Does the format of an assessment (closed book or open book) affect learning? A systematic review of the literature.
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| Title: | Does the format of an assessment (closed book or open book) affect learning? A systematic review of the literature. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Permzadian, Vahe1 (AUTHOR) vpermzadian@mst.edu, Cho, Kit W.2 (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Teaching in Higher Education. May2025, Vol. 30 Issue 4, p880-897. 18p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Learning, *Memory, Percentiles |
| Abstract: | When administering an in-class exam, a common decision that confronts every instructor is whether the exam format should be closed book or open book. The present review synthesizes research examining the effect of administering closed-book or open-book assessments on long-term learning. Although the overall effect of assessment format on learning was mixed, two robust findings were that closed-book assessments led to a lower rate of forgetting (i.e. the percentage of change in information participants remembered on an initial test compared to that of the final test) relative to open-book assessments and students preferred to take open-book assessments. We also discuss possible moderators (e.g. item overlap) of the effect. Recommendations are provided to instructors who seek guidance regarding the most appropriate assessment format to adopt for their course. We conclude by outlining avenues for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Teaching in Higher Education is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Education Research Complete |
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| Header | DbId: ehh DbLabel: Education Research Complete An: 184595461 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Does the format of an assessment (closed book or open book) affect learning? A systematic review of the literature. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Permzadian%2C+Vahe%22">Permzadian, Vahe</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> vpermzadian@mst.edu</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Cho%2C+Kit+W%2E%22">Cho, Kit W.</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR) – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Teaching+in+Higher+Education%22">Teaching in Higher Education</searchLink>. May2025, Vol. 30 Issue 4, p880-897. 18p. – Name: Subject Label: Subject Terms Group: Su Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Learning%22">Learning</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Memory%22">Memory</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Percentiles%22">Percentiles</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: When administering an in-class exam, a common decision that confronts every instructor is whether the exam format should be closed book or open book. The present review synthesizes research examining the effect of administering closed-book or open-book assessments on long-term learning. Although the overall effect of assessment format on learning was mixed, two robust findings were that closed-book assessments led to a lower rate of forgetting (i.e. the percentage of change in information participants remembered on an initial test compared to that of the final test) relative to open-book assessments and students preferred to take open-book assessments. We also discuss possible moderators (e.g. item overlap) of the effect. Recommendations are provided to instructors who seek guidance regarding the most appropriate assessment format to adopt for their course. We conclude by outlining avenues for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Teaching in Higher Education is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=ehh&AN=184595461 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1080/13562517.2023.2289128 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 18 StartPage: 880 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Learning Type: general – SubjectFull: Memory Type: general – SubjectFull: Percentiles Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Does the format of an assessment (closed book or open book) affect learning? A systematic review of the literature. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Permzadian, Vahe – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Cho, Kit W. IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 05 Text: May2025 Type: published Y: 2025 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 13562517 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 30 – Type: issue Value: 4 Titles: – TitleFull: Teaching in Higher Education Type: main |
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