DIKSHA: Discovering Inner Knowledge and Sexual Health Awareness

The vision of a gender-just world where young people of all genders from any socio-economic background can access and exercise their rights guides DIKSHA. Accordingly, DIKSHA’s mission is to create safe spaces for young people in marginalized situations.

DIKSHA works to change the ecosystem that denies agency and autonomy to young people. DIKSHA’s core strength lies in enabling youngsters (6-25 years) of all genders from marginalized communities to emerge as community leaders, and work together for a gender-just world. Related strength areas are:

• Building up their inner strength through therapeutic processes that facilitate self-efficacy development
• Developing their leadership skills through sharing information about their rights
• Sustained capacity building to identify and redress violations
• Building bridges between emergent young leaders and bodies of power to facilitate larger changes in communities and neighborhoods. 

The core strategy is to create Community Based Resource Teams (CBRT) of young people of all genders to act as changemakers to ensure protection through participation.

Some of the core communities that DIKSHA works with consist of young people living in situations of urban poverty and social stigma. They include children living in red light areas with most of their mothers in the sex trade, children of rag-pickers and manual scavengers, children of daily wagers, and children of women engaged in domestic labor. In course of our involvement with these young people, the need to make school classrooms more inclusive and accessible has emerged as a primary condition for drop-out prevention. Drop-out prevention is intimately connected with our protection-focused work as being in school prevents children from exposure to unsafe situations when their mothers / parents are at work. DIKSHA operates Drop-in-Centres (DiCs) in all its urban project areas after school hours for the same reason.

We worked with 2-12-year-old children accessing DIKSHA Drop-in-Centres (DiCs) to understand how we could make the learning environment more inclusive and accessible for these first-generation learners. Based on our findings, we collaborated with WeCanAccess, a UK Social Enterprise working on inclusive and accessible education, to learn simple tools and techniques to make learning easier for these children with varied learning patterns. We have since applied a couple of these tools and recorded the improved performance of children.

A DIKSHA volunteer, a student of Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering, is also working on an AI-based tool for clustering students on the basis of their learning patterns. We have already experimented with this emergent tool to record improved peer engagement among children accessing DIKSHA DiCs. We, thus, have a three-pronged prototype tested on 26 children aged 2-12, which can make education more inclusive and accessible for first-generation learners.

Through interactions with our children, we have identified the differences in the learning environment between school classrooms and DIKSHA DiCs, especially after applying the three-pronged strategy for inclusion and accessibility. For the sake of our children we now want to pilot this three-pronged strategy for inclusive and accessible education in formal pre-primary and primary classroom settings. 

The Team Lead for the proposed LEAP project will be the Chief Functionary of the organisation, whose current responsibilities include:

• Envisioning organisational development goals and objectives
• Providing oversight and strategic guidance  
• Leading new experimental initiatives
• Financial planning and supervision, including fund-raising
• Capacity needs assessment and capacity building of the implementing team
• Generating modules and manuals to make the micro-level experience replicable at a larger scale
• Liaison and network with donor agencies and other stakeholders such as other civil society organisations and social enterprises, networks, government departments etc.
• Representing DIKSHA at global forums, and preparing young leaders for the same 

DIKSHA works with a strong community focus. It is very much a feature of DIKSHA’s working style to adjust activities to address new needs emerging at the community level. The proposed LEAP solution is such an emergent community need, for which DIKSHA is ready to adopt its existing commitment to accommodate this new initiative.

The Chief Functionary of the organization who will be the Team Lead for the proposed LEAP project already has the task of leading new initiatives and experiments. The LEAP project will feature within that. Other team members for the LEAP initiative would include the COO of the organization. Her current responsibilities also include assisting the Team Lead in piloting new initiatives at the field level. Her time will be allotted accordingly to apply the proposed three-pronged solution at ICDS centers and with 6th standard students in a government boys’ school. An ICDS center is a government-run initiative catering to preschool children in the age range of 0-6. The 6th standard is important for accessing 11 and 12-year-old students. DIKSHA’s programme officers and field coordinator will implement the solution at DIKSHA DiCs with 2-12-year-old children as part of their routine activities, thereby, eliminating the need for any extra time commitment from them. The volunteer working on the AI tool for student clustering will accompany the Team Lead , the COO, and the program officers during some of the sessions. He will, however, be the main associate of the Team Lead during the LEAPathon and the meeting with the LEAP Research Fellows. He has already committed his time for the same.

