CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY.
The
joint admission matriculation board (JAMB) is Nigerian entrance examination
board for tertiary level institutions. The examinations being administered are
available for most students who choose to apply to Nigerian public and private
mono-technics, polytechnics and universities. Most of these candidates must
already have concluded external examinations administer either by West Africa
Examination Council (WAEC) or the Nigerian National Examination Council (NECO).
Computer Based Testing is another platform JAMB uses to administer UTME, which
is obviously different from the common paper and pencil method. The Computer
Base Test (CBT) did not give option for the paper and pencil base test (PPT).
Chijioke Okoronkwo, (2015) pointed out that when the Joint Admission and
Matriculation Board (JAMB) mulled the idea of migrating form paper pencil test
to computer based test six years ago, the proposal then elicited some
apprehension. This brings lots of questions in the minds of many Nigerians. In
spite the wide spread reservation about the proposal, JAMB has consistently
emphasized that CBT would engender a seamless conduct of the Unified Tertiary
Education Matriculation Examination (UMTE).
According
to the Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde cited security challenges, high
cost of producing writing materials for the paper pencil base test, high cost
of transporting materials and cubing examination malpractice as some of the
reasons behind the adaptation of the CBT. Olatunde Yemi (2013) Observed that,
those who argue in favour of CBT, insist that Nigerians cannot afford to lag
behind in the digital world of 21st century, while critics argue that efforts
to educate candidates who are yet not tech-savvy or computer literate have been
inadequate.
According
to Goke Adeyinka, (2015) The 2014/2015 Joint Admission and Matriculation Board
Examination placement of students into various tertiary institutions across the
country has thrown up several inadequacies and challenges that have made it
imperative for an urgent rethink of model that has been adopted for the
exercise. About 1.8 million candidates who sat for theexamination were made to
write the test through the use of computer (CBT). This was not the case in
2013/2014, when candidates were given an option to choose between CBT and PPBT.
The time for the CBT and PPBT option in the 2013/2014 gave room for more
designated centres in which candidates could write the test. It was recorded
that as at 2013/2014 when PPBT was allowed alongside CBT about 4000 centers in
400 towns were available to students to choose from. This made it possible for
students to write the examination in centres close their area of abode. This
was not the case in the 2014/2015 exercise where the centers reduce to
considerable 250. The limitation of the examination centers was such that
candidates had to travel from their location to centers far away from them. In
some cases, they had to travel from one town to another.
1.2
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM.
The
Computer Base Test (CBT) is a platform introduced by the board to the
conducting UTME examination instead the normal Paper Pencil Test (PPT) as a way
to reduce and curtail the nefarious activities in the aspect of looking for all
possible ways of abating cheating, solving security problems and reducing cost.
However
there are short comings such as server and power failure. Denials of right of
choice of types of examination, limited CBT centers, problem of state of
student’s computer literacy and accessibility ,inadequate computers and
internet facilities in public and private secondary schools, and inadequate
preparation for proper implementation by JAMB. Comparative statistic results
shows that in 2013/2014 over a total of number of 990,179 candidates registered
for the paper and pencil test examination type while 25,325 candidates
registered for computer base test which amounted to 1,1015,504 applicant Aja
Anayo (2015).
The
registrar/chief executive of JAMB prof. Dibu OJerinde in Abuja while announcing
the release of the 2014 UTME results said that only 24 candidates scored 250
and above in the paper and pencil test (PPT) while 23 candidates scored 250 and
above in the computer base test (CBT). In 2015/2016 JAMB forced all candidates
writing the UMTE to take the CBT regardless of distance and level of computer
literacy among many Nigerians students.
Therefore,
there is need to assess the issues or problems faced by private computer based
test centers and find the best solutions to them.
1.3
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY.
The
main objective of the study is to assess the issues faced by private computer
based test centers for jamb examinatios and solutions.
1.4
RESEARCH QUESTIONS.
What
is the meaning of Computer based test?
What
are the problems associated with private computer based test centers?
What
are the advantages of computer based test over hand written test?
1.5
SIGNIFICANT OF THE STUDY.
This
study will help in finding solution to problems faced by private computer based
test centers for Jamb Examination.
1.6
SCOPE OF THE STUDY.
This
study focus on issues and solution associated with private computer based test
centers for Jamb examiation.
1.7
LIMITATION OF THE STUDY.
This
study is limited to private computer based test centers for Jamb examination.
REFERENCES.
Aja,
A. (2000). Changing minds: Computers, learning, and literacy. Cambridge,
Massachusetts: MIT Press.
Aviram,
A. (2000). From "computers in the classroom" to mindful radical
adaptation by education systems to the emerging cyber culture. Journal of
Educational Change, 1, 331-352.
Bennett
R. E., Braswell J., Oranje A., Sandene B., Kaplan B., Yan F., Does it matter if
I take my mathematics test on computer? A second empirical study of mode
effects in NAEP. Journal of Technology, Learning, and Assessment 6(9) (2008)
Chijioke
okoronkwo (2015) The Nigerian Guardian Paper 26, June 2015.
Goke
A. (2015) The Nigerian Guardian paper, June 2015.