CHENNAI: Online tests for board exams? Not a pipe dream. If the Ministry of Human Resources Development gives its nod to a proposal by the Indian Institute of Technology (Madras), this may soon become a reality.According to Professor Dr Hema Murthy, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT-M, the Online TT (Test Tutorial), that supports both the CBSE and State Board syllabus, is being pitched to the MHRD as a gateway for taking exams online.The system, if implemented, will reduce the stress faced by students by giving them flexibility to take the exams whenever they are ready to face them, says Hema, who has been guiding the team of researchers involved in conceptualising the project since 2004. The system is based on the use of digital pen and pad for answering the automatically generated questions. The answers will be stored as images that will be evaluated by examiners, explains Project Officer Deepa Vivekanandan. The students will also have the option of using drawing tools, or flagging the questions to answer later. “While objective tests already exist, it’s not the true solution... With this programme, we have worked within the existing framework of our exam system to introduce the subjective component (descriptive answers),” adds Hema. The first trail of the present version of the Online TT was conducted in Vana Vani Matriculation School in December 2010, while the second trial was held at the Corporation Higher Secondary School in Tharamani on Tuesday. Teachers evaluating the paper have the option of logging in from their homes or internet centres to correct the answer scripts. “The issue of transparency has also been addressed in the system that will allow students to check their corrected answer scripts online,” she said. Apart from a biometric authentication system for students and teachers, a secure way for sending and receiving the answer scripts over the network has also been incorporated. The Online TT was originally conceived as an internet based education product as part of the TeNeT (Telecommunications and Network) group, IIT-M. ‘It’s Fun to Take Test Online’For five five class 10 students, who took part in the trial of the online test at the Corporation Higher Secondary School in Tharamani, it was a unique experience using digital pens. For R Tharani, using the pen tablet to write the two mark descriptive answer was the best part of her Tuesday’s test, while V Rajavelu, another student, who was initially anxious about operating the tablet, conceded that operating the digital pen turned out to be fun. The faculty members at the IIT-M computer science lab sent the corrected scripts to them online within minutes via a secure network connection. Later, the IIT-M team broke the suspense to the youth and revealed their scores in the maths test, said Rajavelu. Headmistress T Rohini, who presided over the experiment, said, “This is indeed a great opportunity for the children to learn how the online exams work.”
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