This report is of research in progress on the nature of the learning task in university courses. Six expert engineering teachers and researchers, two each from the Universities of Western Ontario, Cambridge and Stanford, were asked to describe their perceptions of learning in their courses. Introductory courses are described first to show what skills students bring to an engineering programme, what the learning task is, and how learning is evaluated. The description of upper level courses provides an insight into the development of engineering skills in the programme. Finally, experts' comments on expertise in the field and its relationship to learning in the courses show how far along the way graduates from engineering programs are to becoming experts.