EdTech Solution for Public Schools in India

आKASH गANGA आKASH गANGA A Learning Management System for Public Schools in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh Districts

A Learning Management System for Public Schools in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh Districts

C

ontext of Education and Instruction Quality in Public Schools in Affected Districts in India

India is expected to have the world's largest working population in the nearing years to come. However indicators on literacy, school enrolment, learning outcomes, and education spending across eight states accounting for the greatest school-age population between ages five and fourteen reveals that India is unprepared to educate and train its young population.

The crisis in education is especially apparent in the four BIMARU states of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh with literacy rates lower than the all-India average of 74%. The productivity of India's young population will depend on how these states improve health, education and employment opportunities.

School enrolment and learning outcomes are affected by a number of factors including parent's education, wealth of a household, midday meals, infrastructure and more. The attention is now shifted from focusing merely on enrollment to assessing whether this increase has translated into increased rates of primary school completion and, more crucially into learning gains of these children. Central to the question of analyzing learning gains is the issue of acquiring basic literacy. Basic literacy, numeracy and reading abilities are the foundation for learning and a critical prerequisite for progression in furher formal education. From and economic point of view, reading skils and overall literacy are foundational skills for employability.

Background Low Literacy and Numeracy Rate

indicators Cannot perform simple reading and arithmetic operations

R

Low attendance at Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) centres

A

Dire need of trained teachers and training of teachers MOST AFFECTED AREAS BIMARU STATES Reading Performance of class III children on a class I level text Annual Status of Education Report [Rural] 2014

Marginal increase in public expenditure on education

Low school - life expectancy (SLE) High drop - out rate

Issues

systemic challenges

1 Instructional Anaemic pupil - teacher ratio

Weak teacher training systems

Lack of engaging mediums of instruction tailored to present needs (absence of ICTs)

Unsupportive home learning environment (HLE)

Parent unaccountability

Lack of rich and accessible environmental print at home (books, newspapers etc)

Unavailability of appropriate reading materials

Questionable sanitation and hygiene facilities

Large vacancies in primary schools in critical roles

2 Accountability Misdirected accountability systems

3 Academic quality Lack of focus on academic quality

4 Infrastructure Lack of physical infrastructure

Target states states

Under the Aspirational District Programme Sattva is undertaking the project for Transforming Quality District Programme of EducationSattva in Public Schools through Systemic ct for Transforming Change in 30Quality worst affected districts in the country chools over through the Systemic next 4 years. cted districts in the country

Pilot project

Sattva's team problem Sattva's team problem Pilot project

for 2 districts scaleable to 30 districts

Objective: Improving the quality of education by empowering learning and development of students e quality of education across 30 districtsby of poorly performing states. nd development of students rly performing Strategicstates.

Intervention: A Management Information System with a mobile app as well addressing all the Management Information stakeholders through knowledge, skill and mindset pp as well shift.addressing all the owledge, skill and mindset

Project Phase I: In this context, Sattva will be conducting a pilot project as Phase I of the project in ontext,2Sattva willone be each in the states of Madhya Pradesh districts; ect as Phase I of the project in and Uttar Pradesh. he states of Madhya Pradesh According to reports, these states have shown consistently low literacy and numeracy skills in ese states have shown primary school going children, and high drop-out and numeracy skills in and low attendance figures. ildren, and high drop-out ures.

for 2 districts scaleable to 30 districts Based on a two fold strategy

Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh

Based on a two fold strategy

आKASH गANGA APP

Aakash Ganga is a web based digital learning environment that enables personalized learning anytime and anywhere. One can think of Aakash Ganga as a small scale social networking site meant purely for educational purposes for primary school students and there teachers.

Such an application is appropriate for affected districts mentioned where school - going and curriculum seems a burden for students; particularly the one's that lag behind largely thinking about their risk of failure and eventually embarrassment.

The agility and dynamism of this web based application aims to offer students with a phsychological safe place where they can involve themselves with classroom learning with an aim to win. Just like winning in a game of marbles appeases a child's psychic, we yearn to see that feeling of triumphant when a child wins over a math problem.

