The efficacy of final examinations: A comparative study of closed-book, invigilated exams and open-book, open-web exams Jeremy B. Williams and Amy Wong Jeremy B. Williams is Chief Academic Officer at Knowledge Universe Education in Singapore and an adjunct professor in the School of Economics and Finance at Queensland University of Technology, Australia. Amy Wong is an assistant professor and Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs, U21Global, Singapore. Address for correspondence: Professor Jeremy B. Williams, 15A Changi Business Park Central 1, #01-01 The Eightrium, Singapore 486035. Email: jeremywilliams@kueducation.com Abstract Educators have long debated the usefulness (or otherwise) of final examina- tions; a debate that has typically revolved around the relative merits of closed- book exams, open-book exams, take-home exams or their substitution by some other assessment format (eg, project work). This paper adds a new dimension to the debate by considering how the final examination assessment instrument might be enhanced through harnessing the power of technology, more specifi- cally, how the learner experience of the final examination might be made more authentic and, in the process, more constructively aligned with stated learning outcomes. The authors report on the latest findings of an ongoing research project evaluating the effectiveness of ‘open-book, open-web’ (OBOW) exami- nations delivered by an online university, vis-à-vis a closed-book, invigilated alternative. Earlier research had indicated that the OBOW model receives the strong endorsement of students in a number of respects, most particularly the quality of the learning outcomes. Introduction After very little change in the university sector for several centuries, there has been something of a ‘mini-revolution’ in the last quarter of a century or so. The learner profile has changed socially, culturally and economically as new universities have emerged, enrolling an increasingly diverse population of students, and—along with this ‘massification’ of higher education (Carrier, 1990)—there has been spectacular change in the area of educational technology. These changes have been reflected in professional journals and conferences dedicated to teaching and learning, which have produced a steady stream of literature reporting on a wide range of research projects including, among other things, experiments with new classroom techniques, modes of British Journal of Educational Technology Vol 40 No 2 2009 227–236 doi:10.1111/j.1467-8535.2008.00929.x © 2009The Authors. Journal compilation © 2009 Becta. Published by Blackwell Publishing, 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford OX4 2DQ, UK and 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148, USA.