COMPARING STUDENT AUTONOMOUS LEARNING STRATEGIES AND RESULTS IN TWO COURSES AT THE BUILDING ENGINEERING SCHOOL OF VALENCIA

Through the results of a questionnaire carried out during the academic year 2010-2011 with the aim of pointing out the autonomous learning strategies held by the students of the Building Engineering Bachelor Degree at the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, in this paper a comparison between academic results and those strategies has been performed by students attending the course of Physics and Building Structures. The questionnaire (182 answers) explores five different horizons (knowledge widening, collaboration, planning, preparation of exams and conceptualization). Physics is a basic subject in the 2nd semester and Building Structures is a specific subject in the 5th semester. We follow two different ways of analysis. In one hand, the general strategies followed by the students and its relation to the academic results obtained for each course. On the other hand, the most efficient strategies depending on the character of the subject will be analyzed. The results of the survey show clearly the most efficient strategies and the most significant horizons. Thus lecturers have consistent data with added value in order to adapt the tasks asked to students during the next academic year to improve the learning process.