Proposal

Why a LMS App ?

govt. official, Building Contractor headmaster, Jeweller

parent, Fruit seller teacher, Electrician parent, builder

teacher, Priest

teacher, Tailor

parent, Fruit seller parent, Mason

parent, Cobbler 25 schools headmaster, Pharmacist

30 schools

teacher, Tailor

Lifes of stakeholders in these poorly affected districts is challenging. Apart from being a parent, a teacher, an official or a headmaster; they support themselves by varied means and hence cannot carve out time for in-person interventions and canvassing.

22 schools

श्रावस्ती मैनपुरती

Varied stakeholders at district level

हरदोई

Hence a web based application aims to converge stakeholders at one common point for welfare of the education of their wards.

Intervention

LMS App Web based application envisioned as a scaleable platform to cater public school ecosystems of districts from diverse states with different socio-cultural challenges, languages, demographics and stakeholders.

Aakash Ganga App

Based on a two fold strategy

अरुणराचल

त्िहरार

उत्तर प्रदेश झरारखण्ड

आKASH गANGA APP

त्रिपुररा

मध्य प्रदेश

वेस्ट िंगराल

कननाटकरा तेलंगरानरा

आKASH गANGA APP

आचार्य मंडल Educators & facilitators

Teachers

Students

Headmasters

Parents

Principals

SGM President mentor

Fellows & Program Leaders

Fellows & Program Leaders

Mid-day meal vendor

आचार्य मं डल

आKASH गANGA

Connect to Kishan in Gajrauli Your Dashboard

T

S

Cl

Your Teacher Training Level IX module request is pending

School Mngmt. Committee (SGM) District Education Dept. Rep. Tech illustrator Adds still, interactive graphics, and multi-lingual instructional content in audio and voice tailor made by teachers and mentors

Address parent & student grievance regarding infrastructure, & other problems

Monitor and evaluate district performance

MIS records for district use

MIS records for parent use attendance, progress, weaknesses

Checks daily meal serving

upload and share grade level and supplementary instructional materials - reading and math gamified exercises for home

Student evaluation & assessment School infrastructure assessment Undertake self training Become a part of district level peer group Initial implementation Monitoring & evaluation of Aakash Ganga model

शि​िु मं डल

आKASH गANGA

Connect to Imlee in Khatauli Your Dashboard

Oversee learning exercises and guide wards Get involved in the learning process with the child

Implement & mobilize knowledge sharing

Students & parents

Fellow mentor

Teacher Training Modules, Pedagogical Theories Student Instructional Material AR (Augmented Reality), asset libraries, e-books, video based learning

attendance, drop-outs, promotions, out-of-school

शि​िु मंडल

Acquire & share knowledge among peers

practice reading writing and math exercises look for instruction in dialects and mother tongues

Become a part of district level peer group send game exercise challenges to friends on Aakash Ganga LMS Portal

Initial implementation Monitoring & evaluation of Aakash Ganga model

Division of fruitsellers basket CHALLENGE from your friend Ram

Accepted Accepted Shared

Shared Accepted

Shared

Accepted Shared

8 friends

13 friends

Accepted

9 friends

Shared

Accepted Accepted

Shared

Shared

6 friends

Shared

22 friends

Shared

3 friends

हरदोई 1 2Connect to Kishan in Gajrauli

आचार्य मं डल

आKASH गANGA

Connect to Principal Ram Kumar Jha Your Dashboard

T

S

You have 234 connections on

आKASH गANGA

Ram Avtaar shared two new attachments with you

Cl

Your Teacher Training Level IX module request is pending

Acharya mandal can be used on a micro level by teachers in order to be in touch with their students in a closed group; where the teacher adds the students to the group and keeps feeding information on the application related to studies and other personal development.

Hardoi district आKASH

गANGA network of a आचार्य user

Timeline

duration 5 months (Duration of Pilot Project-3 months)

Month 1

Month 2 4

0

Human Resource Development Selection of Fellows, Program Managers (PMs)& Program Leaders (PLs) (Hiring at this stage: 20 Fellows, 4 PMs, 4 PLs) Capacity development Of existing team & new recruits + Recruitment of Auxillary staff members financial accounting resource, database admin, intern etc.

