AOP (Angrezi Okay Please) by Pratham Education Foundation

Pratham, a non-profit organisation founded in 1994, works to guarantee that every child in India has access to a high-quality education and the chance to realise their full potential. The foundation of Pratham's strategy is innovation, research, and evidence-based methods. To put scalable and sustainable education solutions into place, the organisation collaborates closely with local volunteers, communities, and government schools. Aspects of education covered by Pratham projects include literacy, numeracy, career training, digital learning, and educational research.

Pratham places a strong emphasis on ‘community involvement and engagement’. We work with communities to create a learning environment by interacting with different stakeholders, raising awareness of education, and creating ownership amongst them for their children’s learning. The crucial component of the social structure is the cadre of youth volunteers, aged between 14-25 years, we follow a community-centric, play-based approach where these volunteers act as coaches and facilitate learning experiences for children. The organisation mobilises volunteers who work directly with children in communities, equipping them with skills to deliver contextualised and tailored content, conduct assessments, and foster a love of learning in children. Our content and activities engage children on the level of natural curiosity, based on child and human development concepts, in which children are taught vital life skills and information about the world around them in a passive, non-instructive manner.   This approach helps children learn by giving them some latitude to be flexible with their learnings without being explicitly told what to do or even being aware of everything they've already learned. 

Additionally, the Pratham Shah PraDigi Innovation Center serves as an innovation hub that combines research, technology, and community engagement to design and implement impactful learning solutions. It is dedicated to ensuring that children from underserved communities have access to quality education through data-driven, technology-supported, community-based approaches.

The Team Lead is well-positioned to effectively support the LEAP Project, given her expertise and experience within the organisation. The Team Lead, who serves as the Digital Content Lead for Math & English at the Pratham Education Foundation, brings in-depth knowledge of curriculum development and instructional design in key subjects. With a specific focus on designing scalable solutions for under-resourced contexts and vernacular users, the Team Lead possesses the necessary subject matter expertise to guide the development of high-quality content and learning design for the LEAP Project.

The Team Lead is well-positioned to effectively support the LEAP Project, given her expertise and experience within the organisation. The Team Lead, who serves as the Digital Content Lead for Math & English at the Pratham Education Foundation, brings in-depth knowledge of curriculum development and instructional design in key subjects. With a specific focus on designing scalable solutions for under-resourced contexts and vernacular users, the Team Lead possesses the necessary subject matter expertise to guide the development of high-quality content and learning design for the LEAP Project.

In addition, the Team Lead will be supported by a senior member of the Research & Analytics team at Pratham Education Foundation. This collaborative support ensures that the project benefits from robust research methodologies and data-driven insights. They bring expertise in designing and conducting research studies, data analysis, and program evaluation. This support is crucial for generating evidence and strengthening the evidence base of the solution.

Given that the proposed solution is an ongoing intervention, the team's commitment to its effective implementation within the communities served by the organization is paramount. Furthermore, the team's familiarity with the organization's priorities and ongoing initiatives enables them to effectively balance the demands of the LEAP Project with other responsibilities. They are well-versed in working within the organization's broader goals and objectives, ensuring that the LEAP Project aligns with the organization's overall vision and mission.

To support the LEAP Project effectively, the Team Lead and supporting team member will leverage their expertise, collaborate with stakeholders, and draw upon the resources available within the organization. Their collective experience in designing & evaluating large scale learning interventions in under-resourced contexts, subject knowledge, and research capabilities will contribute to the successful implementation of the project and the generation of valuable insights and evidence.

Understanding how participatory approach, contextualized, technology enabled solutions will lead to development of foundational English skills among children in rural-India.

Within the EFE model, Angrezi Okay Please (AOP) is a solution specifically designed to enhance English literacy skills among children in underserved communities. Section 4.11 of the New Education Policy 2020 titled "Multilingualism and the Power of Language" addresses the issue of language proficiency and the role of English in the education system. It acknowledges that English has become an important language for global communication, access to knowledge, and economic mobility. The policy highlights the importance of early language development and emphasizes the need for effective pedagogical approaches to enhance English language skills. It encourages the use of innovative teaching methods, digital resources, and technology-enabled learning to improve English literacy among students. The New Education Policy 2020 recognizes that English proficiency is crucial for children’s holistic development and success in the 21st century. It calls for concerted efforts to enhance English literacy among students, particularly those from underserved communities, to ensure equal opportunities and access to quality education.

