Remote online open book examinations: through the lenses of faculty and students in health professions programmes

BACKGROUND: Open book examinations have been used to assess students' higher order cognitive skills. These examinations can be conducted online remotely with the advancement of technology. However, there are concerns regarding its validity and reliability particularly if the examinations are not proctored. The objective of this study was to explore the perceptions of faculty and students in health professions programmes about remote online open book examinations (ROOBE).

METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted among 22 faculty staff who were involved in ROOBE in health professions programmes. All interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using a thematic analysis approach. The perceptions of 249 medical students were obtained using an online questionnaire after they completed ROOBE.

RESULTS: The faculty agreed that open book examinations could promote students' higher order cognitive skills and reduce students' stress. However, they were concerned about students' academic integrity during non-invigilated ROOBE which could affect recognition by accreditation and professional bodies. The shift from traditional practice of closed-book examinations to ROOBE required change management with the support of guidelines and faculty training.  Majority of the students claimed that the examinations were challenging as they assessed their ability to apply knowledge in real world problems. Nevertheless, they preferred ROOBE due to less anxiety and memorisation, and more emphasis on problem solving skills. The shortcomings were insufficient time for information searching during examinations and uncertainty in preparedness for future practice as they focused less on memorisation of factual knowledge during examination preparation. Cheating among peers and internet instability during non-invigilated ROOBE were the concerns highlighted by some students.

CONCLUSIONS: Faculty and students expressed favourable views about ROOBE in promoting higher order cognitive skills. Adequate technological support was essential during ROOBE. While there was a need to address issues related to academic integrity, ROOBE could be included as an authentic assessment within the systems of assessment.