CBT is to introduce our children to technology age –Ojerinde

 
Why is JAMB replacing the Paper Pencil Test with the Computer-Based Test?
We have come of age; we have to change. The whole world is changing. Computer-based test is what is going on now around the world; and our children are more technologically-oriented. You can see how they are doing well everywhere around the world. You hear, see and read the success stories of our very enterprising and technologically-driven children from the primary schools to the universities. We are introducing computer-based test because we want to make sure that examination malpractice is reduced. We are introducing computer based test to eliminate logistic problems arising from issues such as movement of examination materials to exam centres.We want to introduce them to the technological age so that they can move with the world.
Did the JAMB take into account the computer literacy level of Nigerians before taking such decision?
Yes, our design is such that if you can use a mobile handset, you can do the CBT; if you can read ABCD when the answer comes out for you and you know that the answer is either A or B, C or D, if you can read them, you punch and that’s it. You don’t even need to use the mouse, except you know how to use it. Use the cursor to your right and then to your left, that’s it. We give them maximum of 15 minutes orientation and before you know it, they are coping. That is our experience so far and it has been very wonderful. There is no much problem with it at all. Our children or their parents should not nurse any fear whatsoever over the introduction of the computer- based test. It has been designed in such a way that once you can use handset, which every one of our youths uses now, then CBT is a done deal.
Everybody is using one phone or the other. Do they encounter problem using their phones? If you can use a handset, you can do computer-based test.
What is JAMB doing to prevent the issue of hackers and slow internet?
As for slow internet, the bandwidth must be increased. When we started, we used six units, then when we increased it to 12 units, we discovered that it was getting faster and now we are using about 18-24 units, so it’s very fast and that is what has happened to the extent that when we send the information from the office here, in three minutes time, it lands anywhere in the world.
As for the problems of hackers, when I tell you the things that we have been doing, I hope the hackers also will not go and counter what we’re doing, but we are making efforts and we are trying to make sure that they cannot hack it.
What benefits do the computerbased test have over the cancelled Paper Pencil Test?
For example, we discovered that the candidates are passing computer-based test better than paper pencil test. Going fully with the computer-based test will make them do better in the examination.
We also discovered that examination malpractice is minimised with the introduction of the CBT. Then, you can imagine how malpractices would be drastically reduced if we go fully with the CBT. We also discovered that it is flexible. For latecomers, you can accommodate them and they can come in and do their examination, despite their lateness. You can shift the date of the exam from one day to the other for people who have a clash with writing it. If it were paper pencil, once you missed your exam, it’s forever. The benefits are enormous; including the fact that the result comes out faster than the Paper Pencil Test.
Was it possible for you to conduct the Computer-Based Test in countries where the Paper Pencil Test was being conducted?
It was conducted throughout Nigeria and six foreign countries namely Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Benin Republic and Cameroun between Saturday 17th and Saturday 31st May, 2014.
10 of the board’s offices were also used as test centres for the conduct of the 2014 UTME CBT. These offices were Bwari Model CBT centre, Ilorin, Minna, Markudi, Dutse, Jalingo, Asaba, Umuahia, Ado-Ekiti and Ibadan. We also used the facilities of many of our various tertiary schools. It was very successful. There is no gainsaying the fact that this new wave Computer-Based Technology in the face of public examination in our dear country is now a welcome development. In addition to its numerous advantages, a candidate with a challenge in her hands due to paralysis used her toes during the registration for biometrics and punching of keyboards during the CBT examination.

Why is JAMB asking parents to pay for admission letter when that was not the practice in the past?
We don’t ask people to pay for admission letters, we are only saying that they should go and print their admission letters. Instead of mailing the letters which may never get to them because of unknown addresses, or instead of telling them come and collect your letter here, we said don’t worry, go to the internet and print your letter of admission. We do five things online: register, you check your result, you change your course or whatever you want to do, your name or whatever, you letter of admission, you collect it; you don’t pay for it and then, there is another one that we do and that has reduced the crowd in our office here or other states of the system, if you see anybody trying to come into this place, they are not coming to say that they don’t have their letters of admission; they may have other things to worry about.
There are reports that the literature books JAMB asked students to buy, that questions were not set from them?
This year, 15 questions were from there. They gave you wrong impression. Everybody, whether you are a social science student, a medicine student, engineering, agric, education, you are supposed to answer those questions; and why are we doing it? We are doing it to increase the reading culture of Nigerians and that’s it; you will now discover that they are not reading, that’s why most of them are failing; they are not even reading their books. The questions are there.
How true is the allegation that some of the authors were close to JAMB board members?
They should be close to us because we are using their books. Do you want us to be using our enemies’ books? Let me tell you the procedure; we said we wanted books that Nigerians can read. We approached the National Library of Nigeria and Nigerian Authors Association, so the two bodies worked together to say these books are good for the Nigerian children. The books went through the normal procedure of acceptance. In fact, NERDC also had to come into play before we accepted it, but we don’t necessarily have to go to NERDC. In any case, that is the situation. I don’t even know Chukwuemeka Ike. Is the author still living? I don’t know him, but they choose the books for us.
What is your response to complaints from some parents of extortion from JAMB in the form of N100 for scratch cards?
They will always complain, if you want something good, you must be ready to pay for it. But what is extortion? Let me tell you, around 2005/2006, if you come to this place, you will see the crowd by the gate, they come all the way from Port Harcourt, Lagos, Maiduguri, Sokoto, and all the four corners of the country asking for their results and so on. We are saying no, don’t come here again, stay where you are and get it online.
source: http://nationalmirroronline.net/new/cbt-is-to-introduce-our-children-to-technology-age-ojerinde/

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