An e-Learning Management Consultant, Dr Josephine Larbi-Apau, has asserted that online exams have more credibility than the normal hard copy exams taken in classrooms.
In an interview with Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni Frimpong on ‘What is Next’, Dr Larbi-Apau revealed that there are various mechanisms in place that makes it impossible for students taking an online exam to cheat.

“If you’re a student, you have to log in using your credentials (your username and password) but again you can go beyond that by using imaging. As you sit behind the computer the examination questions have been built in such a way that you have a camera built into the examination question (it’s a software) that will capture the image of the student on the question paper so as the student is writing his picture is on the question paper…When the student decides to leave and comes back it will capture it again,” he posited.

These mechanisms, Dr Larbi-Apau noted, makes it impossible for a student to get someone else to take the exams for him or her.

She also added that the questions of some online exams are randomized so if students in one examination hall decide to ask their colleagues for answers, they will end up getting it wrong as the numbering of their questions will be different.

“We have a way of setting up the questions. Let’s assume that you have a multiple-choice question. The multiple-choice questions are organized randomly in such a way that if we have 100 questions, your question 1 will be by question 10, your question 5 will be my question 8 so even if I talk to you in the exams room by asking you what is the answer for question 1 and you say ‘D’ that answer could be for question 10 so we randomize the questions and randomize the answers too… so there’s no way the students can cheat,” she said.

Even though there are no invigilators present for online exams, Dr Larbi-Apau stated that a clock attached to the questions is set for the duration of the paper it starts reading when the student starts answering the questions.
“It is time-based so when you start answering the questions, there’s a clock so it sets the clock, so if it one hour it starts ticking as soon as you hit start… and so the time that you’ll be wasting in talking it’s not going to wait for you.”

Other mechanisms in place that prevents students from cheating during online exams from the classroom, include blocking all other sites on computers students will be using so they can’t surf the internet for help.

Dr Larbi-Apau added that cameras can be set up in classrooms to take pictures of students in an exam hall from time to time to keep them in check.

After some level of resistance, students of some tertiary institutions in the country are set to begin online exams next week.

This is due to the closure of schools across the country as part of measures to curb the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Jean Mensa (right)

Officials of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), led by its National Director for Information Technology (IT), Osei Kwame Griffiths, yesterday observed and participated in the Electoral Commission’s national piloting of its new biometric voter registration kits and the operation of the new software.

The NDC has been opposing the compilation of new a voters’ register and wants the EC to use the old voters’ register for the general elections in December.

The PNC, whose executives are divided over the register, also sent representatives to the premises of Ridge Church in Accra, where the national pilot registration took place, led by its national organizer, Desmond Twumasi Ntow.

The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) also sent representatives, led by former National Chairman, Peter Mac Manu, while the presidential candidate for the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), Percival Kofi Akpaloo, was also present to participate in the event.

Officials of the EC, led by Chairperson Jean Mensa, were also present to monitor and observe the process which will culminate in the scheduled nationwide new voter registration exercise scheduled to start on June 30 and end on August 6, 2020 at 33,367 polling centres.

Mock Exercise

There were two registration centres, one meant for representatives of the political parties to go through the mock registration exercise and the other meant for selected members of civil society groups, including the clergy who underwent the registration using either the new NIA Ghana Card or a valid Ghanaian passport, which were the two permissible ID cards for the registration.

Before one enters the premises, there are Veronica buckets, bars of soap and tissue papers placed at the entry point with an EC official who will ensure that any person coming to register washes his or her hand before joining the queue, with social distancing protocol also being strictly observed.

Briefing journalists at the pilot registration centre, the Director in charge of Electoral Services at the Electoral Commission, Dr. Serebour Quaicoe, said that piloting at the regional levels took place on May 2 and May 3 to allow regional party representatives know the process better.

According to him, the EC’s national registration exercise will go on as scheduled beginning from June 30 with strict observation of Covid-19 health protocols during the whole process.

He said apart from the Ghana Card and a valid Ghanaian passport which will be accepted to prove one’s Ghanaian nationality, prospective applicants who do not have any of them could be vouched for by two registered Ghanaians.

