KSOU adopts open book exam in interest of students

City-based Karnataka State Open University (KSOU), which has the jurisdiction to offer Open and Distance Learning (ODL) courses across the state, has planned to conduct open book exams (OBE) in the interest of its students.

This is the first of its kind experiment in any Indian university. Around 12,000 students of 31 courses, admitted in July 2019, would be benefitted by the OBE.

Vice-Chancellor S Vidyashankar said, “The students of ODL are already discriminated by employers, in comparison with students from conventional universities. We did not want our students to be further discriminated, as a ‘Covid batch’.”

“Under prevailing circumstances, conducting conventional exams for this huge number of students is difficult. Final year students, of both undergraduate and post graduate courses, have to attend regular exams. But, we were given a choice to promote other students. Thus, to make sure that deserving students get their due, we wanted to devise a proper evaluation system, to promote them to their respective next year of the course,” he said.

The VC said, “A committee was formed with Dean (Academics) Thejasvi Naviloor as chairman to explore the modalities of OBE. The University Grants Commission (UGC) had given an option to promote students on the basis of internal assessment marks. In some universities, students are evaluated for 50 marks in theory and the remaining 50 marks is for internal assessment.”

“In KSOU, 80 marks is for theory and only 20 marks is for internal assessment, on the basis of assignments. It would not have been proper to multiply the internal assessment marks by five, to promote the students. Besides, it would have reflected in the marks card, which is not good for students,” professor Naviloor pointed out.

The professor said, “The question paper for OBE will be similar to the ones in conventional exams. However, the evaluation yardsticks will be different. Ten days will be given for the students, two days for each paper, to download the question paper and the first sheet of the answer-script.”

“The students should fill the first sheet, with their details, and add A4 sheets to write the answers, by referring books. The students should send the answer sheets to KSOU, for evaluation within the stipulated time. The students will be briefed about the guidelines for appearing for OBE. The OBE actually tests the analytical skills of the students. Besides, the professors, the evaluators, have been trained to apply the new yardsticks,” the prof added.

“The students need not wait for the results, for admission to the next academic year, in the OBE system. They can start studying for the next year, after appearing for the OBE. We have already got good response for our OBE model. Tamil Nadu Open University (TNOU) and Dr B R Ambedkar Open University of Telangana have approached us for consultation,” professor Naviloor said.