program in Ecuador Through Capstone Projects

The Coastal Polytechnic School in Guayaquil, Ecuador is the leading engineering school in the country. Recent efforts have been targeted towards the creation of an acoustics program that enables students apply basic acoustics knowledge in real-life problems that the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering currently has. With the lack of courses in acoustics, various capstone projects have been conducted by the students under the supervision of experts in acoustics. Most of the basic training in acoustics theory is given during the first weeks of the project and then the student is exposed to field work by taking measurements utilizing different test procedures to obtain acoustical metrics. Then, a subsequent analysis is performed under the supervision of various experts. These capstone projects will be the stepping stone for the first programs in industrial acoustics in the City of Guayaquil and will help newly graduates understand the importance of acoustics throughout their careers. The end goal is to have a well-established program with relevant undergraduate courses in acoustics.