In traditional learning methods, physical resources like books and training materials often remain isolated from the vast digital resources available online, resulting in fragmented learning experiences. The solution? QR codes that dynamically link to digital resources, creating a seamless connection between physical and digital learning materials.

Implementation in DIKSHA:

DIKSHA, a national education platform by NCERT, has successfully implemented QR codes across central and state education departments. QR codes are strategically placed in every chapter/domain of textbooks. Students and teachers can access a wide variety of trusted, relevant learning resources for each topic, from visual concept explanations to practice questions, lesson plans, and more. This approach provides convenient access to learning materials from anywhere, at any time. With over 12 billion QR codes printed in 600 million textbooks, linked to 200,000+ digital contents in 33 languages – the initiative has the potential to reach 180 million students and 8 million teachers in India.

A distributed, diverse workforce requires continuous upskilling and capacity building to remain effective. Traditionally, achieving this involved extensive logistical setups and in-person training sessions, resulting in high costs, inflexibility, and limited coverage. The solution? High-coverage, low-cost, data-driven digital training with verifiable certificates, made accessible even in low connectivity environments by Sunbird.

Revolutionizing Teacher Training:

In India, where the education system employs approximately 1 crore teachers, the National Education Policy (NEP) mandates 50 hours of training per year to upskill and build capacity. DIKSHA and programs like NISHTHA by NCERT have redefined teacher training. Teachers now have the flexibility to access expert-delivered training at their convenience, using their own devices, in their preferred locations, and according to their needs. This transformation has increased coverage from 10-15% to over 90%, reduced costs to 5% of previous expenses, and issued over 100 million digitally verifiable certificates to more than 4 million teachers.

Managing diverse and distributed teams requires a localized approach to improvement. Conventional top-down strategies can hinder local teams’ ability to implement effective changes tailored to their unique contexts. The solution lies in empowering individuals with tools and best practices for structuring and tracking tasks, enabling micro-improvements at the local level.

Driving Micro-Improvements in Education:

Improvements needed in schools span various areas, from academic enhancements to infrastructure development. These needs differ across schools, demanding targeted and context-specific approaches. Solutions, such as the one implemented through national programs like Vidya Amrit Mahotsav, have empowered education leaders across states to set up programs against specific objectives. These programs enable the setup of individual tasks for school heads and teachers, breaking down objectives into small, tangible, and actionable items towards improvement. So far, this approach has triggered over 600,000 micro-improvement projects across 27 states and Union Territories, according to Sunbird.

Converting structured physical data into digital formats efficiently is essential for real-time access and data-driven decision-making. OCR-plus solutions simplify this process by enabling the digitization of handwritten documents, automating data entry processes, and facilitating instant access to relevant data, making it actionable.

Digitizing Student Assessments:

In the education sector, large-scale assessments often necessitate the collection of data from answer forms. Previously, this process involved manual checking and data entry, resulting in significant delays. However, OCR-plus solutions have revolutionized this process. Now, data can be collected from filled forms, scanned, and instantly transmitted to the department, reducing the time required from months to the same day the assessment is conducted. Over 1 billion student assessment records have been digitized using this solution.

Organizations often clash with multiple data silos, resulting in manual efforts and a lack of coordination between departments. Accessing data from individual silos can be time-consuming and hampers efficient decision-making. The Insights Hub addresses this issue by providing distributed visibility of dashboards and uncovering meaningful patterns across activities, enabling informed decisions and interventions.

Unlocking Data Insights in Education:

State education departments in India maintain various data silos for each key program. Vidya Samiksha Kendras (VSKs) has been established to provide visibility across these programs, allowing for data-driven interventions to improve them. Data generated at the source, such as attendance, assessment, meal distribution, or school infrastructure data, is collected, processed, and analyzed automatically. This data is then made accessible throughout the hierarchy, enhancing coordination and decision-making. Currently, there are 18 active VSKs in India, with more in the pipeline.