Pratham's Education for Education (EFE) model is a unique approach to address the learning crisis and improve educational outcomes for children in underserved communities. This model focuses on leveraging the resources within the community to create a sustainable and scalable learning ecosystem. Through the EFE model, Pratham aims to address the learning crisis and improve educational outcomes by leveraging community resources. The model engages youth volunteers, parents, caregivers, and community members to create a sustainable learning environment. In the context of Pratham's Education for Education (EFE) model, the focus on English literacy aligns with the objectives of the New Education Policy 2020. The EFE model recognizes the importance of providing quality English education to students in underserved communities.

Thus, Angrezi Okay Please (AOP) is a community led program that addresses the foundational literacy needs of underserved children. It focuses on improving their English reading, speaking, and comprehension skills. By leveraging existing resources and building community partnerships, the program aims to ensure its long-term viability and impact. By emphasizing on foundational English literacy skills the goal is to create a replicable and sustainable framework that can be adapted and implemented in other communities facing similar challenges, extending the benefits of improved English language skills to a larger population. 

Learning Design & Content

AOP (Angrezi OK Please) is a comprehensive English learning program that adopts a multi-phase approach to develop reading, comprehension, and speaking skills in children. Each phase focuses on specific aspects of language development, with the overall objective of nurturing holistic growth and confidence in the children.

Phase 1 focuses on early readers aged 10 to 14 who are at very early or basic levels of reading. It is a group & activity based phonic program that introduces sentence reading early to maintain children's interest and motivation. 

The program works in three simple steps: 

 Step 1: Children's reading is assessed to determine their phonological awareness, ability to pronounce phonemes and read different types of sentences. Based on their reading level, children are divided into two groups.

Step 2: Over the next 40 days, children participate in English reading activities that are tailored to their specific reading level. The activities are conducted separately for each group to ensure that children receiving instructions at an appropriate level. These are play-based learning activities that not only make learning enjoyable but also enhances children's listening skills, visual learning cognition, and vocabulary development. By engaging children in reading words and sentences from the beginning, the program aims to provide a well-rounded approach to language acquisition.

Step 3: The 40 days are divided into three ten-day instructional periods with two five-day breaks. Regular assessments are conducted via smartphones between these periods to monitor children's progress towards their learning goals. 

Digital Infrastructure

The program incorporates a WhatsApp Bot as a user-friendly tool to streamline and simplify the registration process for children. By leveraging the widespread usage and low internet connectivity requirement of WhatsApp, the bot provides an accessible and convenient platform for parents or caregivers to register their children for the program. Through interactive prompts and automated responses, the WhatsApp Bot guides users step by step, ensuring a smooth and efficient registration experience. 

Additionally, the Parakh assessment app provides for an oral evaluation for assessing basic reading fluency and provides immediate feedback. The tool has been trained on a dataset of 12 hours of ASER 2012 stories and paragraphs collected from children in communities that PraDigi works in, which is analysed to track individual and group progress, identify areas of improvement, and inform programmatic decision making.

Social Structure 

Youth volunteers, typically aged between 14 and 25 receive training on program activities and assessments, conducting assessments of the children from staff members called “mentors”.  They act as coaches and facilitators, guiding children through activities, encouraging participation, and providing support when needed. The volunteers create a supportive and nurturing environment where children feel comfortable to explore and learn.

The Angrezi Okay Please solution has been informed by our experience in design, implementation and evaluation of various hybrid learning solutions in communities over several years. The model is built on learnings from the Pradigi Open Learning initiative that exposes self-organised groups children aged 10-14, to varied domains of knowledge delivered through offline digital content. We’ve attempted several studies in our attempt to understand children’s learning behaviour in a open learning environment

To begin with, we identified key metrics to assess student engagement: access, engagement, and learning outcomes. Access was quantified by measuring the average number of days per month that students used the learning apps. Engagement was evaluated by determining the average time per day spent on the apps and the average number of resources accessed per month. Learning outcomes were assessed based on performance in assessments. Employing the K-means clustering algorithm, we categorized students into High, Medium, and Low engagement clusters, unveiling distinct learning patterns and content preferences within each cluster. Furthermore, we analyzed children's resource engagement patterns, clustering videos based on complete views, repeat views, average viewing duration, and average number of children accessing each video per month. This analysis provided valuable insights into the types of content and instructional methods.