According to him, a registered person can vouch for 10 people to prove their Ghanaian nationality to enable him or her to register.

Dr. Quaicoe explained that averagely the EC expects 100 people to be registered in a day at a polling centre, but if the process goes on very fast, a maximum of 250 people could be registered at a polling centre.

He expressed the hope that all the political parties would cooperate with the EC to ensure a successful registration exercise.

Mr. Mac Manu said the process so far has been smooth.

He, however, said that it will be very important for the EC to constantly educate the public on information that will have to be captured on the primary form or Form 1A.

He said if the EC educates members of the public on the necessary information needed to be captured on Form 1A, it will help reduce the processing time for every registration.

Mr. Twumasi Ntow told DAILY GUIDE that his party has serious concerns over health safety of individuals who will congregate at a polling centre to register, stressing that if a person has COVID-19, how is he or she going to be treated at the centre.

He also said that the time the registration will take place will not allow transfer of votes and special voting to be effected, which will be problematic for conduct of fair elections.

Mr. Griffiths said the NDC also has concerns but will address the press later on those concerns.

The Electoral Commission (EC) on Thursday, June 18, piloted the new Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) kits it had procured for the mass registration of voters for the December 7, 2020 general election, with an assurance that no eligible Ghanaian will be disenfranchised.

The Director of Elections at the Commission, Dr Serebour Quarcoo, who gave the assurance, said minor challenges associated with the BVR kits had been identified and that they would be fixed to guarantee a smooth registration exercise.

As at about 8:30 a.m. yesterday, officials of the EC had set up the Accra Ridge Church in readiness for the pilot exercise.

And in compliance with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) safety protocols, chairs were arranged at least two metres apart.

Some officials of the EC also positioned themselves at various entry points to the venue to ensure that patrons washed their hands and used hand sanitisers before they were allowed into demarcated areas.

They also ensured that everyone on the church premises wore a nose mask.

Patrons

The Chairperson of the EC, Mrs Jean Mensa, was at the centre to monitor the exercise. Some political actors, the clergy and civil society organisations (CSOs) also participated in the exercise.

Key among them were the Campaign Manager of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for the 2020 elections, Mr Peter Mac Manu; the Director of Information Technology (IT) of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Osei Kwame Griffiths; the Founder of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), Mr Kofi Akpaloo; the General Secretary of the All People’s Congress (APC), Mr Mordecai Thiombiano; and an Independent candidate in the 2016 election, Mr Joseph Osei Yeboah.

A former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Alliance for Christian Advocacy Africa (ACAA), Rev. Dr Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, also participated in the exercise.

Mixed reactions

After going through the processes, Mr Mac Manu said he was confident that the EC would compile a credible register.

For his part, Mr Griffiths said the exercise was fraught with challenges that gave the indication that the EC would not be able to register all eligible voters and compile a credible register before the December 7 elections.

He said an analysis of the pilot registration at the regional and national levels showed that the 38 days set aside by the EC for the mass registration exercise would lead to congestion that could disenfranchise many Ghanaians.

Process

Dr Quarcoo said it would take a prospective voter 15 minutes to complete registration and receive a card; however, a person could spend more time if he delayed in providing the needed information to registration officers.

He said the commission had also deepened engagements with the National COVID-19 Response Team and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to ensure that protocols and safety measures were put in place at registration centres.

The Electoral Commission, on Thursday, June 18, 2020, organized a pilot exercise at the Ridge Church premises in Accra.

The one-day exercise was meant to afford stakeholders the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the new biometric kits as well as the safety protocols rolled out by the Commission, among others.

The EC says it wishes to deal with issues emanating from the exercise before the commencement of the actual exercise which begins on June 30, 2020 and ends on August 6, 2020.

The process involved the checking of temperature and joining the two-metre marked queue as well as the observation of the safety protocols announced by to Ghana Health Service and the Ministry of Health.

The biometric details of applicants, including fingerprints, pictures and facial details were captured before the cards were finally given to each applicant.

Present at the demonstration were political party representatives, some members of Civil Society Organizations and the clergy as well as some members of the general public.

