A case-based exam with open-ended questions is an assessment form that you can use to evaluate students’ understanding and application of a particular topic or concept. The test presents a scenario or problem that students have to analyse and solve.
The scenario or case study preferably comes from professional or research practice and is usually related to the material in the course. It is widely used in medical education, but it is also suitable for other disciplines.
The purpose of the case test is to assess how well students understand and can apply the concepts and theories from the material in a professional and authentic situation. It can present a problem or a dilemma. By using open-ended questions (as opposed to closed questions), you gain insight into the students’ thinking process. In doing so, the open-ended questions are designed to provoke in-depth analysis and reflection on the case study. For example, have students identify the main problems in the case study, explain the causes and consequences of the problems and suggest possible solutions.
You can use a case test both in writing and as an oral exam.
Want to know more?
- Tips voor het toetsen met korte casussen, Universiteit Utrecht
- This is how you combine open and closed questions in a test, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
- Schuwirth, L. (2017) Toetsen met korte casussen. In: Van Berkel, H., Bax, A. & Joosten-ten Brinke, Toetsen in het hoger onderwijs (4de herziene druk, pp. 161-174). Houten: Bohn Stafleu van Loghum.
- Schuwirth, L. W. T. (1999). How to write short cases for assessing problem-solving skills. Medical Teacher, 21, 144–150.
- Schuwirth, L. W. T., Verheggen, M. M., Van der Vleuten, C. P. M., Boshuizen, H. P. A., & Dinant, G. J. (2001). Do short cases elicit different thinking processes than factual knowledge questions do? Medical Education, 35(4), 348–356.
See also: Gobbet, Case-based exam with closed questions, TestVision
VU Taxonomy?
Programme specific skills in applying knowledge and understandingWhat total group size?
More than three hundredMore than one hundred
Between fifty and one hundred
Up to fifty
Up to twenty five