I strongly recommend closed-book RATs, but open-book on the appeals and application-focused assignments and activities. A few have tried open-book RATs in an attempt to try to cut down on students' reading load. As far as I know, they were all very disappointed in the outcome. Predictably (you get what you reward), the pre-reading became pre-skimming and the RAT didn't really accomplish much in terms of actually getting students ready. A far better solution is being more selective in what you have students read, but really hold them accountable for knowing the key ideas. Larry Larry K. Michaelsen Professor of Management Dockery 400G Central Missouri State University Warrensburg, MO 64093 O: 660 543-4124 F: 660 543-8465 >>> Michael Bieber <[log in to unmask]> - 9/7/04 8:42 AM >>> Hi Everyone, Does anyone have any guidance on when to have iRATs and tRATs be open or closed book? Thanks, Michael -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Michael Bieber, Associate Professor - Collaborative Hypermedia Research Lab (Co-Director) - IS Ph.D. Program (Director) - Digital Library Service Integration Project (PI) Email: [log in to unmask] URL: http://web.njit.edu/~bieber AOL/MSN/Yahoo Instant Messenger: profbieber Phone: (973) 596-2681 FAX: (973) 596-5777 [email preferred] Information Systems Department (http://is.njit.edu/) College of Computing Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology 5500 Information Technology Center University Heights, Newark, New Jersey 07102-1982 USA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------