Rapid Context Offsite study Understanding Measure the problem | Track progress Learning level outcome tracking - 15 days

First engagement: PRE PILOT

1

Secondary Research

Floating the need for formation of a local School Management Committee [SMC] Electing a SMC President Mentor* *the SMC President may be a parent of a high

performing alumni of that school in order to make sure steady quality and hard work.

IDEATION of LMS portal Story - boarding the idea of development of a cloud app

Human Resources for LMS project Recruitment of Program Managers Program Leaders + Call for Fellowship (Fellows) + Recruitment of LMS Developers

6

Liasioning with village resource person Panchayat Representative - District lvl.

2

8

Month 4

Month 5 10

Kickstarting Pilot Project Deploying Fellows and Program Leaders in the two selected districts in the two states of U.P. and Madhya Pradesh

Pilot Project finishes Deploying Fellows and Program Leaders in the two selected districts in the two states of U.P. and Madhya Pradesh

5

Liasioning at the Site-2 Districts (M.P. & U.P.) Liasioning with Govt. authorities - District/ Zilla Education Officers

Incubating the idea of Transforming quality of education through systemic change Study existing systems - Haryana Saksham MIS Portal, Social and Emotional Learning, BCG 15 days

Month 3

interim programmes run in person (with Fellow team) or the App; eg. Headmaster Leadership Training

Quarterly exams in primary schools students assessments (results), teacher & student attendance etc. tested on App

Organization or restructuring curriculum Reorganizing teacher recruitment by putting up vacancies on App portal

Engaging with District Schools and Parents Ensuring a teachnical admin maintains information on database

TEAM AAKASHGANGA launches "App"

TEAM AAKASHGANGA is complete for pilot

Second engagement

3

7

Third engagement with stakeholders

9

Capacity Development

Reorganization, Evaluation & Check

Training and workshop Onsite Aakashganga Team and Stakeholders Workshop cum training session

Discussion on issues and challenges faced in Month 3 Key Discussions

Stakeholders:

Pedagogical changes in teaching

Aakashganga Team

Ease of use and Quality of Reading, Writing

Village Resource Person - Panchayat Rep.

and Math Materials on Aakashganga App

for branding and communication of the

School Infrastructure

initiative

Weak schools in district

Onsite

Govt. middle managers

Train the Trainee Sessions- Teacher Training Material

Parents

Involving other stakeholders

Students Teachers Headmaster

to be dealt with Research Tool Kits based on secondary research

Policy Makers and NGO's Health Department Mid-day meal vendors

District/ local administration

Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCE)

School Management Committee

Aanganwaadi Centres

Pilot ready for Evaluation Learnings from pilot Debating rectifications Reapply Scale up to more districts

11

References 1. Education indicators, Technical Guidelines, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, UNESCO 2. New Vision for Education: Fostering Social and Emotional Learning through Technology, World Economic Forum and The Boston Consulting Group.

3. Dr. Gary Motteram, Teaching and Technology: Case Studies from India, British Council and Central Square Foundation 4. Background Paper for Early Grade Reading Innovation Challenge 2015, READ Alliance, USAID, Centre for Knowledge Societies 5. Annual Status of Education Report, 2018 (facilitated by Pratham) 6. ASER Survey 2014 Training Report 7. The Akanksha Foundation Annual Report, 2017 - 18 Web References 8. Sikshana Foundation - http://sikshana.org/new/ 9. https://scroll.in/article/825780/bihar-uttar-pradesh-rajasthan-and-madhya-pradesh-have-worst-literacy-rates-school-outcomes 10. https://www.livemint.com/Sundayapp/abzTi0eeJCcZMzrdYEQvdN/Will-these-four-technology-trends-change-education-in-India. html 11. https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/featurephilia/story/digital-education-1027965-2017-08-08 12. https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/featurephilia/story/measures-to-improve-quality-of-education-1349831-2018-09-26