China has so many firsts to her credit.Examination system was first launched by China in 200 BC. Lockdown cam fromthere and impacted adversely education system as well. The changing times offernew opportunities to think out of box. Thus demand to find out alternatives.Closed book examination has not been replaced in totality. However, Open bookexamination is finding a due space in a given situation.
Open Book Examinations (OBE) permit tocarry examination note, texts or resource materials (hard and soft) into anexam situation. They test one’s ability to find and apply knowledge. OBEusually come in two forms: 1.Traditional sit–down in a neck to neck examinationhall. This is for limited–time varying degrees of access to resources andreferences.2.Take home OBE one does at home. Questions are delivered, answersare attempted without help from others. The exam is returned within a specifiedperiod of time.
The materials examinee can take into an OBEcan vary. Some restrict the type of materials e.g. formula sheets, tables or alimited number of texts while others may be totally unrestricted (any quantityof any material). Materials might be one’s notes, readings, reference materials,equipment like calculators, drafting tools etc. Materials used in take homeexams are usually unrestricted text book, lecture notes prepared by students tofind out what an examinee can be able to do. The main restriction for take–home exams is that they must be one’s work- one must attempt them by anexaminee.
OBE test for more than just rote learning.At UniversityCollege, simply memorising and repeating information is notenough to get a high grades. Higher education is required to equip learnerswith intellectual abilities and skills. OBE evaluate learners’ ability toquickly find relevant information and then to understand, analyse, applyknowledge and think critically in a given situation.
Here an attempt is made to focus on home take open book examination system. It is appreciable that online google classrooms have been started to engage faculty and students in teaching –learning process. Learning is to be evaluated for certification in due course of time. May consider discipline specific electives, generic electives, ability enhance, skill oriented leaving aside core courses in every programme for anywhere open book examination be conducted. Faculty will not prepare but construct question papers, make them available on watsapp . Examinees also construct questions based on course content to engage them in the process in a joyful, stress free and thrilling mode. The faculty will have a rich inventory of creative, fine-tuned, well chiselled questions. The examinees use lose sheets, answer in bullet format at their residence. Evaluator expected response is made by faculty are also available. Compare student response with expected response and award accordingly, while evaluating answer scripts. Evaluation process audit will take due care. The examinees will try and try again to find out answers. The faculty will not resort to short cuts and easy going way but take the assignment seriously to make the exercise productive. Empower faculty, trust examinees be done on experiment basis, reduce exam burden. Lockdown may prolong. The re -evaluation may also be done as usual on demand.
To develop faculty virtual workshops onalternative examinations may be conducted. The expertise of Professors likeMehraj-ud-Din Mir, G.N.Tantray, A.M Shah, A.S. Bhat, M.Yousuf Bhat, M. FarooqMir, Parveen Pandit, Mumtaz Ali, Khursheed A. Mir, M.Amin Bhat can be pooled byconducting these virtual workshops.