Effect of group open-book assessment on students' learning and satisfaction: a quasi-experimental study

Introduction: Effective assessment is one of the most important educational planning elements. The present study aimed to determine the impact of open-book assessment on students' learning and satisfaction. Material and methods: This study was a quasi-experimental study on 60 4th semester students of operating room and anesthesiology of the North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences, North of Iran from 1 July 2019 to 30 March 2020. In the intervention group, the students were divided into groups of five and were given essay questions and a textbook on blood transfusion, and were asked to answer the questions in a participatory and open-book assessment method. In the control group, the assessment was performed in a separate environment by a written method with the same essay questions as the intervention group. Results: The results showed that 89% of the students in the intervention group were satisfied with the open book assessment method. The majority of students found this method effective in reducing test fear and anxiety (93.4%), increasing durability and depth of learning (90%), improving speed and facilitating learning (80%) and creating interest and satisfaction (89%) and reported completely agree. The mean score of students in the intervention group was 4.5 +/- 0.77 and in the control group was 2.2 +/- 0.85, which was statistically significant (p = 0.01). Conclusions: The open-book assessment method leads to the students' active participation in studying and answering questions. It also facilitates deep learning, reduces anxiety, and improves the students' learning speed. Universities should promote students' learning, academic achievement, and motivation through innovative assessment methods.