Abstract:

“Materials I” is a subject from Grade in Technical Architecture. It is included in the Techniques and Technologies Modulus, and it is trained during the first semester of the first academic year. Discipline is obligatory learn with 6 ECTS credits.
For students, “Materials I” is the second contact, after “Fundamentals of Materials” with Construction Materials discipline, where they should develop specific skills from building industry.
Results obtained by students in the previous subject “Materials I” were lower than expected. For this reason, our teaching team has carried out two analyses with results of both disciplines jointly. We have presented previously one of them in Edulearn 2014 Proceedings, were we showed the results obtained.

Evaluation of both disciplines in a concurrent way is done according similar criteria, as it is explained in the following points.
- Theoretical Exam, where academic concepts are checked, with final weigh of 40% of final score.
- Problem Exam, where students should solve practical problems using the acquired knowledge in attendance classes, with a weight of 25% of total score.
- Oral Exam about Laboratory Practices, with weighting of 15% of final score.
- Evaluation of Personal work in classes, with weighting of 10% of total score.
- Evaluation of Personal work outside of classes, with weighting of 10% of final score.

Conditions to consider students have accomplished and approved each part are as follows:
a) Theoretical Exam, Problem Exam and Laboratory Exam are overcome if grade achieved by the student is equal or greater than 4.5 points. Examination can be improved in a second call.
b) Students must deliver a Practices notebook. Oral Practical Exam score value is over 60% added to the practical notebook evaluation evaluated over 40%. Final grade is the sum of the partial grades obtained in each part, considering the subject overcome if this result is greater than or equal to 5.0.
c) Evaluation of Personal works should be done before the Final Exam. Score obtained is retained until second assessment.
d) Undergraduate overcomes the subject when final grade is greater than or equal to 5.0.

To sum up, this article explores the global result from both assessments and the overall reason for the scores obtained in each case.
To examine the individual and group scholar evolution, also result from each section of exam is analyzed. In a similar way, thematically areas and contents, each type of practical problems and activities are studied.
Reading this research work, in addition to the previous published about “Fundamentals of Materials”, it’s possible to illustrate a general idea about undergraduate success in Construction Material discipline from first year of Grade in Technical Architecture, which allows us to establish novel teaching strategies to improve the students knowledge.

Keywords:

Academic performance, Teaching strategies, Assessment of student’s knowledge.