STUDENTS’ CHARACTERISTICS AS PREDICTORS OF THEIR PERCEPTIONS ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF COMPUTER-BASED TEST IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES

Computer and related technologies provide powerful tools to meet the new challenges of designing and implementing assessments methods that go beyond the conventional practices. With the growing population of students in most Nigerian Universities, there is need for the use of Computer-Based Test (CBT) for assessment. CBT has long been regarded as a potentially powerful asset for providing assessment. The successes of transition from Paper-Based Test (PBT) to CBT in Nigerian universities prompted this study to investigate students perceptions in this field based on a survey study underpinned by the modified Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as the research framework. The study is descriptive and the factors that can predict acceptance of CBT for examination in the Nigerian Universities was investigated in a survey study involving 1506 students. The dimensions used in the study were Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU), Perceived Usefulness (PU) and Perceived Credibility (PC). The three dimensions envisage the use of CBT. The study revealed amongst others that the usefulness, ease of use and credibility are important in the’ use of computer-based test in Nigerian universities. Based on the result, it was recommended that students’ gender and field of study be considered in the use of CBT