Abstract:

This paper explores the One-Lecture-One Test teaching and learning system. Unlike the conventional system which gives two or three tests that count score-wise, the One-Lecture-One Test system prescribes that a short test of about 10 to 15 minutes long must be written by the students at the end of each lecture. Each test is formal, which means that it counts towards the continuous assessment which is cumulatively calculated at the end of the semester and forms part of the overall grade and requirements for graduation.

In order to determine how effective the new system could be with journalism students of a leading tertiary institution in Nigeria, this work studied it, using five parameters, namely test scores and grades, lecture attendance, interest of students in class, rate of participation of students and the profile of concentration by students. When the results were compared with those obtained from the survey of the conventional system, the efficiency of the new system was significant, as it showed up as a promoter of test-wiseness.

The institution operated the two semester system – Alpha and Omega - when this study was carried out. Each semester had 15 weeks but only 12 were effectively engaged. In most cases the first week was spent for students to settle down while the last two were spent on examinations. The sixth or the seventh of the remaining 12 weeks was spent on mid-semester examinations. In effect, only 11 weeks were spent on teaching. In each of the two halves of the 12 weeks, the initial three weeks were selected for the study. For each semester, the second, third and fourth week were selected for survey in the first part while the eighth, ninth and 10th week were selected in the second part. The last three weeks of each half were neglected because it was approaching the examination period, as that might interfere in the results obtained.

Study was conducted on the 200 and 300 level students which the researcher was familiar with and taught. Four compulsory courses were selected for the studies. The 200 and 300 level students offered the only platform for the lecturer to conduct the study in both first and second semesters as he taught compulsory courses in both semesters and for both levels.

The courses selected for first semester were:
• Editorial Writing (200 Level with 72 students registered students).
• Newspaper Production and Management (300 Level with 72 students).

Courses selected for second semester were:
• Book Publishing (200 Level with 67 registered students)
• Photojournalism (300 Level, with 51 students)

The six tests given after the six lectures took after a taxonomy of educational objectives which provides six types of cognitive processes along which students can be tested. The first test assessed students’ knowledge of the module treated, second on comprehension, third on application, fourth on analysis, fifth on synthesis and the sixth on evaluation. Findings were parametrically tested to show the difference between the two systems in favor of the One-Lecture-One System.

Keywords:

Conventional System, Education, Journalism, Lecture, One-Lecture-One Test System, Test, Testwiseness.