TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cover page i
Title page ii
Approval page iii
Certification page iv
Examiners page v
Declaration page vi
Dedication page vii
Acknowledgement page viii
Table of content x
Abstract 1
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 background of the study 2
1.2 Statement of research problem 4
1.3 Objectives of the study 4
1.3 Hypothesis 4
3
1.4 Significance of the study 4
1.5 Scope of the study 5
1.6 Limitation of the study 5
1.7 Definition of terms 5
CHAPTER TWO: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
2.0 Literature review 6
2.1 History 9
2.2 Paper-pen based exam
11
2.3 Computer based exam
15
2.5 Comparism
24
2.6 over view of paper-pen examination and computer based examination
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
4
3.1 Study design 42
3.2 Source of data 42
3.3 Study population 42
3.4 Sample size 42
3.5 Sampling technique 43
3.6 Instrument of data collection 43
3.7 Inclusion criteria 43
3.8 Exclusion criteria 44
3.9 Data analysis 44
5
3.10 Ethical consideration 44
CHAPTER FOUR: DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION
4.1 RESULTS 45
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION, SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
5.1 Discussion 79
5.2 Summary of findings 81
5.3 Conclusions 82
5.4 Recommendations 83
5.5 Contribution to knowledge 84
5.6 Area for further studies 84
Appendices 91
6
References
LIST OF TABLES
Table 4.1: Demography: Distribution of age of the participants 48
Table 4.2: Distribution of participants’ gender 49
7
Table 4.3: Distribution of participants’ educational level 50
Table 4.4: showing comparism between paper and pen exams (PPE) and
electronic exams (e-exam) in Rad 201 results
51
Table 4.5: showing comparism between paper and pen exams (PPE) and
electronic exams (e-exam) in Rad 331 results
52
Table 4.6: showing comparism between paper and pen exams (PPE) and
electronic exams (e-exam) in Rad 431 results
53
Table 4.7: showing comparism between paper and pen exams (PPE) and
electronic exams (e-exam) in Rad 531 results
54
Table 4.8: Result of chi-square analysis of Rad 201result 55
Table 4.9: Result of chi-square analysis of Rad 331result 56
Table 4.10: Result of chi-square analysis of Rad 431result 56
Table 4.11: Result of chi-square analysis of Rad 531result 56
Table 4.12: showing the attitude and perception of radiography students on
computer based examination (CBE)
Table 4.13: physical structures/facilities of CBE 56
Table 4.14: showing variable questions on the preference of PPE and the
problems encountered by students in PPE and CBE.
57
8
LIST OF FIGURES
FIG 4.1 showing the age distribution of the respondents 46
FIG 4.2 showing the gender distribution of the respondents 47
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ABSTRACT
TITLE: A comparison of performance of radiography students on computer based (electronic
examination) and written examinations: a case study of university of Maiduguri.
OBJECTIVES: To compare academic performance differences among computer based (e-exams) and
paper-pen examination in some selected courses; Rad 201,Rad 331,Rad 431,Rad 531 in 2013/2014
and 2014/2015 academic sessions and to determine the students attitude towards e-examination.
MATERIAL AND METHOD: The research design adopted for this study is a descriptive survey
method. A quota sampling and simple random sampling techniques were used to administer the
questionnaires to 171 radiography students (45 students each from part 2, 3 and 4 while 36 from part
5) and the whole questionnaires were retrieved.The research was conducted using a structured and
open ended questionnaire designed to assess participants demographic profile, their perception on
CBE, comparison between CBE and PPE, and physical structure/facilities. SPSS version 16.0 (IBM,
US, NEW YORK) was used to analyse the data where descriptive statistics; such as, frequency, mean
and percentage were generated. Also chi-square was used to compare the differences in performance
between CBE and PPE.
RESULTS: The results show that the performance on paper-pen exam is higher in the four courses ;
Rad 201,Rad 331,Rad 431 and Rad 531 which was observed with failure rate of 16.3%, 9.3%,1.9%
and 0.0% with average of 49.27, 53.33, 55.02 and 54.83 respectively during 2013/2014 academic
session while the same courses in 2014/2015 after the introduction of electronic exam(computer
based exam CBE ) in the four courses has 42.9%,11.6%,13.0% and 2.0% with average of 40.16,
29.62,53.09 and 46.42 respectively.
Based on content analysis, the respondents 38(22.2%) strongly agree that performance in CBE was
better than the PPE and 51(29.8%) agree, 0(0%) neither agree nor disagree, 67(39.2%) disagree and
15(8.8%) strongly disagree to the above statement.
CONCLUSION: This research showed that students academic performance is better in written (paper
and pen exam) than in electronic exam (e-exam, computer based exam). The students prefer written
exam to e-exam mode in radiography department of university of Maiduguri.
KEY WORDS: examination, computer base exam, paper and pen exam, attitude
10
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.0 BACKGROUND OF STUDY
Examination is an assessment indeed to measure a test-takers knowledge, skills,
attitude, fitness or classification in many other topics as defined by wikipedia
(Rehmani, 2003). Examination can be either paper-pen or electronic
examination (e-exam).