Source: rainbowradioonline.com

CEO of Chamber of Telecommunication, Mr Kenneth Ashgbey has posited that in order for telecommunication companies to effectively contribute to the growth of e-learning in the country, there is the need to ensure the operating environment is cost friendly for the companies.

Speaking on ‘What Next’ with Rev Dr Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong on GTV, Mr Ashigbey said in order for students across the country to have access to internet service regardless of their geographical location, various parties including government and the Telcos must ensure the development of infrastructure within the sector. This he adds, has become hard within the operational policies that the companies have had to operate in Ghana.

“We’ve gotten to a point where as a country the way we see this industry as a cash cow has to change. We need to provide services and infrastructure such that everybody can get access to it (the internet). But that will not happen when typically, in Ghana you sell a 2×10 spectrum at $60 million whilst Tanzania with even a bigger market is selling at $10 million,” he noted.

Answering a question on how two Telco operators in Ghana with operations in Rwanda are able to give free internet access to university students and staff in Rwanda but are unable to replicate same in Ghana, Mr Ashigbey said such a pursuit requires policy and regulatory directions intended to create a cost friendly environment for operators in order to happen.

“The question you would want to ask is how much Telcos in Rwanda purchase spectrum compared to here, what is the cost of operation? Currently as we speak, in Ghana about 40% of every cedi that you pay to the Telcos go back to government in the form of levies and taxes,” he answered.

Suggesting some solutions to the existing situation, Mr Ashigbey said on its part, government needs to ensure that the cost of operating in the industry is as low as possible and also provide incentives whilst guarantying demand for the services of Telcos in the places they operate.

Former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, Rev Dr. Opuni Frimpong has urged the Government and Ghanaians to give equal attention to the media as they are giving to frontline health workers in the fight against COVID-19.
Speaking exclusively to ABC News, the Presbyterian Minister argued that just as some health workers are putting their lives in danger by dealing directly with COVID-19 patients, journalists are also endangering their lives by going across the country to look for COVID-19 related information; through interviews to furnish Ghanaians with the needed information and education, and this, he said, can equally lead to the contraction of the disease.
“Elsewhere, media people who are sent out for correct information have contracted the virus and some are already dead and gone so while we celebrate our medical people or the frontline medical people for the excellent work they are doing, there are others, especially the media who are at risk because if you are talking about saliva and all that and they are sending microphones and things to people, going to communities and listening to them, they are already exposed to the threat,” he stated.
There has been a raging controversy among health groups in the country after President Akufo-Addo announced a 50% allowance for ‘frontline health workers’ for the next three months.
The controversy has been over who indeed qualifies to be called a ‘frontline’ health worker.

While the health workers controversy is still running, another sector, the media, is also demanding to be noticed as ‘frontline’ workers due to the nature of their work.
One group which is pushing this agenda is the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) which is arguing that categorisation of ‘frontline workers’ should be broadened to include the media.
Wading into this growing discussion, Dr. Opuni Frimpong also posited that the discussion must begin on including the media in the category of frontline workers.
However, Dr. Opuni explained that media owners should discuss the allowances for their workers, especially those who are sent on assignments or better still, government can reserve a package for journalists no matter how small.
“But who should answer the question as to what should be given to the media, we must continue that conversation, maybe the various media houses must do it if it’s not coming from the government or government must have a package for the media, no matter how small. Our media being at the frontline of the fight should not be ignored that they not making a significant impact in the fight.”
“In fact, some media persons in the US have died out of coronavirus already and we don’t know if even some of our media persons already have it or not because they have not been tested and the kind of work they do, they are also equally at risk.”
“So that proposal that any insurance should cover media, I’m all out for it, maybe who should do it is another problem. Whether the various media houses should do it for their members or government,” he told ABC News.
Dr. Opuni Frimpong commended the media for the work they are doing during the outbreak of the COVID-19 infection.

“The media has done very well…Some of the media platforms, they update you, not only even in Ghana, ABC your platform, for instance, you hear some of your team members updating us with things happening outside Ghana with correct, genuine, well-researched information and that media role they have played, whether they are part of the front liners and they should be given allowances, is another question but on the whole, Ghanaian media has done very well in terms of giving Ghanaian media the correct information,” he added.

Source: ABCNewsgh.com