The transferability of Western concepts to other cultures: validation of the Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire in a Saudi Arabic context.

Background: The importance of medical education research in Saudi Arabia has been acknowledged increasingly and a lot of concepts used have been derived from the Western world. The question arises, however, whether Western concepts and questionnaires are transferable to societies with different cultures. The aim of this study was to investigate the instrument structure and the reliability of the Arabic version of the Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire-medium (ZKPQ-m).

Open-book tests: search behaviour, time used and test scores.

Background: Because of the increasing medical knowledge and the focus of medical education on acquiring competencies, the use of open-book tests seems inevitable. Dealing with a large body of information, indicating which kind of information is needed to solve a problem, and finding and understanding that knowledge at the right moment are behaviours that cannot be assessed during closed-book tests.

Aims: To examine whether there is a relationship between students' search behaviour - using references or not when answering a question - during open-book tests and their test scores.

Influence of PBL with open-book tests on knowledge retention measured with progress tests.

The influence of problem-based learning (PBL) and open-book tests on long-term knowledge retention is unclear and subject of discussion. Hypotheses were that PBL as well as open-book tests positively affect long-term knowledge retention. Four progress test results of fifth and sixth-year medical students (n = 1,648) of three medical schools were analyzed.

Directing students to profound open-book test preparation: the relationship between deep learning and open-book test time.

Background: Considering the growing amount of medical knowledge and the focus of medical education on acquiring competences, using open-book tests seems inevitable. A possible disadvantage of these tests is that students underestimate test preparation.

Aims: We examined whether students who used a deep learning approach needed less open-book test time, and how students performed on open-book questions asked in a closed-book setting.

Influences of deep learning, need for cognition and preparation time on open- and closed-book test performance.

Objectives: The ability to master discipline-specific knowledge is one of the competencies medical students must acquire. In this context, 'mastering' means being able to recall and apply knowledge. A way to assess this competency is to use both open- and closed-book tests.