CBSE has asked Teachers to be Open-minded to Open Text Test

February 10, 2014, 12:53 pm


The Central Board of Secondary Examination (CBSE) has asked teachers to be open-minded about students� views while evaluating them for their first-ever �Open Textbook Assessment� (OTBA) scheduled for March this year.

Making this known in a circular, CBSE said under the OTBA system, the board provides text material to students months before the test. A copy of the material would be provided and students would be asked to answer the questions based on it.

In the circular released on January 28, the CBSE wished to point out that the questions in the OTBA would be open-ended and that its objective was to allow the students present their perspective on the given questions with reference to the material provided, classroom discussions on it and their own awareness of the subject. Hence while teachers correct the answers, it is important for them to be open-minded about the students� views.

Regarding the evaluation, the circular went on to say that the �Marking Scheme� given would be only indicative points. The teachers must also consider the content, analysis, logical presentation of arguments and conclusions drawn in the answer-sheet.

The OTBA would be conducted for CBSE students in English, Hindi, mathematics, science and social science for class IX, and geography, economics and biology for class XI. Each of the subjects would carry a weightage of 10 marks against the total marks in the subject.

Introduced for the first time this year, the test, in an attempt, may relieve the students from the burden of memorising content. Instead, the students would have to use their information processing skills, comprehension, analysis and inference for the test. Hence the students would have the option to be subjective in their answers.

�The point is that teachers must keep aside their own points of view and evaluate students without prejudice. If the argument is well reasoned out and logically presented then marks must be given,� said D T Sudarshan Rao, regional officer, CBSE, Chennai region.