A second-year engineering course at the authors’ institution was offered via a blended synchronous learning (BSL) method of delivery whereby students could choose to attend lectures live (face-to-face) or remotely (via a synchronous, live stream over the internet) during a summer semester. Survey and grade data were collected across two years of this offering. Attendance, interaction, communication with the instructor, and general distractions were main themes affecting the student learning experience both positively and negatively. Specifically, students found the remote access, the ability to ask questions, the teaching style, and having more time during the summer semester as positive aspects to their learning experience. Negative influences on their learning experience related primarily to their busy work schedules, technological issues associated with BSL, and typical summer distractions. Critically, our results indicate that attendance is a key indicator of student grades (after correcting for GPA), regardless of whether students attended lectures remotely or face-to-face: students attending more than 75% of the lectures performed on average 12% better than students who did not (p=0.0093). The consensus in the student comments was that the remote attendance option allowed students to attend in situations where the alternative was no attendance at all, implying that the potential gain in grades due to higher attendance may outweigh any potential impact the mode of attendance may have. Overall, a synchronous, remote attendance option may provide a lifeline to students who would not otherwise be able to attend a course, and (assuming a mode of interaction, such as the synchronous chat, is available) students do not perceive remote attendance as having a negative influence on their learning.

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In this paper, we consider the use of periodic controllers for simultaneous stabilization and step tracking, including the case when there are occasional, though persistent, plant changes. We consider the case of a finite set of admissible models; we provide a design procedure that yields a controller which stabilizes each such model while providing near optimal LQR step tracking. We then demonstrate that this controller has the facility to tolerate occasional (but persistent) switches between these models without an undue effect on the performance. The controller is periodic with a slight nonlinearity.

Capstone Experiences (CE) are meant to integrate and culminate the student experience. The most common CE in the Canadian and American engineering curriculums is the final year design course, but other disciplines also have capstone experiences.  This paper presents initial results from a multi-institutional, multi-national survey of faculty and student perceptions of capstone experiences.  Here, we investigate three criteria (Values, Skills/competencies, Attitudes) and discuss differences and similarities among the disciplines and between engineering students and faculty.   There is good alignment between engineering faculty and students, but values such as openness and compassion are selected at (comparatively) lower rates by engineering faculty and students than by other disciplines. These findings provide an opportunity for engineering educators to reflect on the intentions of their CE; e.g., are these results an intentional outcome of engineering capstones, or an oversight on the part of engineering educators?

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