Additionally, comparative analysis is conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of different learning methods on engagement and learning outcomes. Various interventions and instructional variations, including self-learning courses, guided hybrid learning, individual course enrollment, and youth-led learning camps with both tech and off-tech resources were implemented and assessed over years of piloting hybrid learning solutions. Data on student engagement with digital learning content, course completion rates, and assessment results were collected to determine the efficacy of each approach.

The approaches derived from the research methods outlined above were incorporated and tested in the AOP Solution such as grouping children based on their reading levels and providing differentiated goals & content, and designing an activity based learning model.

A mixed method research approach was adopted for the Pilot to Test. To compare the baseline-endline assessments, a pre-test and post-test research design was employed. This involved administering assessments to the participants at the beginning (baseline) and end (endline) of the intervention or program. To assess progress, midline tests were also conducted. The assessments measured reading proficiency or learning levels. By comparing the scores or performance between the baseline and endline assessments, the impact or effectiveness of the intervention could be evaluated.

To gauge reliability of the assessments conducted by youth volunteers, the assessment data collected by them was compared with the assessment data collected by staff members (mentors). This helped assess the overall validity of the process.

To examine the relationship between attendance on sessions and improvement in assessment results, a descriptive correlational analysis approach was applied. The attendance data, indicating the number of sessions attended by each participant, was collected and correlated with the improvement in assessment results between the baseline and endline assessments. This analysis provided insights into the potential impact of regular session attendance on learning outcomes.

Grouping children based on their reading levels and providing differentiated goals, content, and activities help improve learning outcomes: Two iterations of the initial learning design were compared to assess the impact on learning outcomes. In both iterations, students were provided with reading cards and engaged in group activities facilitated by youth volunteers. However, one iteration involved dividing students into two broad groups based on their reading levels: Beginners and Word level learners. The activities were tailored to the respective groups, with a primary focus on bringing learners at Beginner and Small Letter levels to Word level and advancing those at Word Level to Sentence level. This approach resulted in a higher proportion of students showing improvement, indicating the effectiveness of grouping students based on reading levels.

The insights gained from these iterations were incorporated into the pilot of the current AOP model. After the 40-day intervention, there was a significant reduction in the number of students at the 'early reading level' (from 49% to 25%) and a substantial increase in those at the highest reading stage (Level 4) (from 4% to 31%). The total number of Level 3 and Level 4 readers increased from 18% to 50%, indicating positive progress in learning outcomes.

Children are motivated to learn English: This has been evident through the analysis of application log files from past interventions.  Despite having a relatively low count of English resources compared to Math and Science resources, most student groups chose to access English-related content when given a choice. Moreover, approximately 31% of the sessions on the learning apps were initiated by English content, showcasing a keen interest in learning the language.

Importance of consistent engagement: In the latest ‘Pilot to Test, it was found that attendance was a significant factor in students' progress. Out of the 1065 children who participated in the AOP pilot, 82% attended sessions for at least 10 days, while less than 1% attended all 40 sessions. Notably, students who attended more than 30 sessions showed the most improvement in their reading levels. 

Anchoring interest: Creating an appealing learning experience is crucial for sustained engagement. Through the analysis of resource engagement among groups of children aged 10-14 in multiple regions, it was observed that popular resources were typically activity-based, task-oriented, and hands-on, enhancing interest and motivation. Incorporating these insights, the AOP solution focuses on helping children reach sentences early to boost their confidence and uses play-based activities and content to make English learning creative and enjoyable. Activities such as letter-sound repetition and "Fastest Fingers First" contribute to phonemic awareness, word recognition, and letter-sound associations, fostering essential skills in a fun and engaging manner.

Technology solutions to support data collection: In order to accommodate a distributed data collection process, and ensure reliability of data technological solutions were developed for the AOP intervention. These solutions streamline data recording and significantly reduce the time taken for youth volunteers to collect and manage data from the four assessments conducted for each student.

