The development of undergraduate curricula in surgery: III. Assessment

Study on the impact of open and closed book formative examinations on pharmacy students' performance, perception, and learning approach

OBJECTIVES

To study the impact of open and closed book formative examinations on pharmacy students' learning approach and also to assess their performance and perception about open book (OB) and closed book (CB) systems of examination.

METHODS

A crossover study was conducted among Year 1 and Year 2 pharmacy students. Students were invited to participate voluntarily for one OB and one CB online formative test in a chemistry module in each year. Evaluation of their learning approach and perception of the OB and CB systems of examination was conducted using Deep Information Processing (DIP) questionnaire and Student Perception questionnaire respectively. The mean performance scores of OB and CB examinations were compared.

RESULTS

Analysis of DIP scores showed that there was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in the learning approach adopted for the two different examination systems. However, the mean score obtained in the OB examination was significantly higher (p < 0.01) than those obtained in the CB examination. Preference was given by a majority of students for the OB examination, possibly because it was associated with lower anxiety levels, less requirement of memorization, and more problem solving.

CONCLUSION

There is no difference in deep learning approach of students, whether the format is of the OB or CB type examinations. However, the performance of students was significantly better in OB examination than CB. Hence, using OB examination along with CB examination will be useful for student learning and help them adapt to growing and changing knowledge in pharmacy education and practice.

What we don't know we are teaching: unveiling the hidden curriculum

In addition to the intentional teaching of knowledge and skills by surgeons to their trainees and protégés is the unintended, often unrealized transmission of implicit beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors through a process called the hidden curriculum. The hidden curriculum is a function of implicit values held by the institution as a whole, and the individual surgical educators and allied health professionals working in the trainee's learning environment. It has been argued the hidden curriculum plays a central role in the development of professionalism, but it may also play an important role in inadvertently deterring good candidates from considering orthopaedic surgery as a career. We review the importance of attending to the messages we transmit to our trainees, protégés, and junior colleagues as we strive to develop professional competency and recruit the best into the field.