DESIGN AND
IMPLEMENTATION OF RESULT ACCESSMENT SYSTEM
CHAPTER ONE
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background of the Study
In Educational institutions
the evaluation of performance of student is based on examinations. Examination
is the most important component of the educational system. The efficiency of an
educational institution is judged by the regularity in conducting examinations
and announcing results. The examination system can be improved by the
introduction of computerization in various activities related to the
examinations.
Ayo
C. K., Akinyemi, I. O. Adebiyi A. A. and Ekong, U. O. (2007)has rightly indicated that: The evolution of web applications into the computing technology has brought about a
significant revolution in our social life including the traditional system of
education and examination. Many institutions are beginning to reevaluate their
traditional methods and have considered providing teaching materials through the
Internet. Several studies have been carried out on distance education which
encompasses web classroom and web-based online examination (Yuan, et al, 2003;
WebCT, yr; Jackson et al, 1997; and Stina et al, 2000) to mention a few. One
important area of application of the web technology is in the development of
web-based testing and assessment (Iyilade et al, 2005). Web-based testing and
assessment systems offer greater flexibility than the traditional approach
because test could be offered at different times by students and in different
locations (Jay, et al 2001). More importantly, questions could be shuffled
having the same structure and level but different contents.
Basically, the Computer Based Test System (CBT for short) been considered in this project involves the conduct of examinations through the
intranet and it reduces the large proportion of workload onexamination, grading
and reviewing.
The
following are the advantages of Computer Based Test (CBT) System over the
traditional Paper Based Test (PBT) System.
·
Evaluation of
answers can be fully automated for MCQ questions.
·
Computer based test system can be used to conduct exam at any time and
does not incur higher cost as traditional exam scenario as there is no paper
work involved(e.g. Printing exam papers etc).
·
Removal of human errors
involved in the process of examination.
·
It eradicates the compilation and
physical movement of examination scripts.
·
It eradicates examination
malpractise among the students.
1.2
Problem Statements
This
section deals with the identification of the problems associated with the
current system.Although several Universities have adopted computer based test
system.But this project is about identifying judiciously the problem associated
with the current CBT system in the universities,these problems are highlighted
below.
·
Impersonation: The existing system allows for impersonation through
the process of allowing two login stages. By technical observance there is no need to login
twice when using an application and this allows for impersonation as explained
below:
A user who wants to impersonate can login with its own
matriculation number where the sole essence of this login is to query the
database and bring out his/herown picture from the portal. Thereafter, the user
can login with another matriculation number to login for the person he/she
wants to write the examination for where the aim of the second login is to load
the questions and answers and then schedule the exam. Hence we are performing a
task that ought to be once, twice. The meaning of this technically is
IMPERSONATION.
·
State
Persistency: The existing system does not have a persistence state which allows
students to have their ways with these lapses. For example,A student writing an exam that encounters questions
too hard can close the browser and then call on the administrators that he/she
doesn’t know what happens to the system and pretend as a computer illiterate
whereas he/she knows perfectly what he was doing since everybody knows that the questions answered by a student is a random
number of questions selected from a pool of questions,
and if the system was to be restarted,the exam is not going to continue from it
was stopped.Apart from students shutting down the system,state persistency is
also useful in the case of power failure.
·
User
Friendliness: The existing system is not user friendly. Software
should be simple and not assumed that their users are professionals. Here are
some reasons why the existing system is not user friendly.
A. There is no prompt to alert the user when the end
button is pressed that a change in state is about to be made. This is necessary
because the user might mistakenly press the end button. This leads to
unintentional submission of the exam.
B. The questions are in most cases not clear and options
not properly aligned which also makes it difficult for student to match the
option to the radio button to be clicked thereby wasting students time.
·
Security:
The questions setter for the current CBT system that
is being use by the university does not encrypt its output, this made it
possible for an external body that has access to the system to see and
understand the questions.If the questions were encrypted even if an
unauthorised person gained access into the system,he or she we still not
understand the questions since they are encrypted.
·
Question
Categorization: This deals with the situation where
by questions set by the lecturer will be categorized by the lecturer according
to their strenght, So that questions for the students will be selected from
different categories and their will be no situation where by some students will
be faced with the most difficult
questions while some will be given cheap questions.Hence increasing
credibility in the conduct of the exam.
1.3
Research Questions
In the course of
study of this project, many questions were posted to students, who are the end
user of the application in focus. The reasons for all or some of these
questions were to find the problem associated with the currently used computer based test systems,how the
existing system can
be improved upon and the level of
computer literacy of the students. These questions may
in one way or the other allow for even for greater improvement on the
applications that is in focus.
The Research Questions as contained in the
questionnaire issued out are as follows
·
We
need to know whether students prefer
Computer Based Test to Paper Based Test.
·
We
want to know whether they still want CBT to continue in the university.
·
The
reason(s) that may prompt them to want the continuation of CBT.
·
The
deficiencies they can identify in the current system.
·
Does
the current system need replacement?
·
What
does the current system suppose to have that it doesn’t?
·
What
does the current system suppose not to have that it does?
·
What
can be done to improve on the current CBT system?
·
Does
The Proposed system cost more than the current system?
1.4
Objectives Of The Study
The following
are the objectives of the study.
Ø This study is to make the computer
based test system of Tansian University easy to use, more secured, more reliable,more
robust,easy to maintain and cost less.
Ø To secure the system in such a way
that it only allows accessfrom the authorized person.
Ø To develop a system that will be able
to handle any interruption that may arise during examination with outlost of
session, state and other important program entities used by the system and thus
allow for continuation.
Ø Todevelop a system of examination model that is
devoid of irregularities and generally fair to all students.
Ø To investigate the level of ICT literacy of
applicants.
1.5
Significant Of The
Study
In
2008, several Universities began the use of computer based system for her post
JAMB examinations,the following academic session that follows this period which
was 2008/2009 academic session the university adopted this same computer based
test system for the conduction of virtually all exam that is to be taken by
students in thier lower level of their career also there was a speculation that
every course in the University that has more than 500 students must be taken to
computer based test system for its exam.
Since
exam constitute an important part in the running of a particular learning
institution and also as it has been established in the above paragraph that
there are very large number of students that will be involved in the usage of
this system, then a very good system that posseses all the charateristics as
mentioned in the objectives of study is highly needed.The contribution of this
proposed system will have a very good impact in the conduction of exams in the
University.