Haryana becomes the first state to adopt tablet-based personalized and adaptive learning
New Delhi : The state Government of Haryana today announced the commencement of personalized and adaptive learning (PAL) enabled tablet based learning program to ensure Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL). The program will be rolled out for all 5 lakh government school students in the state, in grades 10 – 12, via a library-based model. With this pioneering initiative, Haryana aims to mitigate the learning losses incurred due to COVID-19 and achieve higher learning level outcomes.
According to an ASER survey conducted last year, nearly half (47%) of the students who did not have access to learning materials cited a lack of gadgets as a reason, while 10% cited a lack of internet. Due to working hours, digital devices owned by parents could not replace school-based learning time. On the back of these data and on ground feedback, offering device access was identified as the core solution to cope with this conundrum. The integration of the PAL software will support classroom teaching by enabling an adaptive practice and personalized remedial learning for students. The selection of the edtech partner was comprehensively implemented via evaluation based on IIT Bombay’s Tulna framework and a four-week proof of concept and a thorough pilot program in government schools followed by a tender.
Commenting on the initiative, Gaurav Goel, Founder and CEO, Samagra, a mission-driven governance consulting firm said, “This is a pioneering step by the state. The pandemic-led disruption observed over the last two-years, led to a deficit in the in-person teaching model. While the Haryana Government took the lead in deploying technology to sustain the quality of education, this move will go a long way in improving access to devices to facilitate online learning. Based on parameters like device mobility, user interface, tablets were identified as the appropriate device for student learning.” Samsung, Airtel and Jio have partnered with the state for this initiative.
The tablets provided, will be backed by appropriate data connectivity. Students can access the service without having to pay for any additional fees. With this initiative the Haryana Government aims to bridge the gap between Government schools and private ed-tech players or schools. The Government has also enabled a mobile device management solution which ensures appropriate utility and no misuse of the devices.
“Besides device access, the State also recognized that there is a fundamental issue in student learning since all students are at varied learning levels and have different pace of learning. Hence, the State is also investing in the procurement and distribution of personalized and adaptive learning (PAL) enabled tablets. This program is projected to create a significant new-age seamless blend of in-school and at-home learning experience in the AY 2022 – 2023,” Gaurav added.
Samagra has been working with the Government of Haryana since 2017 to improve the quality of education in the state’s 14,000+ government schools.