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Open and Closed Book Exams in the Context of English Literature: Findings from Three Studies (95456)
Session Chair: Cleopatra Musa Mzobe
This presentation will be live-streamed via Zoom (Online Access)
Monday, 14 July 2025 11:40
Session: Session 3
Room: Live-Stream Room 1
Presentation Type:Live-Stream Presentation
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The benefits and drawbacks of open and closed book examinations is a topic of much debate. Well-rehearsed debates reflect broader discourses about progressive versus traditionalist education, and about assessment of knowledge versus skills. In this strand of three research studies, the topic of open and closed book exams was explored in the context of international English Literature qualifications where open book refers to students having access to a clean, unmarked and unannotated copy of a drama text (for example, a Shakespeare text) during their exams. Study 1 was a critical literature review exploring the differences between open and closed book exams, focusing on the application of published findings to English Literature. Articles were sourced from databases, screened and coded for themes. Study 2 looked at the potential impact of open or closed book exams on the quality of essay writing. Four experienced assessors evaluated a random stratified sample of essays from each condition (40 in total), noting the frequency, type, and quality of textual references. The results were compared with descriptive statistics. Finally, Study 3 explored through regression analyses the differences in marks among students who wrote essays with and without access to texts. Prior English Literature ability, age, gender and school were included as control variables. The findings and implications are discussed. All in all, the research suggests there are arguments for and against both options and potential regional differences in the effects of open and closed book exams.
Authors:
Emma Walland, Cambridge University Press & Assessment, United Kingdom
About the Presenter(s)
Emma Walland is currently a researcher at Cambridge University Press & Assessment, United Kingdom.
See this presentation on the full schedule – Monday Schedule
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