The A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU) is considering implementing the open-book examination system. According to university officials, the objective of the system is to discourage “mugging up” by students and to foster the habit of analysis and learn-by-practice among them.
The open-book examination system was introduced on May 27 for the Engineering Design examination, which was included in the second semester of the B.Tech. programme. A final call on introducing the system for all subjects will be taken on the basis of the efficacy of the pilot initiative.
KTU Pro-Vice Chancellor M. Abdul Rahman told The Hindu that teachers at the university had worked hard to create a different pattern of question paper for the open-book system.
“The idea is to get students to take two or three concepts and to apply them in a situation or a given problem. Naturally, the questions have to be different from those in semester examinations. We can design a new pattern of questions to suit our end requirements,” Dr. Rahman explained. Under the open-book system, students are allowed to bring all kinds of books, notes, and other reference material to the examination hall. However, they cannot use Internet facility. Going by feedback, close to 70 per cent of the 39,000 students who took the examination are appreciative of the new question paper pattern. The rest are of the view that the question paper was “too tough”.
According to Dr. Rahman, the open-book system was piloted for Engineering Design, as it was all about aptitude. “Since this [Engineering Design] was a new subject, we conducted workshops for teachers on how to teach the subject and prepare question papers. Many teachers are of the view that the open-book system should be extended to other subjects as well,” he said.
With this, KTU is all set to become the first university in the State to introduce the open-book system. It has been successfully implemented in some IITs and foreign universities, Dr. Rahman added.
