English literacy for semi literate adults in rural areas through desktops/mobiles
What:
Title:Teaching English to semiliterate handheld users as well asclassroom mode
Objective:Bringing in the desire to learn as well as teaching English to the level of
understanding and carrying out simple one line or twoline conversations.
Methodology:Desktop/Handheld device/Classes, workshops/Textbook.
Deliverable:Content in local language(text and voice based)teachingbasic spoken English
Test of completion:I did not understand!
Learning outcome: (Gain to student) Ability to interact on a global
level+access knowledge
Research outcome: (Publish value) After a quick google search, I haveseen that not
many studies on English language aquisition among ruralareas has been explored in India.
Papers on motivation to learn thelanguage ,
Development outcome: (Job value) Better business for semiliterateindividuals,more
Information through internet and other modes for issuessuchhealth,news,updates,
agricultural knowhow etc..
Suitable for: Students with xyz characteristics- Semiliterate individuals
such as autorikshaw drivers who can read local language,Garm panchayat
mukhiyas who need to interact with govt. Agencies for betterment of their
villages, Women to teach their kids, breadwinners in the family looking
out for better jobs in cities,K-12 children
Not suitable for: abc characteristics - Completely illiterate people,People already well off
without english and of course those who Rigidlystick on to their local language and
persuade others to do so:)
Why:
Context: For tata telecom??
Motivation: Motivation for whom? For us – To earn, for society.
ForLearners- To earn, Raise standards of living, Global Interaction and
Information
Scope: I did not understand!
Example of what is the problem: Problem of not able to travel long
distances due to lack of knowledge of English-Cant read the train name
unless written in local language.
Example of how your solution will address it: If we can teach basicreading skills,
atleast the train number and the destination can be read
independently.
How:
Given: Dictionaries,Books, Translators!
Assumptions: Assuming that a particular geographical area is selected.
Tasks to be done: Translation,Content creation,Mode of changing text tovoice based on
handhelds and computers
Using techniques:
Application of work:
Claims regarding solution:
Metrics for verifying claims:
Education – Project ideas -2
What: Teaching English (spoken andf written) tailored for resourceconstrained areas (urban and rural) through desktop mode and mobiles.
Why:
• Learning Englishimproves abilities to communicate on a global level,
enhances the capacity to access information from media, such as newspaper,
internet ,books . Also provides skills for future employment.
• Today there is a lack of well thought out mode of familiarizing rural
India with the fast changing world outside. Semi literate individuals are
restricted to their local areas for earning their living and also unable
to raise more money to increase their standards. Learning the universal
language will help them in achieving this.
How:
Content mode: Text, multimedia teaching aids (video, audio, CD),
educational games, multimedia programming.
Delivery mode: Could be offline/online, using class/kiosk setting.
Device choice: Books/PC/hand held device.
End user : K-12 students, semi literate adults.
English literacy for semi literate adults in rural areas
DEFINE:English literacy for semi literate adults in rural areas and recourseconstrained areas as well as slum dwellers in metropolitan cities
Goal:
- To promote usage of English as a stepping stone for gaining moreinformation and for
Occupation purposes.
- Bringing in the desire to learn as well as teaching english to thelevel of understanding and carrying out simple one line or two lineconversation.
- Creation of textbook material in local language forteaching English in rural areas.
- Creating audio and video modes ofteaching and familiarizing with English. Can be used
for motivating andinducing desire to learn the language by showing the benefits
- Deployment of the materials in at least one pilot school in that locality, with Booster sessions having teachers from urban area visit once in 3months and conducting workshops.
- Study and Report on the effectivenessof the material and mode of deployment.
- Suggest a model that can bereplicated and also suggest the possible areas where this
model can beapplied and adapt it to various age groups.
Given: Information on the internet about teaching English as a secondlanguage,Barli
Development Institute for Rural Women has books abouthealth issues in Hindi and
English.
Assumptions:
- It should be possible to create the requiredcontents by either outsourcing according to the target population's localdialect or appointing translators as content creators
- It should bepossible to tie up with a rural school for the deployment study.
- Regularly visiting a chosen slum area such as phule nagar and running apilot workshop to find out the feasibility of the program.
- Tie up withhigh end schools such as KV or convent schools like st.xaviers and motivating 11 and 12 standard students to take up educating English language to slum dwellers as their extra curricular activity.
Expected Outcomes/Deliverables:
- Survey report on similar projects being carried out by NGOs/Govt inIndia and developing countries. Asha , Pratham .
