ABSTRACT

CHAPTER ONE

                   INTRODUCTION

1. 1. Background of the Study

According to the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (5th ed.), education is a process of teaching and learning. Akaranga & Ongong (2013) says that education is a necessary process through which young adults are equipped to lead productive lives according to their talents and interests. Through education, learners are not only taught, trained, and adequately guided to acquire relevant skills and knowledge but also how to adapt to acceptable public life. To some people, education is seen as a means of overcoming handicaps, achieving greater equality, and acquiring wealth and status for all. Education, being a process of teaching and learning is evaluated through examination at the end of the learning period. Examination not only serves as a feedback for the trainer to ascertain the level of knowledge acquisition but also serves as a measure of knowledge retention by the trainee. Any misconduct or irregularity distorts this feedback mechanism and gives a false outcome of the learning process. Examination malpractice can simply be defined as academic dishonesty or academic fraud. It is any type of cheating during the examination process.

In the traditional African educational system, teaching and learning were basically practical. The students learned orally and through close observation of their master. In fact it was through imitation, no issuance of certificate to prove completion of course of study since the society was interested in skill acquisition and practical demonstration of the arts learned. Definitely, there was no need for certification, since education was viewed as a means to an end and not an end in itself (Akaranga & Ongong, 2013).

The western knowledge acquisition system or formal education is measured on certificates. Yet, certificate is not a full proof of knowledge retention. Before certificate is awarded, the students have to be assessed or examined in the field they have been trained. Nnam & Inah (2015) notes that examination is a yardstick against which students or candidates’ competence and progress are formally measured and appraised in the education sector. According to Emaikwu (2012), examination as part of evaluation in education is aimed at determining a learner’s level of skill acquisition or intellectual competence and understanding after a given training. Evaluation usually enables the teacher to be effectively ready for further teaching as this forms a feedback. George & Ukpong (2013) opines that examination is the most common tool around which the entire system of education revolves, it is the instrument used to decide who is permitted to move to the next academic level. Malik & Shah (1998) cited in Akaranga & Ongong (2013) observed that examination is not only a process of assessing the progress of students but, it also motivates and helps them to know their academic strengths and weaknesses apart from providing teachers with opportunities to try new methods of teaching. But when examination is not properly conducted, the expected feedback may not result. Hence, the result of such evaluation leads to wrong decision and judgement which affect the teacher, the learner, the entire education industry, as well as the society (Ojonemi et al., 2013). Whenever there is examination irregularity or malpractice, the validity and resulting outcome is questionable.

The common belief on certificates as the only yardstick to measure ones qualification has led many Nigerians into buying educational certificates to prove their academic worth. Examination malpractice in Nigeria is as old as the country herself. According to Anzene (2014) examination malpractice was first reported in Nigeria in the year 1914, when the question papers of the Senior Cambridge Local Examinations were reportedly seen by candidates before the scheduled date of the examination. The Examination Malpractice Act (1999) explains examination malpractice as any act of omission or commission by a person who in anticipation of, before, during or after any examination fraudulently secure any unfair advantage for himself or any other person in such a manner that contravenes the rules and regulations to the extent of undermining the validity, reliability, authenticity of the examination and ultimately the integrity of the certificates issued.

This research tends to automate examination misconduct reporting and handling system for Federal University of Agriculture Makurdi so as to ease examination reporting and safe guard all exhibits relating to examination misconduct cases. 

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Examinations are very paramount in every university and every educational institution in the world since there is no known substitute for it now. Examinations are usually conducted at the end of every semester in order to assess the students’ understanding of what has been taught during the semester. Examiners expect the students to solely express their knowledge of the courses offered. However, for several reasons, students do engage in examination malpractices (misconduct) in order to pass or excel in the examinations.  In order to stop or discourage students from this ugly trend, various universities have enacted examination ethics regulations which clearly states the examination rules and regulations that both students and staff (invigilators) are expected to obey as well as sanctions that follows defaulters of these rules and regulations.

Over the years now, students do burn examination offices and other staff offices most especially HODs’ and Deans’ offices in order to destroy the exhibits that they were caught with during examinations. This has stalled and brought a lot of setbacks in handling examination misconduct cases as non-presentation of exhibits means no case against the accused student(s). As a solution to this problem, this research proposes a computerized examination misconduct reporting and handling system such that issues of loss of exhibits and proper handling of examination misconduct cases can be done.    

1. 3. Aim and Objectives of the Study

The aim of this research is to design and implement a computerized examination misconduct reporting and handling system.

The objectives of the study are to:

1. Design a computerized examination misconduct reporting and handling system using unified modeling language (UML) tools.
2. Create a database for the system using MySQL.
3. Implement the system designed in (i) above using Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP) .
4. Test the system implemented in (iii) above for performance.

1.4 Significance of the Study

The users of this system include the Invigilator, Offenders (statement), the Exam malpractice Committee Chairman and the Senate Committee. This research work will address the challenge of manually reporting cases of examination malpractice in tertiary institutions by filling  and submitting hard copies of the form for investigation,  may cause more tension if a student is to face the appropriate panels physically which may result to unnecessary time wasting and difficulty in tracing/searching for a report.

1.5 Scope of the Study

This research covers only examination misconduct reporting and handling system for Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi. Other forms of examination security features such as biometrics and examination attendance register are not covered in this research.

1.6 Definition of Terms

Examination: Examination is a formal test of your knowledge or skills in a given area.

Exhibits: An exhibit is a document or material object produced and identified in court or before an examiner for use as evidence

Examination Malpractice (Misconduct): Examination malpractice is defined as a deliberate wrong doing contrary to official examination rules designed to place a candidate at unfair advantage or disadvantage.

Invigilator: An invigilator is a person whose job is to watch people taking an examination in order to check that they do not cheat.

Expulsion: Expulsion, or permanent exclusion, refers to the removal or banning of a student from a school system or university due to persistent violation of that institution's rules, or in extreme cases, for a single offense of marked severity.

Witness: A witness is someone who has knowledge about a matter. A person who sees an event, typically a crime that take place.

Examination Hall: An Examination hall is a place where the students are tested for the knowledge they have acquired throughout the semester or academic year.

Examiner: An examiner is a person who sets and marks examinations to test people's knowledge or proficiency.

Answer Booklet: A small, thin book with paper covers, typically giving information on a particular subject meant for answering examination questions.

Question Paper: A question paper is a paper with examination questions printed on it set to test the knowledge of examination candidates.

Examination Misconduct Committee: An examination Misconduct Committee is a committee saddled with the responsibility of handling examination misconduct cases.

Impersonation: Impersonation is the act of attempting to deceive someone by pretending that you are another person.

Cheating: Cheating generally describes various actions designed to subvert rules in order to obtain unfair advantages.