Attitudes of Faculty and Students toward Open-book Examination as a Teaching Strategy in Nursing Education at Hawler Medical University

Abstract

Background and objectives: Open-book examinations (OBEs) is a non-traditional teaching strategy increasingly offered today in nursing education programs. Open-book examination is one in which students are allowed to use their notes, textbooks, and other approved material (preferably not electronic) while answering examination questions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the attitudes of faculty and students towards open-book examinations as a teaching strategy in nursing education. Methods: A descriptive study was carried out at College of Nursing in Hawler Medical University. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collected data. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed because it produced accurate results of the study. Also, the questionnaire was reliable because it gave a consistent result throughout the study. Total of 100 nursing students and 35 teaching staff were participated in the study. Data were analyzed by using frequency and percentage for students and teachers. Results: The majority of the students (45%) and faculties (45.7%) agreed that OBEs facilitate thinking at higher cognitive levels. Most of the students (61%) and teachers (51.4%) agreed that OBEs decreases students’ test anxiety. Also, teachers (48.6%) and students (41%) agreed that OBEs promote critical thinking regarding the contents of the course. Teachers and students agreed that OBEs encourage self-directed learning, decrease memorizing contents, promote student-centred approach to education, encourage students to read textbooks and articles more, and help students to be long-life learners. Conclusion: This study confirmed that open-book examinations when used as a teaching strategy in nursing education programs played an important role in improving nursing curriculum. To decrease students’ anxiety regarding examinations, this study pointed out that OBEs can minimize the students’ anxiety during examinations.

Keywords

• open-book examination
• nursing education
• teaching strategy
• critical thinking
• faculty