Open Book Examinations – A pleasure or pain?“A breeze discovered my open book. And began to flutter the leaves to look” said Robert Frost. Completely in tune with this statement, I was sitting before my book, when a voice from the hall interrupted my dreams “Hey, are you studying or not?”. That was my father. “There is no point in just going through the book, but you must be able to understand and comprehend it” was the add-on voice from an uncle. “It is not enough reading once; you must be able to read again and again so that it gets into your head.” Advice from all nooks and corners were pouring in as I was battling with my book! And finally the advice came from a father’s friend who visited for a coffee “Son, while reading a book you must be able to comprehend the ideas, construct and visualize them in your mind, think logically, analytically, coherently and apply it to multiple contexts so that they really become useful knowledge.” All these adjectives were playing havoc in my mind. At that age, all he said were just words which I could never comprehend!
On the day of the examination, ‘Why did you not answer the question?” asked a friend. I replied, “I read it many times, but I forgot the answer during the examinations.” To another question in the examinations, I said “I couldn’t find the answer for this question anywhere in the book.” OMG! How many answers I invented to satisfy the people who monitored and mentored me for several of the examinations. I have always felt like a racing horse whipped to run towards the goal!
I have had several battles with the textbooks while appearing for examinations in several stages of life. I always felt I had the book open while writing an examination!
Later, during my professional career as a teacher and an educational administrator, I had faced entirely separate set of challenges with these examinations! “Sir, this question is not found in the list of questions printed at the end of the chapter in your prescribed book” was one parent. Another said “Yes, I agree, the question is based on the concept within the syllabus, but it is not a straight question.” A third came with a complaint “The language of the question is misleading.”
“Sir, the question in maths relating to heights and distances is given with reference to a moving object in the sky, but not to solid structures as we usually teach” was the case put by a teacher. As an administrator, I have been a witness to a few battles too in the courts of law with the regard to the question papers.
Years later, when I was a member of a high-power committee to examine the possibility of introducing the Open book examinations, the committee had to reject the proposal in view of several pedagogical and administrative challenges associated with it. I may not hold the same view now, thirty years later.
Relating the Open Book Examinations to life, Alan Binder observed “Life is not a multiple choice test, it's an open-book essay exam.”
The advocates of the open book examinations have following points to argue:
1. It is not the information imprinted in the textbooks that is important, but constructing knowledge and ability to apply the same is not supported by the current examination system which promotes rote learning. Hence, we should move towards a better system.
2. Open book examinations would reduce the unwarranted stress associated with the examinations and the fear psychosis that is infused through ivory-tower approach to learning.
3. The assessment associated with the current examination systems is not reflective of the quality of learning and is often misleading.
4. The results get polarized because of socio-political needs of the administrative agencies and hence not reflective of the real performance. There is an enormous difference between the individual’s potential and the social expectations.
5. The current style and content of examinations does not facilitate constructivist pedagogy and hence does not encourage any scope for thinking or debates in the classrooms. A disruptive thinking is essential and Open book examination might help.
6. The textual materials do not promote curiosity and extended learning. Hence the examinations are usually ‘made to order’ materials, focusing on certification rather than knowledge assimilation and knowledge production or synthesis.
There appears to be a case in the point. However, there are opponents who vehemently argue their case. They have the following points to make:
1. Open book examinations put the entire load on the individual’s learning competence and potential. It may not help for a cross section of learners with differing learning styles.
2. The content and organization of developing the same in textual materials currently is not conducive to the open book examinations. It is necessary to develop more relevant models of textbooks to meet these needs.
3. The type of questions needed for open book examination need articulation and improvisation that would be befitting the objectives of such an examination.
4. As the questions would depend on problem solving, critical thinking, creative thinking, analytical thinking and intuition, it is necessary that the classrooms should have a pedagogy that meets these requirements.
5. With teachers who are not adequately exposed to such deliverable models for decades, it is imperative that the teachers trained adequately and effectively before the launch of the system.
6. Designing questions for Open Book Exam, be it multiple-choice, short answer or the essay type, needs a lot of expertise and wisdom. Examinees need to be exposed and trained before they take the examinations.
7. The outcome of the examinations would result in more diffused distribution in the normal distribution curve and the stakeholders should be willing to accept the realities of the outcome.
8. The tools and indicators of the assessment for this system needs extensive clarity to appreciate the success of this system.
9. To seek better outcomes from this method, integrated thinking, immersive thinking, inter-disciplinary thinking and multi-disciplinary thinking must be encouraged and currently no emphasis is laid in the pedagogical processes in schools.
Well, both the advocates and the opponents of this concept suffer from the impact of some pre-conceived notions. Yet, their points of view need intense deliberations.
The challenge of the current educational system, more so at school levels, appears consumer-driven, market-driven and convenience-driven. It is important to implement the concept from the formative level initially so that a solid foundation is set to the systemic change. While the objectives of the Open Book Examinations with focus on ‘thinking classrooms’ is not questionable, the route-map needs to be drawn with clarity.
Whether the Open Book Examinations will be a pleasure or pain – is anybody’s guess. There is no Nostradamus to predict.
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