Refining existing model & subsequent interventions - Reading is a multifaceted and holistic activity that involves five essential components that work synergistically to develop reading proficiency: phonological awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. These components, as recognized by experts in the field (Armbruster, Lehr, & Osborn, 2003; Vaughn & Linan-Thompson, 2004), are integral to the reading process and rely on each other for successful reading outcomes. Our pilot interventions have successfully addressed the initial stages, but further steps are necessary to reach the desired level of reading proficiency. In order to design an effective reading program, it is imperative to gather substantial and reliable data from the current intervention. This data will serve as a foundation for informing subsequent interventions and refining our understanding of the later stages of the intervention. 

Effectiveness of the model across varying social or vernacular contexts - The pilot to scale is designed to be implemented across 9 states, covering 6 regional languages. We will attempt to evaluate the effectiveness of the pedagogy across varying contexts.

Uptake, feasibility and adaptability of technological tools in open learning models -Data on WhatsApp penetration in India shows that WhatsApp has over 400 million monthly active users in India, which is more than any other social media platform in the country. WhatsApp is also particularly popular among younger users and those in lower-income households. The number of WhatsApp users in India is projected to reach 795.67 million users by 2025. This makes leveraging WhatsApp to build WhatsApp bots, an effective way to connect and engage with learners and their guardians. Through the virtual Parakh assessment, the community can take up assessments anytime and anywhere and access their children’s data in real time without the need to rely on the presence of external support to understand and interpret these results. To facilitate learning, guardians and other key stakeholders in the communities added to the WhatsApp network will be provided access to contextualised digital content in regional languages & experiential activities appropriate for their child’s learning level. 

Design for flexible implementation- In our pursuit of designing scalable solutions for underserved populations and under-resourced contexts, we aim to design our solution in a way that allows for flexible implementation. We believe it is crucial to build a sense of belief in the community that they can work together to create learning pathways for their children and influence their development and provide them with relevant tools to play an active role in their children’s learning journey. Moving forward, our goal is to expand the program and create a set of digital means that allow guardians/community members to provide ‘Foundational Learning at Home’ not just for English but for other knowledge domains as well.

1. How do phonology, pacing and syntax intersect with building foundational English learning? What implications do these intersections have for language instruction and learning outcomes?

2. How can the utilisation of user-friendly/commonly available technology along with community-driven approaches in education, contribute to achieving scale and sustainability in providing foundational learning for underserved populations?

3. How effective is the involvement of youth in implementing a community-based, digitally supported learning program? What challenges/benefits do they bring to the program implementation?

4. What core skills & non-STEM learning outcomes do youth volunteers acquire through participatory action? How does civic action impact the foundations for youth leadership?

The desired outputs of the 12-week LEAP Project sprint include research recommendations & strategies that’ll inform the design, implementation, and scaling up of the solution along with a robust evidence gathering framework. Through a comprehensive mixed-methods research approach, the LEAP Fellows will contribute to the evidence base for leveraging user-friendly and commonly available technology and community-driven approaches for foundational learning. The outputs will provide insights into stakeholder engagement, correlate learning processes with outcomes, assess feasibility of the solution at scale. 

Research frameworks to determine the aspects of the learning process that anchor interest, ensure sustainability, and improve learning outcomes. By identifying the factors that drive engagement and success, the research will enable the program to refine its approach and optimise learning experiences. This approach will provide a holistic understanding of the effectiveness, reach, and acceptability of not just the pedagogy and the contextualised technological tools such as the WhatsApp bot and the Parakh assessment app as platforms for delivering foundational English skills and engaging guardians and community members to play active roles in children’s learning journey. 

Feasibility analysis will also be undertaken to evaluate the program's scalability while maintaining quality control. The research will examine whether the pedagogy remains effective as the program expands to larger and more diverse audiences. 

A qualitative study via interviews or assessments to explore the experiences and outcomes when youth volunteers engage in such projects. This analysis will contribute to measuring the core/non-STEM skills developed through civic engagement and inform strategies to enhance the effectiveness of youth participation in community-driven educational initiatives.

Scale up - The guidance and strategies derived from the LEAP Project outputs will play a crucial role in scaling up our solution to reach a larger number of underserved populations and under-resourced contexts. We will leverage the insights gained from the research to develop scalable implementation models that can be replicated across different communities. We aim to reach approximately 1,50,000 learners across 10,000 villages in India.

