ASSESSMENT OF ICT USAGE IN THE CONTROL OF EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE IN THE NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA (NOUN)

The study examined assessment of ICT usage in the control of examination malpractice in the National Open University of Nigeria. Specifically, the paper examined science students’ assessment of the usage of Biometric Verification and Capturing Devices, usage of computerized examination sheets in reducing examination malpractice through automated marking and candidate-specific coding, usage of potential of On-demand Virtual Proctoring Examinations in maintaining examination integrity by providing secure, flexible, and remote assessment platforms, in examinations in NOUN. The design adopted for this study was a descriptive survey design. The population of this study comprised all science students enrolled at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) across the three study centers in Edo State. A sample of 456 science students was drawn for the study. The stratified random sampling technique was employed to ensure fair representation of participants across the study centers. To determine the sample size, 40% of the total science student population from each center was drawn randomly. The instrument for data collection was a questionnaire developed by the researcher titled "ICT Tools for Curbing Examination Malpractice Questionnaire (ICTTCEMQ)." The reliability of the research instrument was determined using the test-retest method. A reliability coefficient of 0.70 was considered acceptable. Data for this study were collected by the researcher with the assistance of two research assistants. The collected data was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistical techniques to ensure a comprehensive evaluation of the study's objectives. The result showed that usage of Biometric Verification and On-demand Virtual Proctoring Examinations in maintaining examination integrity by providing secure were effective in controlling examination malpractice, ensuring examination integrity and reducing malpractice in NOUN while computerized examination sheets was ineffective. It was recommended amongst others that actively involve students in the development of, implementation and evaluation of ICT-based interventions to ensure their perspective are considered and their concerns are addressed.