Open book tests deepen students’ understanding

by Andrew Bowman

Of all the changes to how classes were conducted this year, the new testing protocol was probably the most notable. In my experience prior to COVID, in-person classes most always conducted proctored tests in which no outside resources were allowed, and for the few online courses I had taken, the tests were open book. With this switch over to all online for the majority of this school year, the in-person teachers had to adapt their classes to the online format and they mainly chose one of three options. The first is to embrace the online format and adapt the curriculum so that open book tests would work within the context of the class. The second oft-selected choice was a combination of both formats, the combination tests would usually be open book but on a strict timer or close book with infinite time. The third option is to try to apply the in-person testing philosophy to the online setting, which usually ended up being a scheduled, locked browser, timed test in which the students joined a Zoom call where the teacher could monitor their eyes to make sure they weren’t looking at anything except the test.

In my experience as a student, I found that the courses that adapted the most to the online setting were the most successful. I found that the teachers who did full open-book tests were still able to make them challenging, just in a slightly different way. Rather than testing memorization, it rewarded being able to find information, and quickly if the test is timed. In comparison, the proctored synchronous exams felt much more stressful but the content of the test was no more, or even less challenging.

The hybrid style was more successful than the straight proctored exams in my opinion but was better when they took the open book but timed route than the close book but infinite time simply because the first is easier to enforce and actually makes you prepare. This hybrid style I think would be the dominant style if teachers had more time to adapt to the online setting because it is a perfect balance that accommodates the online setting very well. There need be no cheating prevention because it is an open book and there is no way they can spend more time than allocated on the test. It also doesn’t need to be taken at a specific time-- students can take it anytime during the day. It also promotes a more healthy style of studying where rather than cramming, you just need to make sure you can easily access the things you need to know because truthfully, life is open-book.

I believe that the hybrid testing style is the most effective online testing system even if it weren’t my personal favorite in practice. It combines the timed element of a proctored test with the more laid-back feeling of an open-book test, which creates a test that is both difficult and less stressful than a traditional test.