Integrating an online component into a university course is typically done to improve the student experience. However the intent of the teacher's blended design may not always align to the students' experience of it. Their experience may be mediated by a number of factors including student perceptions of the online environment and their approach to engaging in the experience. In this study, an investigation into student learning experience of 200 engineering students found that the extent of their engagement and academic success was related to how integrated they perceived the online environment to be with the whole course design, the perceived amount of workload and benefits they found when engaging online and their preference for which mode of learning they chose. The outcomes of the associations amongst their perceptions, preferences and levels of engagement have important implications for university course design and teaching.