Program Refinement - The research recommendations will guide us in refining the design, content, and delivery of our intervention. We will incorporate the insights gained from the research to enhance the effectiveness and impact of our solution. This may involve adjusting the aspects of our instructional approach or necessary modifications to the assessment strategies to better support foundational English learning.

Tackling higher learning barriers - Through a research-oriented and evidence-based approach, we aim to acquire comprehensive insights and data from the ongoing intervention. This will enable us to make informed decisions regarding the next phase of intervention and enhance our understanding of the subsequent stages in the reading progression. By adopting this process, we aim to develop a robust reading program that empowers learners to achieve a high level of reading proficiency with comprehension.

Designing solutions for other knowledge domains - We strive to foster a sense of empowerment within the community, encouraging collective action to shape the learning paths of children. To achieve this, we intend to extend our program beyond English language learning and develop digital resources that enable caregivers and community members to facilitate "Foundational Learning at Home" across various knowledge domains. By providing relevant tools, we aim to actively involve guardians in their children's educational journey and promote a holistic approach to learning in underserved contexts.

Promoting civic engagement and youth leadership - The research outputs from our study will be utilised to showcase the effectiveness and significance of involving youth volunteers in community-based learning initiatives. The results will be disseminated among key stakeholders, including government agencies, NGOs, and education-focused organisations, to raise awareness about the positive outcomes of such programs. Sharing research findings & best practice will serve as evidence for the value of youth participation and civic action in education.

Research methods, pedagogy and implementation toolkits - 

Our findings, methodologies, and key learnings will contribute to the existing body of knowledge and serve as a credible resource for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners. Implementation toolkits will be drafted to translate our research into actionable steps. These resources will offer practical guidance on replicating our learning design, incorporating vernacular content, and adapting the program to diverse contexts. By sharing these toolkits, we aim to inspire and enable other organizations to implement similar models of open learning, thereby expanding access to quality education and fostering development opportunities for underserved populations.

The LEAP Project sprint for our organization and solution encompasses a 12-week period aimed at achieving short-term and long-term outcomes. Here is a description of our desired outcomes for both:

Short-term outcomes- 

1. Training and capacity building: We intend to provide comprehensive training to our team members and volunteers to equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge to deliver the program effectively.

2. Pilot implementation: Our short-term goal is to successfully pilot and scale the Angrezi Ok Please (AOP) solution within selected communities, gathering valuable insights and feedback for further refinement.

3. Data collection and analysis: We will collect relevant data on program implementation, participant progress, and feedback to evaluate the effectiveness of the solution and identify areas for improvement: We aim to provide children in underserved communities with increased access to foundational English literacy resources and learning opportunities.

4. Improved language skills: We strive to enhance children's reading, speaking, and comprehension abilities in English through engaging and age-appropriate activities.

5. Increased engagement: We aim to foster a love for learning and curiosity among children, encouraging active participation in the program and promoting their holistic development.

6. Positive feedback and testimonials: We hope to receive positive feedback and testimonials from participants, parents, and community members, indicating the positive impact of AOP on children's English literacy skills.

7. Enhanced program effectiveness: Through ongoing monitoring and evaluation, we seek to identify effective strategies, materials, and methodologies that can be replicated and scaled in the long run.

Long-term outcomes -

1. Scalability and replication: We aspire to develop a scalable model for the AOP solution that can be replicated in other communities, reaching a larger number of children in need of English literacy support.

2. Sustainable partnerships: We aim to establish sustainable partnerships with local organizations, schools, and community members to ensure the continued implementation and impact of our program.

3. Improved educational outcomes: Our long-term goal is to contribute to improved educational outcomes, bridging the gap in English language proficiency and providing children with better opportunities for academic success and future prospects.

4. Increased English language proficiency: We strive to contribute to improved English language proficiency among children in underserved communities, equipping them with essential skills for communication, education, and employment opportunities.

5. Community ownership and empowerment: We aim to empower local communities to take ownership of their children's education, fostering a culture of learning and engagement within the community.

6. Expanded reach and impact: Through scalability and replication, we aspire to expand the reach of AOP, ensuring that more children in underserved communities have access to quality English literacy resources and support.

7. Sustainable learning ecosystems: We aim to contribute to the creation of sustainable learning ecosystems within communities, where resources, partnerships, and support systems are in place to nurture children's English literacy skills continuously.