DESIGN AND
IMPLEMENTATION OF AN ONLINE EXAMINATION AND ADMINISTRATION SYSTEM USING
BIO METRICS
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.0
Introduction
Examination
can be defined as an instrument for testing assessment, evaluation and
accreditation (Ike, 1996). It is a potent instrument for judging knowledge and
competence. Examination is an important aspect of the education process. This
is the stage at which the learner’s knowledge, skills, ability and competencies
are assessed, and judgments made about such performance. The outcome of such
judgments is used for diagnosing as well as placement of students. Beating the
due process of examinations leads to malpractices. Hence, examination
malpractice is as old as examination itself. However, the rate at which
examination malpractices occur in the Nigerian educational system is highly
disturbing and, therefore, needs prompt attention by all stakeholders. In fact,
the phenomenon has both moral and legal implications.
Genuine
verification of the candidate’s identity as a major requirement for
participation in an exam is the primary objective of this research work. This
explains why we the researchers have decided to carry out research on this
topic and finally develop a viable and dependable system known as “Design and Implementation of an Online
Entrance Examination Administration System”. In the proposed system, we are
going to apply the concept of biometric authentication to detect any form of
examination malpractice during examination. Traditional authentication systems
cannot discriminate between an impersonator who fraudulently obtains the access
privileges (e.g., key, password) of a genuine user. Furthermore, biometric
authentication systems can be more convenient for the users since there is no
password to be forgotten or key to be lost and a single biometric trait (e.g.,
fingerprint) can be used to access several accounts without the burden of
remembering passwords.
These
research work is sub divided into five chapters as follows: chapter one which
contains the introduction of the work Chapter two contains the literature
review of existing systems, their successes and limitations shall also be
discussed in this chapter. Chapter three contains the analyses and design of
the proposed system including the methodologies adopted while carrying out the
research. Chapter four is where the actual implementation using the appropriate
programming language and finally chapter five contains the summary, conclusion
and recommendation.
1.1
Background of the Study
Education
is the bedrock on which all human activities revolve. Examination malpractice
which started unnoticed in Nigeria has become a national phenomenon and a threat
to the educational system (Denison, 2007). There have been daily newspapers
with screaming headlines on students’ examination malpractices involving
examination officials and students poor performance in academic activities. The
Federal Government, Examination bodies and Researchers have proffer solutions
toward curbing the vices that is plaguing our educational systems in the
society. But laws and suggestions made were neither implemented nor enforced
due to “Nigerian Factor” (Macson, 2008). To this effect, examination
malpractices have consistently remained a bane of Nigerian educational system.
Several steps have been taken to
check this crime unabated. Some of the methods adopted are: the use of Identity
card; the presence of invigilators to identify fake students; the allocation of
sitting arrangement number that determines the hall where the student will
write exam and the need to sign in and out on the attendance sheets (Williams,
2009). This research work proffers solution to the problems faced by the
examination management system using the concept of biometric identification
techniques (finger print regulation).
Genuine verification of the
candidate’s identity as a major requirement for participation in an exam is the
primary objective of this research work. This explain why biometric fits into
the overall objective of this work.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The
persistent occurrence of examination malpracticeshas been a major concern to
educationists (Aghenta,2000; Ige, 2002). Despite the high premium placed
onexaminations by the National Policy on Education (FGN,2004), it seems that
examination malpractices have notbeen properly addressed in Nigeria.
Common
observations have shown that there is masscheating in entrance examinations in
the Nigeria. Nothingconcrete has been done to reduce the problem exceptthe
cancellation of results for a particular center or thewithholding of results in
certain subjects. The problem of the study is that of finding a lasting
solution to the issue ofexaminations malpractices during entrance examinations
in Nigeria. This explains why biometric authentication fits into this study as
means of identifying the rightful candidate that is suppose to sit for an exam.
1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVES
OF THE STUDY
The aim of this study is to design
and develop an online entrance examination administration system with the
objectives:
i.
To design a novel system that can screen candidate with their
biometric data.
ii.
To create awareness to both lecturers, staffs of the school
administration and the government at large on the different types of
examination malpractices and how to combat them.
iii.
To efficiently manage and administer entrance examination
process in Nigeria.
iv.
To eradicate all forms of malpractices in Nigerian entrance
examination.
v.
To design a new algorithm that will integrate student data
with their biometric information.
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This study is important in the following ways:
i.
It will enable administrators of schools and colleges to
properly manage their entrance examination process.
ii.
The study enables the school administrators to understand
the different forms of examination malpractices during the process of
examination and how to prevent it.
iii.
The implementation of the proposed system
helps save time and burden of the traditional authentication using id cards,
password and username
iv.
This study serves as a good reference to further researching
student who may want to carry out research on the same or related topic.
1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The scope of this research work is to design and implement
an online entrance examination administration system such as aptitude test making
use of unified biometric identification process for prospective student and
staff in the institution taking a case study of Rivers State Polytechnic Bori.
Exam questions will be posted to the site by the lecturers, and only legible
students will log onto the site after proper authentication and screening
process, see the questions, answer them appropriately and click on summit. The
system will assess the student’s performance and score him/her in accordance to
their performance.
1.6 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
The
limitations of this study are as follows:
i.
Time constraint: time
is a commodity man will always long for it, due to the limitation of time, some
few features which would have been added to the project were eliminated.
ii.
Inconsistent power
supply: the power sector of the economy has over time diminished its provision
of adequate service and hence, I had to limit myself to working on the project
when electricity was available and when the computer hard battery power. And
this reduced the already limited time available for the project work.
iii.
Internet access: the
internet service in Nigeria can be quit erratic especially during the rainy
season, and as such we had to visit the cyber café a number of times to have
adequate access to the internet.
1.7
DEFINITION OF TERMS
EXAMINATION:
Examination can be defined as an
instrument for testing assessment, evaluation and accreditation.
(TVAAS) : This is
an acronym for Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System, it provides information
to teachers, parents and the public on how schools are doing in helping each
child make academic gains each year.. It provides information to school
administrators to identify weaknesses in even the strongest schools. And
it provides information to central administrators, school boards and policy
leaders to ask harder, more penetrating questions.
TESTING: Testing
can be defined as a
procedure for critical evaluation; a means of determining the presence,
quality, or truth of something
ACCESSMENT: a process in which you make a
judgment about a person or situation
AUTHOMATION: the
use of computers and machine instead of people to do a job
MANUAL:
something operated or done by hand without the help of computers
GRAPHICAL: relating
to or containing graphic, especially on a computer
BOIMETRIC: This
is referring
to detailed information about someone’s body, such as the patterns of colour in
their eyes, which can be used to prove who they are.
AUTHENTICATE: To prove that something is real, true, or what people say it
is
FINGERPRINT: The pattern of curved lines on the end of a finger or thumb,
which is different in every person, or a mark left by this pattern .