Facilitators' Perceived Acceptance and Ease of Use of Virtual Examination Platforms in Open and Distance Learning Institutions in Nigeria

Abstract

The educational order was changed because of the COVID-19 pandemic which had a lot of consequences for global activities, especially education. Mode of instructional delivery and administration of the examination in most schools were sought given curriculum change to meet the challenges that were visible for post COVIDeducational delivery. This necessitated this study to look at the level of acceptance and perceived ease of use of virtual examination platforms among open and distance learning institutions in Nigeria. Using a cross-sectional survey research design on the population ofall facilitators in these institutions, a total of202 samples using a simple random technique were utilized in the study. Two research questions and four hypotheses were tested. One instrument, the Open and Distance Learning Facilitators' Acceptance and Perceived Use of Virtual Examination Questionnaire(ODLFAEVEQ, r = 0.81), was developed and validated by the researchers to collect data. Descriptive and analysis of variance (ANOVA) statistics were used to analyze the data collected. Results showed that the level of acceptance of virtual examination among the facilitators from the 3 universities was above average and showed a moderately high level of perceived ease of use of virtual examination as an assessment medium within the ODL system. Facilitators' cadres do not influence the acceptance of virtual examination within the ODL system but there was a significant difference in the level of perceived ease of use of virtual examination as an assessment mode across facilitators' cadres. It is therefore recommended that Nigerian university management should consider the academic cadre and discipline of facilitators for them to become active participants in the implementation of a virtual examination.