Ahmed Yasar, Khayal Simaa, Wadi Majed, Abuzaid Mohamed
Medical Oncology Department, St. Vincent University Hospital, Dublin, IRL.
Radiography Department, Independent Researcher, Dublin, IRL.
J Adv Med Educ Prof. 2024 Oct 1;12(4):215-225. doi: 10.30476/jamp.2024.102078.1955. eCollection 2024 Oct.
The landscape of medical education has witnessed significant transformations over the past decades, particularly with the advent of active teaching methodologies. However, despite these advancements, the traditional theoretical assessment methods have remained largely unchanged. This lack of evolution in assessment systems poses a challenge as it is crucial for assessment methods to evolve in tandem with teaching approaches to ensure a comprehensive and effective learning process in medical education. This paper reviews the integration and effectiveness of open-book examinations (OBEs) in medical education, reflecting their growing significance.
An integrative review of the literature was conducted, drawing from a range of relevant publications over the last decade, sourced from databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and ERIC. The inclusion criteria focused on full-text articles in English, with search terms including "medicine," "assessment," "open book examination," "open book exam," and "open book assessment," combined using Boolean operators. Thirteen publications were selected and critically appraised using The Critical Appraisal Skills Program checklist.
The analysis identified three primary thematic categories: "Teaching Strategy for Pandemic and Challenging Conditions," "Tool of Learning & Educational Impact", and "Operational Challenges & Future Directions". These themes were explored to understand the role and impact of open-book examinations in medical education.
The findings indicate that open-book examinations are a crucial component in the evolving landscape of medical education. While certain reservations remain, open-book examinations have shown significant potential in fostering critical thinking, argumentation skills, and lifelong learning among medical students. They reflect the ongoing evolution of knowledge in the medical field and contribute to the development of professionals' adept at navigating and applying complex information. Further research is recommended to solidify these findings and expand the understanding of open-book examinations in medical education.
在过去几十年里，医学教育领域发生了重大变革，尤其是随着主动教学方法的出现。然而，尽管有这些进步，传统的理论评估方法在很大程度上仍未改变。评估系统缺乏这种演变带来了挑战，因为评估方法与教学方法同步发展对于确保医学教育中全面有效的学习过程至关重要。本文回顾了开卷考试（OBEs）在医学教育中的整合与有效性，反映了其日益增长的重要性。
对文献进行了综合综述，借鉴了过去十年一系列相关出版物，这些出版物来自PubMed、科学网、Scopus和教育资源信息中心等数据库。纳入标准侧重于英文全文文章，搜索词包括“医学”“评估”“开卷考试”“开卷测验”和“开卷评估”，使用布尔运算符进行组合。选择了13篇出版物，并使用批判性评估技能计划清单进行严格评估。
分析确定了三个主要主题类别：“疫情及挑战性条件下的教学策略”“学习工具与教育影响”以及“操作挑战与未来方向”。对这些主题进行了探讨，以了解开卷考试在医学教育中的作用和影响。
研究结果表明，开卷考试是医学教育不断发展格局中的关键组成部分。虽然仍存在一些保留意见，但开卷考试在培养医学生的批判性思维、论证能力和终身学习方面已显示出巨大潜力。它们反映了医学领域知识的不断演变，并有助于培养善于处理和应用复杂信息的专业人员。建议进一步开展研究以巩固这些发现，并扩大对医学教育中开卷考试的理解。
