Computer based test in unified tertiary matriculation examinations as antecedents for enhancing higher order thinking skills among undergraduates in the University of Lagos

Abstract

21^st century educators believe that higher order thinking is more valuable because such skills are more likely to be usable in real life situations in order for learners to be more effective and skillful thinkers. It is in line with this that this research work examined the Impact of Computer Based Test in Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations as antecedents for enhancing higher order thinking skills among undergraduate students in the University of Lagos, Akoka. The descriptive research design was adopted in the study. The population for the study includes all the undergraduate students in the University of Lagos, Akoka. Muiti- stage sampling techniques was used to select three faculties and one hundred and ninety eight (198) participants comprising males and females undergraduates. The instrument used for data collection was a self-developed Likert-scale type questionnaire (ICBTAEHOTS). The instrument had a reliability coefficient of 0.77 when tested during the pilot study. Four hypotheses were tested in the study, two of the hypotheses were accepted and two of the hypotheses were rejected at 0.05 level of significance. The results of the data analyses revealed that: there was a significant impact of computer based test in UTME on higher order thinking skills and cognitive skills of undergraduate students, there was no significant impact of computer based test in UTME on the critical and creative thinking of undergraduate students, also, there was no significant gender differences on the higher order thinking skills of undergraduate students. Based on the findings, the study recommended among others that school teachers should constructs and assess their students using more of multiple choice items in their classroom tests, as this will help to stimulate more displays of students’ higher order thinking skills and critical skills.. Also, curriculum planners should ensure that all textbooks used in our schools are revised and updated (in terms of adopted examples and scenarios) to meet up with the present-day life situation.

Keywords: Computer-Based Test, Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations, Thinking Skills, Undergraduates