Operationalizing Computerized Testing in Mathematics Competition

Introduction

Internet of things, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and robots as learning partners are a few of the drivers that characterise Education 4.0 as a result of Industry 4.0 that has revolutionized global workforce and talent requirements in the digital economy. It is estimated that 65 percent of primary students schooling today will be employed in jobs, which are currently not in existence. This in turn spurs the need to treat students, their learning environment, and their learning tools as one cognitive system and in the present context of Education 4.0, the direction taken cannot afford to stray from technology. Accordingly, assessment in the 21^st century can no longer just be designed to testing students’ knowledge per se. The need to answer the clarion call of extending its capacity to effectively and efficiently evaluate students’ knowledge application using technology support, particularly computer-assisted assessments can no longer be ignored. This urgency to design CBT, however, need to be meticulously planned and conducted, without compromising test reliability, validity and fairness, especially in view of battling against the challenges of implementing CBT in the global context of only four billion having access to internet connection among a population of seven billion. Ultimately, re-inventing assessment practices and aligning it with Education 4.0 is shaping the assessment landscape of this century as assessment shapes what, when and how students study. Assessment determines how much effort and work students are prepared to invest and the approach they will take in achieving the desired outcome. Therefore, the assessment design is one of the most influential aspects to consider in the pursuit of enhancing the quality of learning achieved at the end of any learning programme. This is needless to say that improving student learning begins by firstly improving the assessment design (Higher Education Academy, 2012).