Remote Learning Initiatives in Odisha

Odisha Shiksha Sanjog

A digital learning programme through WhatsApp group has been implemented to engage students in teaching learning activity.

• The class/subject teachers have created individual WhatsApp groups with students of different classes both at secondary as well as elementary level for sharing study materials. The students of classes II to X are participating in the programme.
• The e-content like written explanations, video explanations, audio clips, video clips, etc. are collected from different digital platforms and are also developed by teachers. Those are shared in the class wise WhatsApp groups constituted for the programme.
• The worksheets based on expected learning outcomes are shared with the students after posting the learning materials.
• The subject teachers also remain online to clarify the doubts put by the students in the concerned WhatsApp group.
• The Answer key is posted in the evening for self-assessment or assessment with help of parents.
• The students have been asked to record all given worksheets with their answers in their note books in order for physical verification by teachers after reopening of the school.
• Time table has been prepared at district level for posting of learning contents in different subjects for the programme.

Formation of WhatsApp Groups: The following WhatsApp groups have also been created at different levels for generating and sharing the e-contents and monitoring the implementation. The DEO, DPC, BEO, ABEO, BRCC, CRCC, HMs, teachers and students are included in different groups.

Resource Person Group: The RP group has been formed class-wise, subject-wise, taking 10-15 teachers. One Headmaster or Sr. Teacher has been designated as the mentor of the group. E-content, worksheets and answer sheets are prepared by the group for respective subjects/class.

MRP Group: The MRP group examines materials prepared by the Resource group and finalizes it for sharing.

Monitoring Group: The DEO, DPC, ADEO, BEO are the members of the monitoring group. This group shares the materials finalized by the MRP group with Field Circulation group consisting of BRCC, ABEO, CRCC and follows up for ensuring that it reaches students being guided by teachers for doing the activity.

Headmaster Group: The field circulation group shares materials with Headmasters group.

Teachers Group: The Headmasters shares the materials with the teachers group of the school.

Students Group: The teachers will post the materials in the class wise students groups constituted for the purpose.

Coding of Materials: The coding of learning materials (lesson content, worksheet, answer sheet) have been done for the convenience of students, parents and teachers. For example: Coding for Class-X, Chapter-I, Math: Lesson content (X-MTH-C1-L-1), worksheet (X-MTH-C-1-WS1), Answer sheet (X-MTH-C-1-AS-1)

Role of Teachers & Parents:

• The Headmaster and teachers are to ensure formation of WhatsApp groups for every class.
• They are to create awareness among the parents and motivate them to participate in WhatsApp group activity and facilitate the child’s learning.
• The parents are to encourage their wards to engage in the learning activity at home.
• Posting of materials not related to Odisha Shiksha Sanjog are prohibited in these WhatsApp groups.
• The DEOs have been given liberty to issue guidelines at their level for any area-specific activity for the interest of learners.

Progress of Odisha Shiksha Sanjog:

• The programme was first initiated in Khordha district from 19th April 2020 and subsequently extended to the whole state from 4th May 2020. 
• It is heartening to see that many teachers across the state are creating self-recorded video lessons using varieties of TLMs to explain the concepts.
• Many parents are also engaged with their wards in teaching-learning activities. They have also started interacting with teachers on study matters.
• The teachers are also creating different types of innovative learning materials for easy understanding of the concepts.
• The use of DIKSHA portal and Madhu App has been multiplied in the state. The materials developed by teachers are planned to be put in a repository for reference.

Telecast of video lessons in Doordarshan, Odia

Video lessons are being telecasted for Class-X students from 20th April 2020 for two hours a day i.e. from 11.00AM to 12.00Noon and 03.30PM to 4.30PM (from Monday to Friday). The content development is under process for Class-XII students.

DIKSHA Portal

All Textbooks have been converted to energized Text books providing QR codes to each chapter and uploaded to DIKSHA Portal as well as OSEPA website. The digital content developed through different sources from Class-I to X has been linked with QR code in DIKSHA portal. The use of DIKSHA platform has been popularized among the students, parents and teachers. The e-content from DIKSHA is also used in Odisha Shiksha Sanjog.