- Survey report onthe target population, their needs, culture,desire to learn, what age, which sex more eager to learn and for what purpose
- Creation ofTextbook and other materials as mentioned above.
- Effectiveness ofthe survey, modes of deployment, feasibility of replication.
- Requirements specification for large scale deployment of the modeldeveloped, given the status of rural schools in India.
- Develop areplicable model for deployment of this work to other target groups.
- Papers in Journals/Conferences arising out of these reports (min2).
- Manpower training – Content creators cum translators, (depending on target group), researchers (2), school teachers (many).
Evaluation Metrics:
For contents created – Get it reviewed by experts working in the areaand who know both local language ad English.
Effectiveness of the program-Survey on theeffectiveness of the program with questionnaires filled out by thestudents, teachers and the review group sent by tata telecom group
Detailed Steps:
Step No. / Activity / Triggers / Pre-requisites / Deliverables / Resources / Duration1. / Survey of similar projects such as those run by ASHA & Pratham / After Need Assessment survey report / 1.Specify people who will do
this.
2.Google search. / Survey Report / HSS background / 2
person for 3 weeks (2 weeks survey; 1 week to write report)
2. / Survey on the the target population, their needs,
Culture.
language,
Dialects
desire to learn, what age , which sex more eager
to learn and for what purpose / After consultation withTata telecom as to
which area is more profitable for them and the Need Assessment survey report.
|| with Step 1. / 1.Specify people who will do this
Survey.
2.Googlesearch.
3. any other research group working on the samepopulation.
4.Any research group working on the same linesin/with some
otherpopulation . / Survey Report / HSS background / 2 person
for 4 weeks (2 weeks survey; 1 week to write report)
3. / Search for and procure contents for teaching English / Parallel with step 1. / Basic English teaching books,CDs,Dictionaries such as
Rapidex,Englishmaster.
Internet.
Note on what is available prices. / Doc file having details of search (what has been searched, what was the outcome, for which level, what area of English learning skill is sharpened if that content is studied) / Content creators and
translator / 3 people
for 5 months !
4. / Adapt content in local language according to Rural area needs and
Develop content for desktop/mobiles which can be clicked or touch screen or manipulated on mobile
for classroom or mobile vans and mobiles. / After step 3
After the funding & After consultation with Tata telecom . Can start after 3 months of step 3 / Need Assessment survey, deliverable 3.
Existing books such as Rapidex
,some other books that are being used by other ngos
(after
survey)
/ Content for desktop mode
Paper on what is suitable for adaptation and
why / Content creators, Illustrator and
Translator, SEs / 5 people for 6 months.
Can start after 3 months of step 3
Step No. / Activity / Triggers / Pre-requisites / Deliverables / Resources / Duration
5 / Text-to-Speech / At the end stage of step 4. / Content should be ready in text format
video, local games, quizzes, animations, slides,on Desktop and to be ported on mobiles / Voice content ready for deployment in desktops and mobiles / TRANSLATORS.
People who will speak in local dialect( Voice) in association
with Software programmers who will do the necessary in desktop mode / 3 people for 3 months.
6 / Search and finalize possible tie-ups with schools in rural areas, slum schools who
are ready to contribute in that area / Approval received and a field
Trip &after step 5 / Content for desktop mode. questionnaires that
assess inquisitiveness and desire to learn ready in hand
/ A field trip with survey report. / Report on feasibility of the program in the area.
researcher team
with someone who knows local dialect of that area and who can go there. . / 4
people for 4 days for a particular areaif covering say 4 villages at a
time
7 / TTP
Train teachers / parents in that area. / After the text and speech mode is ready.
After the
tie up in the local area school / Setting up a chaos in public area such as
A school, mobile van etc. / Trained Teachers and parents. Teachers from ngos such as asha, pratham may also be trained!!! / Trainers for TTP / 2 trainers for 2 weeks to get hang of what needs to be taught in TTP. For as many days and times TTPs are held.
8. / Pilot run in association with tied up schools in that area / Approval
From Tata Indicom received / TTP trained
teachers,parents in that area / a field trip and an academic
year
9 / Assessment study / After an year / Report on effectiveness
ACTIVITY / Survey of similar projects / Survey on the the target population / procure contents for teaching English / Develop content fordesktop
/mobiles / Text-to-Speech / finalize possible tie-ups / TTP / Pilot run / Assessment study
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YEAR 2