The relative impact of in-class closed-book versus take-home open-book examination type on academic performance, student knowledge retention and wellbeing

Figures & data

Table 1. Descriptive statistics for survey participants from the bachelor course.

	2019 (ICE)					2020 (THE)
Variable	N	Mean	SD	Min	Max	N	Mean	SD	Min	Max
Female	49	0.76	0.43	0	1	48	0.7	0.41	0	1
International student	50	0.06	0.24	0	1	–	–	–	–	–
High workload scale	50	2.66	0.63	1.3	4	48	2.81	0.91	1.13	4.38
Low wellbeing scale	49	3.07	0.83	1.8	5.4	47	3.58	0.96	2	5.8
Skills development	50	3.55	0.48	2.4	4.5	48	3.44	0.5	1.13	4
Examination grade	50	6.67	0.76	5	8.5	48	6.64	0.68	5.5	8.3
Overall grade	50	6.98	0.61	6	8.5	47	6.74	0.57	5.7	8
Knowledge test score	50	5.58	1.59	3	10	48	5.44	1.74	1	9

SD: standard deviation; M: mean; ICE: in class, closed book exam; THE: take-home open book exam

Table 2. Descriptive statistics for survey participants from the master course.

	2019 (ICE)					2020 (THE)
Variable	N	Mean	SD	Min	Max	N	Mean	SD	Min	Max
Female	34	0.88	0.33	0	1	30	0.87	0.35	0	1
International student	34	0.09	0.29	0	1	30	0.07	0.25	0	1
High workload scale	34	2.84	0.86	1	4.4	30	2.9	0.77	1	4
Low wellbeing scale	34	3.23	0.83	1.4	4.8	30	3.38	0.74	2	5.2
Skills development	34	3.75	0.44	2.9	4.5	30	3.63	0.41	3	4.75
Examination grade	34	7.37	1.07	5.5	9.6	30	7.22	0.7	6	8.6
Overall grade	34	7.33	0.85	6	9.1	30	7.47	0.54	6.5	9
Knowledge test score	34	5.41	1.73	0	9	30	4.6	1.59	1	7

SD: standard deviation; M: mean; ICE: in class, closed-book exam; THE: take-home open-book exam

Table 3. Bivariate correlations between demographic characteristics, academic outcomes, and wellbeing outcomes for the bachelor course.

		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
1	Female	1
2	High workload	0.12	1
3	Skills development	−0.01	−0.03	1
4	Low well-being	0.11	0.48***	−0.37***	1
5	Examination grade	−0.02	−0.1	0.22*	−0.05	1
6	Overall grade	−0.05	−0.07	0.17	−0.17	0.73***	1
7	Knowledge test score	−0.07	−0.12	0.03	0.01	0.31**	0.37***	1
8	Academic year 2020 (THE)	0.04	0.1	−0.11	0.28**	−0.03	−0.21*	−0.04	1

*p<.05; **p<.01; ***p<.001.

THE: take-home open-book exam

Table 4. Bivariate correlations between demographic characteristics, academic outcomes, and wellbeing outcomes for the master course.

		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
1	Female	1
2	International student	0.11	1.00
3	High workload	0.20	0.07	1.00
4	Skills development	0.15	0.19	−0.08	1.00
5	Low well-being	0.07	−0.10	0.61***	−0.24	1.00
6	Examination grade	−0.07	0.14	−0.23	0.27*	−0.11	1.00
7	Overall grade	−0.07	0.19	−0.18	0.47***	−0.27*	0.68***	1.00
8	Knowledge test score	0.12	−0.14	−0.25*	0.12	−0.12	0.31*	0.08	1.00
9	Academic year 2020 (THE)	−0.02	−0.04	0.04	−0.14	0.10	−0.08	0.10	−0.24	1.00

*p<.05; **p < .01; ***p<.001.

THE: take-home open-book exam

Table 5. Independent samples t-test results examining mean differences between academic and wellbeing outcomes.

		Bachelor course				Master course
		N	Mean	t Value	p Value	N	Mean	t Value	p Value
High workload	ICE	50	2.66	−0.96^a	.34	34	2.84	−0.28	.78
	THE	48	2.81			30	2.90
Low well-being	ICE	49	3.07	−2.78*	.01	34	3.23	−0.77	.45
	THE	47	3.58			30	3.38
Skills development	ICE	50	3.55	1.10	.27	34	3.75	1.13	.26
	THE	48	3.44			30	3.63
Examination grade	ICE	50	6.67	0.26	.79	34	7.37	0.66^a	.51
	THE	48	6.64			30	7.22
Overall grade	ICE	53	6.98	2.05*	.04	34	7.33	−0.78	.44
	THE	48	6.74			30	7.47
Knowledge test score	ICE	50	5.58	0.42	.67	34	5.41	1.95	.06
	THE	48	5.44			30	4.60

*p<.05; **p<.01; ***p<.001.

ICE: in class, closed-book exam; THE: take-home open-book exam

^aAdjusted for unequal variance.

Table A1. Ordinary least squares regression of knowledge retention and well-being on type of examination and covariates for the bachelor and master courses.

	Bachelor course		Master course
Variables	Knowledge test score	Low well-being	Knowledge test score	Low well-being
Academic year 2020–2021 (THE)	−0.05	0.21*	−0.21	0.06
	(0.35)	(0.15)	(0.40)	(0.16)
Low well-being	0.10	–	0.07	–
	(0.23)		(0.34)
Knowledge test score	–	0.07	–	0.05
		(0.05)		(0.05)
High workload	−0.11	0.45***	−0.26	0.63***
	(0.25)	(0.10)	(0.33)	(0.10)
Skills development	−0.01	−0.35***	−0.01	−0.2
	(0.38)	(0.16)	(0.51)	(0.20)
Examination grade	0.30**	0.06	0.25	0.08
	(0.24)	(0.11)	(0.24)	(0.10)
Female	−0.06	0.07	0.18	−0.02
	(0.41)	(0.18)	(0.62)	(0.25)
Constant	1.38	3.12**	2.27	2.34*
	(2.09)	(0.89)	(2.58)	(0.98)
N	95	95	64	64
F-value	1.78	10.22	2.48	6.86
Adjusted R^2	0.05	0.37	0.12	0.36

Standardised beta coefficients; Standard errors in parentheses; THE: Take home exams

* p< .05, ** p< .01, *** p< .001.