Initial investigation into engineering students problem solving within controls

The middle years of college-level engineering have been identified as an area that needs increased research attention. To date, little has been done to understand how students´ learn conceptual knowledge in engineering science courses. This study examines how students use conceptual knowledge during the learning of control systems engineering. This work in progress will discuss the initial findings of a study examining junior-level mechanical engineering students solving controls homework and laboratory problems, exploring topics such as PID control, state feedback, and pole placement.