SynThesis: Integrating real world Product Design and Business Development with the challenges of innovative instruction

SynThesis: Product Design and Business Development for Entrepreneurial Team s is a new curricular offering at Yale University that brings together engi neering, computer science, and management students into entrepreneurial tea ms to create new products and business plans. The evolution of the design o f this full-year cow-se is described herein, including the objective of ori enting the course deliverables to product-based learning; the use of extern al validation and peer evaluation,- close relationships with industry; priv ileging a team-based reward systems; reinforcing collaborative learning and problem solving; delivering just-in-time course materials; and aligning pr ojects and self-assembling teams with the concerns of the students. The pap er also elaborates on methods of course assessment and student and team sel f-assessment.