Paper-pen examination may be defined as printed set of questions used to test
somebody’s knowledge in an exam (Encarta, 2010). Ayo et al. (2007) defines eexamination as a system that “involves the conduct of examinations through the
web or the intranet”. Various examination methods are used in universities and
other higher education institutions to assess academic progress for example,
paper-pencil-based examinations, assignments, presentations etc. Sim,
Holifield, and Brown (2004) identified more than 50 varied techniques used
within higher education for assessment purposes; the most commonly used are
examinations. Both computer based and written exams have their advantages
and disadvantages, the conventional examination is plagued with several pitfalls
such as examination leakages, Impersonations, inadequate supervisors, demand
for gratification by markers, and the most devastating is the delay and nonrelease of examination results especially where there are large classes or public
examinations.
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However, some of the disadvantages associated with computer based
assessment, including that Computer crashes are more difficult to resolve than
broken pencils. There is the potential that an entire testing session, along with
all students’ responses could be lost. Back-up procedures are essential, both in
terms of storing student responses and having alternative means to administer
the test (Bridgeman, 2009), However computer is also made unsafe for storing
official and classified documents in university system and government agencies
by computer hackers. A case of hacking in 2015 election was recorded where
someone hacked into the INEC website to report results.
The university examinations as a higher education institution make use of both
written and electronic forms of exams. The written exams (paper and pen testing
or paper based exams) are more subjective when it comes to marking in the
lecturers’ perspective while the computer based exam (e-exams or web based
assessment) are more objective but ones a correct answer is type set as a wrong
answer, it can’t be corrected ones exam starts and at the end of the assessment
what you see is what you actually get.
The deployment of e-exams began shortly after the university senate approved
the commencement of e-examination as from 2009/2010 academic session for
departments that are willing and some departments took their examinations
electronically during that session. The Radiography department attempted the
use of e-test in 2011 and in 2014/2015 academic session 90% of the courses
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were more of e-exams and the department adopted it as a tool for assessing
students.
Moreover, negative comments from students arouse as a result of dissatisfaction
with the type of MCQ’s they answer and the slow nature of the system to
proceed to next question which is independent of the timer count down of the
exam starting and finishing time which does not allow students to answer all
within the time limit.
The researcher observed that student’s poor academic achievement has been
recorded where in RAD 201 many students failed after being thought by the
same course lecturer, same handouts, same course outline and the same learning
environment. The researcher compared the results of RAD 201 in 2013/2014
academic session which was paper and pen examination and found that in a
class of 98 students the result distribution was 2A, 9B+, 17B, 21C+, 8C, 14D,
11E, 16F with failure rate 16.3% While the results of the same course RAD 201
in 2014/2015 academic session which was e-exams found that in a class of 116
students the result distribution was 3A, 1B+, 7B, 5C+, 8C, 16D, 34E, 42F with
failure rate 36.1% .
In percentage, the written examinations has the following: A(2.0%), B+(9.2%),
B(17.3%), C+(21.4%), C(8.2%), D(14.3%), E(11.2%), F(16.3%) While the eexams has the following: A (2.58%), B+(0.86%), B(6.02%), C+(4.30%),
C(6.88), D(13.76%), E(29.24%), F(36.12%). The aim of the study is to assess
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the performance difference and perception among radiography students on
computer-Based and paper-pen examination.
1.1 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
It has been observed by the researcher that huge number of students have
complained about the e-examination application as an assessment tool following
a decline in their academic performances since its inception in 2009/2010 in
UNIMAID.
1.2 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
1. To compare academic performance differences among computer based
(e-exams) and paper-pen examination in some selected courses; Rad 201,
Rad 331, Rad 431, Rad 531 in 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 academic
sessions.
2. To determine the students attitude towards e-examination.
1.3 Hypothesis:
Null hypothesis: states that there is no difference between two population means
therefore H0: x1 = x2. Alternate hypothesis: states that there is difference between
two means and therefore H1: X1 ≠ X2
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1.3 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
1. Lecturers will have an understanding of their students preferred methods
of examinations(evaluation) and will be in position to make more
informed choice on evaluation tools to adopt to improve effective
teaching and learning in their courses.
2. This study will serve as a guide for educational planners of radiography
programme in UNIMAID in reviewing evaluation strategy.
3. The result of this study will provide baseline data for further research by
others in the time ahead.
1.4 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study was conducted among radiography students of UNIMAID and
it lasted for a period of 5 months as from January 2016– May 2016.The
aim of the study is to determine the students attitude towards electronic
exams.
1.5 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
The respondents may not have given honest answers to the questions
provided in the questionnaires.
1.6 DEFINITION OF TERMS
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1. Computer: this is an electronic device capable of interpreting and
executing programmed commands for input, output, computation and
logic operations. it is a programmable machine that respond to a specific
set of instruction in a well defined manner and it can execute a prerecorded list of instruction when instructed(Webopedia, 2009)
2. Examination: is an assessment indeed to measure a test-takers
knowledge, skills, attitude, fitness or classification in many other topics
(Wikipedia)
3. Paper-pen examination: may be defined as printed set of questions used
to test somebody’s knowledge in an exam (Encarta, 2010)
4. E-Examination: is defined as a system that “involves the conduct of
examinations through the web or the intranet”. (Ayo et. al., 2007)
5. Assessment: the critical analysis of the status of a particular condition
(saunders comprehensive veterinary dictionary,2007)
6. Academic Performance: is the outcome of education, the extent to
which a student, teacher or institution has achieved their educational
goals.(wikipedia,2016)
7. Perception: The way you notice things, especially with the senses
(Mitchell, 2009).
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