Barnes and Noble was once the largest book retailer in the world, having started as a printing business in 1873 and establishing its first bookstore in 1917. In 1994 Amazon.com Inc was incorporated and it started selling books online in 1995, two years before Barnes and Noble caught on and established its own website. Today, Amazon.com Inc has revenues of US$ 61 billion against Barnes and Noble’s US$ 7 billion and is worth more than 10 times!
What made all the difference is that Barnes and Noble erroneously thought its over 100 years history and positional advantage could successfully challenge the changes being brought about by technology. Alas, it was wrong and Amazon.com is the winner today for taking advantage of emerging trends and technology.
Today, technology is bringing changes to the educational world even in developing countries. The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has been able to successfully conduct Computer-Based Exams or e-Testing for its Unified Tertiary Matriculation Exam (UTME) in following the footsteps of international examinations like SAT and TOEFL, in an age when even some popular progressive private schools are yet to have functional Computer Labs! In developing countries like ours, public agencies like JAMB are usually the last to catch unto trends adopted by private schools.
Now that JAMB has set the bar, it is sure other examination bodies will follow suit. Smart and leading schools are already embracing the Computer-Based Testing (CBT) trend with EasiPREP CBT products and solutions. EasiPREP CBT solutions allow schools to prepare their students for CBT examinations using a databank of over 12,000 past questions from JAMB UTME, WAEC and NECO SSCE in a simulated computer program includes timing and automatic scoring of the exam after each exercise. Beyond that, EasiPREP also offers the option for schools to input or import their own questions into the software and set their own Computer-Based Exams for their students! Schools, whether with or without functional Computer Labs, are already talking to EasiPREP on how they will not be left behind in the CBT movement.
For schools that prefer to live on old glory and the popularity of the moment, hoping that the adoption of CBT will die down and leave them un-scathed, their consolation in the end may well be that of being acknowledged as former champions; for both winners and losers will have their place in the book of history!
For more information about EasiPREP CBT products, please email sales@easiprep.com or call us on 08034521607, 08139671261 or 08176849016. Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/easiprep and follow us on Blogspot at http://easiprep.blogspot.com
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