Abstract:

In this paper, the way of assessing students in a Computer Security module will be reflected upon. The research question is: how does an open-book exam approach impact the Information Technology (IT) students in preparing and writing their final examination in a computer security module? Historically the final examination is a 3-hour written summative examination, closed-book. As this cohort of students also experienced the years of COVID earlier in their studies, it was evident that their way of studying and preparing for examinations had to be considered to aid them back into the more ‘normal’ situation. Therefore, the rethinking of assessment was needed. Often, some students do not react well to sit-down exams – especially in closed-book situations. This might be due to exam fear or different levels of comprehension when studying, preparing, and then writing the exam. The lecturer proposed the use of an open-book exam during the last 2 years in this specific module, as well as the use of a cheat sheet in another examination session. The purpose of the paper is to reflect upon the students' experiences in how they prepared for the exam, what strategies they used, how it differs from the more traditional closed-book approaches, and what their preferences were. Valuable insight from the students’ feedback will be presented in the paper. The findings will indicate that students learn on a different level when an open-book exam is to be prepared for. The research method used is a critical reflection on the preparation of students and the writing of their final examination, how the move to an open-book approach impacted their learning, and eventually their experience of doing an open-book exam.

Keywords:

IT Students, Experiences, Examination, Open-book, Closed-book, Reflection.