SCIENCE STUDENTS’ ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ICT TOOLS IN CONTROLLING EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE IN OPEN AND DISTANCE LEARNING (ODL) UNIVERSITIES IN NIGERIA
Abstract
This study assessed science students’ perceptions of the effectiveness of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools in controlling examination malpractice in Open and Distance Learning (ODL) universities in Nigeria. A descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population comprised 1,139 science students enrolled in selected study centres of the National Open University of Nigeria, from which a sample of 456 respondents was selected using stratified random sampling techniques. Data were collected using a structured instrument titled ICT Tools for Curbing Examination Malpractice Questionnaire (ICTCEMQ). The instrument was validated by experts in educational technology and measurement and evaluation, while reliability was established using the test–retest method, yielding a reliability coefficient of .81, indicating that the instrument was reliable. Data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation with a benchmark mean of 2.50 for decision making. The findings revealed that e-registration and authentication systems were perceived as effective in controlling examination malpractice, while SMS/internet tracking devices and CCTV surveillance were perceived as ineffective by science students. The findings imply that properly implemented ICT authentication technologies can significantly enhance examination integrity in ODL institutions. The study recommends the strengthening of biometric authentication systems, improved monitoring of CCTV infrastructure, and adoption of a multi-layered ICT-based examination security framework.
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