Associate Professor, Department of Physiology, Kamineni Academy of Medical Sciences & Research Centre, LB Nagar, Hyderabad
At present, the Medical knowledge is expanding and changing rapidly and there is increasing need to concentrate on education based on competencies. Closed book exam is an established approach to assessment in medical education which is widely accepted method of superficial learning. Adding open book test to the formative assessment can assist in handling this growth of knowledge.
To evaluate the effectiveness of open book test on student's performance in summative assessment and to know the perception of students on open book test.
The study was conducted on I MBBS students (n=150), who were divided into 2 groups, Group I: subjected to open book test for 4 weeks and Group II: subjected to closed book tests for 4weeks. There was a cross-over of the two groups and Group I were subjected to the closed book test and Group II students were subjected to open book tests. The mean marks obtained in summative assessment were statistically compared. Perception of the students was taken through feedback questionnaire.
The mean marks obtained by the students (n= 141) in the summative assessment after open book test (Mean± SD =26.37±6.235) are statistically significant than those after closed book tests(mean± SD =24.09± 6.3513(p value< 0.005).
71% of students recommended open book tests for the formative assessment. Hence, adding open book test to the medical curriculum along with regularly used closed book test are expected to stimulate deep learning.
Open book tests, Closed book test, formative assessment, deep learning, medical education
