Open Books

Had an ordinary university proctor walked into some University of Chicago examination rooms one day last week his first impulse would have been to cry "Un-fair!", to throw every student out for flagrant cheating. Row on row sat students with question sheets before them. But instead of scratching their heads and staring desperately out windows nearly every one was busily thumbing through textbooks and lecture notes.

The "open book" test tried last week was partly an experiment, partly an extension of President Robert M. Hutchins' four-year-old New Plan in which the student gets a degree by taking comprehensive examinations whenever he feels ready. "The student who thoroughly understands the subject," reasoned University authorities, "is not penalized because he forgets a single detail, while the student who does not have a thorough understanding of his subject cannot pass by hasty perusal of his texts and notes." Said Student Chauncey Howard: "It's a good idea. It brings out what you nearly know."

Last week's examination given to 530 students in a first-year survey course in the humanities, set an "open book" record for youth and number of examinees. A sample question: "Is Hellenistic science or medieval science nearer akin to the science of the Newtonian epoch? In what ways?" A question TiMEreaders should be able to answer without notes: "Give one example of a case where:

1) a common language has not united all its speakers into a single national state. 2) A national state has been formed without a language common to all its citizens. 3) A religion has remained international in character. 4) A nationality has been achieved without a national religion. 5) A national state has been formed without 'natural' geographical boundaries."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.