CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

• Introduction

Interest in the use of aptitude tests for selecting people who wish to be admitted, educated and trained in institutions of higher learning has gained momentum in recent years. Such tests may be perceived to offer several advantages over traditional selection methods. These include the assumptions that aptitude tests are objective, fair, and provide a powerful way to identify candidates with the greatest potential to succeed in their chosen profession irrespective of their social and educational background or geographical location. A typical need is the measurement of the level of performance of the students in the form of summative assessment in aptitude tests. Traditionally, this has been met though paper-based written examinations with their attendant problems of resource intensive marking, subjectivity, bias etc. It is therefore not surprising that the spotlight should be placed on objective testing to see whether this mode of assessment can be employed in these areas associated with more complex cognitive abilities and in addition, by employing the use of Computer-Aided Assessment (CAA) and more interactive question types, not only to assist the process of assessment, but to actually enhance it. This is an interesting area and one perpetually challenged on quality grounds by both academics and external examiners alike who judge CAA by simple issues like the number of questions in a test, the number of factual or comprehension questions, and the appropriateness of CAA.

In the world today, there is hardly any institution that does not make use of the computer system to solve one problem or the other. This is due to the advantage of speed of processing, large volume of storage, etc. In institutions of learning, the need to apply computers has grown due to the fact that computer and appropriate software can provide solution that will aid the assessment of students’ tests or exams. In a situation where there is large number of students involved, then the need to use computerized assessment cannot be under estimated. Automating the assessment process enables teachers to carry out their job faster and accurately, this will consequently foster efficient academic administration and management.

1.1 Theoretical Background

Now, with computer-based assessment, comes the possibility of radically improving both how assessments are implemented and the quality of the information they can deliver. But as many states consider whether to embrace the new technologies — and as some already have — serious concerns remain about the fairness of the new systems and the readiness of states (and their districts and schools) to support them. Technology is no stranger to assessment. In the middle of the last century, the rise of multiple choice methodology for large-scale assessment was fueled heavily by the development of high-speed scanners. More recently, computer-adaptive models, where students are presented with questions tailored to their ability levels, have promised to make assessment more efficient and able to target the needs of individual students. On the hardware side, advances in the speed, capacity, and availability of computers allow applications that could only be imagined less than a generation ago. On the software side, developments in database structures, simulation technologies, and artificial intelligence models promise to dramatically improve the efficiency and capabilities of assessment administration, scoring, and reporting. College admissions and certification programs have led the way in using the new computer-based technology. Aptitude test is an area of the higher education admission screening system that computerized assessment can be implemented.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The following problems were identified:

1. Marking the answer sheets will be cumbersome and accompanied by many problems such as multiple errors in the computation of results,
2. Inability to retrieve needed information based on assessment instantly. This constitutes a serious problem to the management of student records.
3. Manual computation of assessment result is not good enough because it is time consuming, does not provide the instant presentation of assessment reports and results in a lot of paper work.

The solution to these problems is the adoption of a computerized system for school assessment.

1.3 Aim and Objectives of the study

The aim of the study is to develop and Implement aptitude test and assessment system. The following are the objectives of the study:

1. To design a software that will aid in the computation of student aptitude test result.
2. To facilitate the easy storage and retrieval of student aptitude test assessment record.
3. To replace the manual system of recording and reporting aptitude test assessment scores of students.

1.4 Significance of the Study

The significance of the study is that it will provide a better way of managing the aptitude test assessment record of students. It will eliminate the stress involved in manually searching for information of student’s assessment. The study will also serve as a useful reference material to other researchers seeking for information pertaining the research study.

1.5 Scope of the Study

This study covers Design and Implementation of aptitude test and assessment system using Akwa Ibom state polytechnic, Ikot Osurua as a case study. Data used for the study were gathered from the same source.

1.6 Organization of Research

This research work is organized into five chapters.

Chapter one is concerned with the introduction of the research study and it presents the preliminaries, theoretical background, statement of the problem, aim and objectives of the study, significance of the study, scope of the study, organization of the research and definition of terms.

Chapter two focuses on the literature review, the contributions of other scholars on the subject matter is discussed.

Chapter three is concerned with the system analysis and design. It presents the research methodology used in the development of the system, it analyzes the present system to identify the problems and provides information on the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed system. The system design is also presented in this chapter.

Chapter four presents the system implementation and documentation, the choice of programming language, analysis of modules, choice of programming language and system requirements for implementation.

Chapter five focuses on the constraints of the study, summary, conclusion and recommendations.

1.7 Definition of Terms

Assessment: A judgment about something based on an understanding of the situation. A method of evaluating student performance and attainment

Software: set of instructions given to the computer to execute

Computer-based: To be dependent on the use of computers and related software to carry out a particular task.

Computer-adaptive Model: A pattern showing how a manual system will be developed into a computerized system.

Artificial Intelligence: A branch of computer science that is focused on developing systems that mimic human experts.

Information: The meaningful material derived from computer data by organizing it and interpreting it in a specific way

Hardware: The equipment and devices that make up a computer system as opposed to the programs used on it

School:  A faculty, department, or institution that offers specialized instruction in an academic subject.