UNIJOS DON REVEALS REVOLUTIONARY CHEATING-PREVENTION TOOL, CALLS FOR REFORMS IN EDUCATIONAL Assessment
Dakwom Long’gul, reports from JOS, NIGERIA —
Professor Yusuf A. Mustapha, a Professor of Research, Measurement, and Evaluation at the University of Jos, delivered the institution’s 130th Inaugural Lecture on Tuesday, presenting groundbreaking insights on examination malpractice and assessment reforms.
Titled “Managing Joys and Curbing Sorrows of Educational Tests and Assessment: Preventing an Apocalypse in the Educational System,” the lecture showcased a novel assessment instrument developed alongside his former project student, Anthony Milet. With a reliability correlation of 0.84, the instrument identifies potential cheaters using positional identity data—allowing institutions to intervene through counseling before misconduct occurs.
During the lecture chaired by Vice-Chancellor Professor Tanko Ishaya, Prof. Mustapha highlighted several empirical findings from his research:
1. Early Roots: Cheating is a deep-seated habit that rarely begins in higher education; most offenders trace the habit back to primary school.
2. Gender Dynamics: Female students exhibit a higher tendency to cheat and are more likely to be repeat offenders upon returning from suspension. Conversely, male students are more daring, easier to catch, and more prone to impersonation.
3. Invigilation Efficacy: Male supervisors and invigilators are statistically more likely to detect cheating in halls than their female counterparts.
4. Environmental Influence: Local infrastructure heavily influences malpractice methods; students in networked environments are significantly more inclined to use mobile phones.
Understanding Student Behavior and Reforms
Prof. Mustapha addressed the root drivers of exam guessing—citing lack of preparation, partial knowledge, time constraints, anxiety, fatigue, overconfidence, and ambiguous test questions. He noted that the tendency to cheat drops in multiple-choice tests compared to essay formats and advocated for penalty systems for incorrect guesses to deter blind guessing.
Concluding his address at the Aliyu Akwe Doma Indoor Theatre, the Don emphasized that prevention is far more effective than eradication, urging academic institutions to adopt non-cognitive assessments and look beyond traditional examination scores to restore integrity to the educational system
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