DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A COMPUTER BASED TESTING SYSTEM

DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A COMPUTER BASED TESTING SYSTEM

ABSTRACT

Technology as we know today has come a long way in changing different aspect of lives and helping in human efficiency and accuracy. There is a growing need for educators and stakeholders to explore other means of assessment of students using different medium to help students. Examination is the major and widely accepted use of measuring student ability and understanding of a subject initially taught to him/her. The use of Information and Communication Technology registering and administering examinations helps in attaining efficiency and error-free results and computation. Flexible timing functionality, stand-alone subject module, robustness and scalability are some of the major advantages of the Computer based Test software. The CBT was developed using both the widely accepted Waterfall Model and Reuse-oriented software process models. The whole implementation of the software was achieved using Source Based technologies such as ASP.NET, MySQL, JavaScript, Hypertext Markup Language and Cascading Style Sheet as template design. It provides immediate notification of the student’s final score based on what was provided as well as report. It also provides diagrammatic questions as well as mathematical symbols in all subjects. The paper focuses on using Component-Based software model in development of a Computer based Test software, that is, reuse of single core component of the software over and over to develop multiple components of the software. No two component areas (subject) are the same but all (sub-component) follow the template-component.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Introduction Examination as we know is one of the best methods of evaluating knowledge and grade student’s ability understanding of what he/ she was taught in the classroom. There have been various methods used for assessing students such as projects, pencil-written examination, presentations, assignments and oral examinations. Traditional Examination refers to a formal examination administered through question papers to which students respond in the form of written answers to a limited choice of previously unseen examination questions, set in advance and answered in examination centers where invigilators (examination supervisors) prevent communication between students and prohibit the use of notes or other revision aids. There has been a growing interest in recent years in developing and using Computer based tests in educational assessment especially in Nigeria. The Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB), the body responsible for admission into Nigerian University went a step higher in 2013 with the use of Computer based tests (CBT) software in conducting her examination. It became a necessary and timely innovation to keep with technological trend. In the 90’s, when students sat for JAMB, it was kept on a pedestal of fear for most students but today it has become a norm in our educational sector. The advantages of computers are well-known and apparent. They offer student the opportunity to improve their productivity and time management when answering questions. The standardization of test administration conditions is one of the benefits offered by computer-based testing (CBT). No matter what the tests’ population size is, CBT helps students to set the same test conditions for all participants. It also improves all aspects of test security by storing questions and responses in encrypted databases and enables testers to create randomized questions and answers from vast question pools. Moreover, offering different exam formats and the immediate presentation of different types of feedback, either to students or testers, are also some of the great advantages of CBT. Computer based testing (CBT) or computer based assessment is seen as a catalyst for changes in pedagogical methods (OECD, 2010), It is seen as a catalyst for change, bringing about a transformation in learning, pedagogy and curricula in educational institutions (Scheuermann & Pereira, 2008). In order to establish valid Computer based testing (CBT) the international Guidelines on Computer-Based and Internet-Delivered Testing (International Test Commission, 2004) state that equivalent test scores should be established for tests using the conventional paper-based mode and the new computer-based mode. This set of testing standards is supported by classical True-Score Test Theory (Allen & Yen, 1979), which is the basis of both computer-based and paper-based testing. According to this theory, someone who takes the same test in the two modes can be expected to obtain nearly identical test scores. The result of taking pencil based examination or Computer based testing has little or no difference between them. Most secondary schools in Nigeria basically use paper-based test in assessing student’s performance from the junior school to Secondary school. Teacher’s supplies question for typist to type the questions and all students assemble in an examination hall to write and answer questions using OMR sheet. The OMR sheet consist of questions mostly 50 questions having 5 options A, B, C, D and E. The student uses a pencil to tick the correct option corresponding to the questions to be answered. After the exams, the teachers are given some period of time to individually mark the OMR sheet based on what was there assumed answers.

DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A COMPUTER BASED TESTING SYSTEM

Chapters: 1 - 5
Delivery: Email

Number of Pages: 75

Price: 3000 NGN

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