Madhu App

A syllabus based e-learning App in Odia language has been developed to provide mother-tongue based virtual classroom experience for self-learning and self-assessment. To begin with, videos in Math and Science Subjects from Class V to X have been uploaded along with chapter-wise textbooks, self-assessment tools. The students can easily access the portal through mobile and download videos and assess their learning achievement online. It helps the child clarify doubts at his/her own space of learning and also helps parents to guide their child’s learning at home.

E-class through Microsoft Teams/ Zoom/ Google Meet Platforms

The online classes are going on for students of Secondary Schools through Microsoft Teams. The different kind of e-learning activities are being taken up in DIETs and Odisha Adarsha Vidyalays through Zoom and Google meet. The capacity building of teachers, other field functionaries and administrators have been done by Microsoft experts through different virtual platforms.

E-Vidyalaya App

The e-contents developed for ICT @ Schools for class IX and X have been uploaded in e-Vidyalaya App for easy access of students.

Distribution of books to children at their doorstep

Odisha Education Resource Portal

Odisha Education Resource portal (OERP) is a comprehensive one stop portal, catering to the educational needs of the students, teachers & parents. The OERP is a unique initiative of Center for Modernizing Government Initiatives (A society under GA (AR) Department, Government of Odisha) for utilization of the School and Mass Education Department, Government of Odisha.

The Odisha Primary Education Programme Authority (the State implementing unit of centrally sponsored DPEP & SSA), the SIET, the TE & SCERT of the School & Mass Education Department, Government of Odisha have developed and implemented different pedagogical initiatives to ensure joyful learning, subsequently which is the key for enrolment, retention and quality education in the Government Schools.

It is observed that there is a huge transmission loss during transformation of pedagogical inputs from the state resource group up to cluster resource groups or up to school levels. Secondly the good practices at individual, school & cluster level have not been shared with other schools.

Realizing the above facts, the idea of OERP has conceived to address the above issues. The OERP is not only a platform for the teachers & teacher’s education, but also a unique platform for Government school students and their parents. It will also bridge the gap of digital divide between the modern private school children and the Government school children. This portal will help the students to develop an outlook on a global perspective.

Students Academic Management

Students’ Academic Management System, i.e. SAMS, is an online program used to manage the admission, administration, registration, form fill-up etc. processes of the Higher Secondary Schools of the state. This online system is used by the students to take admission into Class XI of Arts, Commerce, Science, Vocational and Sanskrit Higher Secondary Schools of the state. The admission process thus carried out through the internet and computers is called as eAdmission. At present, SAMS covers admission for various other departments, other than Higher Secondary Schools under School & Mass Education Department: Degree, ITI, Diploma, Teacher Education, Physical Education. Other than e-Admission, SAMS also maintains the academic and financial records of all the students admitted into different educational institutions. The list of Higher Secondary Schools (Erstwhile Junior Colleges) is available in the official website SAMS 

Objectives

• Ensure single window system for admission through the e-Admission process
• Make the admission process economical
• Reducing the anxiety of applicants/parents by making the entire selection and admission process transparent.
• Reduce the workload of school /college through several administration modules, using the database for the admission process and thereby improving services to the students.
• Increases accuracy and efficiency of all activities involved in the student’s life cycle.

Components of SAMS

There are two components of SAMS: e-Admission & e-Administration

e-Admission aims at successful use of Information Technology to make the admission process simple, economical, fast and transparent. This process is accomplished using Computers and the Internet.

e-Administration uses the admission database for the issue of Higher Secondary School Identity Cards, Library Cards, record of fees collected from the students, allocation of subjects and sections, preparation of Long Roll Register and Return of Matriculates, Maintenance of student’s attendance, Tabulation of Higher Secondary School level examination marks, issue of Higher Secondary School Leaving Certificates etc. This would improve efficiency, and save precious time for Higher Secondary School authorities, ensuring dissemination of correct information and services to all stakeholders.

Source : Remote Learning Initiatives Across India