Use of a One-Page Reference Guide in On-Campus Timed Exams: Reflections and Assessment of Its Impact on Students in a Post-Open-Book World

Abstract

Like most higher education institutions in the U.K., the Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry at the University of Strathclyde and the Department of Chemistry at the University of Bath adopted online open-book assessment during the COVID-19 pandemic, before returning to on-campus hall-based exams several years later. Recognizing the potential for issues caused by a lack of student familiarity with closed-book exam techniques, we adopted a limited form of open-book support, inviting students to prepare a single page of notes to bring into each exam. The impact of this open-note support on student anxiety and preparation was investigated through a mixed-methods survey. We observed a marked reduction in reported anxiety, and students also reported widespread uptake of more effective study habits, using the freedom from memorization to prioritise higher-order cognitive tasks. [Figure presented].