The WeCanAccess team, will also provide ongoing support throughout the project with the training of staff to develop and deliver inclusive and accessible learning environments and activities. They are also there to provide ongoing advice and guidance where needed.

LIFE: Learning Inclusively Forms Education - A holistic approach to make education more inclusive and accessible for first-generation learners

The Problem: First-generation learners learn less than other peers in the same classroom, though they apparently access the same teachers the same study content, and the same educational exercises. This leads to dropping out of school during the age range of 12-14.

The Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, has made it mandatory for the Indian government  to offer free education for all children up to the age of 14. Our work experience with marginalized children who are mostly first or second-generation learners, have taught us that these children are at a disadvantage in formal classrooms. Their patterns of learning differ from other children coming from families with a stronger educational background. The teaching methods in government-run pre-primary centers and primary schools are more geared towards the second type of children who can access learning support at home. The first-generation learners have no such support in their families. Even second-generation learners fare better than them since they get some support from their families, though their parents might be marginally literate and out of touch with education. As a result, the learning graph of first-generation learners remains perpetually lower than the rest of the children. This is the problem that the proposed LEAP solution seeks to address through LIFE: Learning Inclusively Forms Education - A holistic approach to make education more inclusive and accessible for first-generation learners. The aim is to ensure that the learning variability of first-generation learners is addressed through simple changes in teaching techniques and classroom environments to reduce this difference in the learning graph of children from varied family situations. 

The Overall Process

DIKSHA will be implementing the proposed LEAP solution for a pilot study among 650 children aged 2-12: 340 children in formal educational settings and 310 children in non-formal educational settings (DIKSHA DiCs).

The process in the formal educational settings will start with meetings with the relevant authorities and formalizing the work schedule. The next step will be to conduct a baseline study of the existing learning graph of the participating children. (We expect help from LEAP Research Fellows in designing this).

A total of 10 sessions using the proposed three-pronged solution will be carried on with each group of children. After five sessions, a mid-line assessment will be done to capture changes in the learning graph of children. The final results will be captured at the end of 10 sessions  (with help from LEAP Research Fellows).

A sharing meeting will be held with the authorities and teachers of each educational settings. During these meetings, teachers’ feedback will be collected on any overall improvement noticed among the students.

A larger dissemination meeting involving other stakeholders will be held after the final report is generated.

The Process of Applying the Three-Pronged Solution

• Conducting the SWOT analysis with all participating children to identify how they prefer receiving instructions (oral, written or both); what they find joyful in their learning environment; what they dislike most in their learning environment.
• Applying the AI algorithms to find the appropriate clustering of participant children in all the learning environments.
• Conducting learning sessions on basic language and numerical skills for 2-9-year-old children applying the findings from the SWOT and the AI algorithms. Care will be taken at this stage to ensure that the disliked elements from the learning environment are eliminated and the joyful elements enhanced. Conducting appropriate language skills, numerical skills, social science skills, and natural science skills sessions with 10-12-year-olds applying the same tools and conditions described above.  

Not Applicable

The solution has emerged from our experiments with children accessing DIKSHA DiCs, most of whom are first-generation learners. The problem we were trying to address was drop-out prevention. In a sense, this stage involved formative research as we employed user interviews to understand what motivates children to drop out of school. That helped us identify that the learning graph of first-generation learners perpetually remains lower than other peers. This emerged as the primary cause behind these children wanting to drop out of school, especially between the age of 12 and 14.

We also conducted user interviews to understand why children preferred the learning environment at DIKSHA DiCs to that of their pre-primary centers and school classrooms. The finding was that the lack of fear and control at DIKSHA DiCs makes it easier for first-generation learners to access education: they feel more included, and less intimidated than at school. This indicates another phase of formative research.

Based on this finding, the Chief Functionary of DIKSHA cum the Team Lead for the proposed LEAP solution, conducted some foundational research on Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory of Cognitive Development to strengthen the fear-free and joyful learning environment of DIKSHA DiCs. We also started collaborating with WeCanAccess to learn some simple tools to make learning environments more accessible and inclusive for first-generation learners. The engineering student who volunteers for DIKSHA also started working on an AI tool to facilitate student clustering on the basis of learning patterns. We have conducted a quasi experiment with three basic tools to generate the proposed prototype. This constitutes the summative research so far undertaken for the proposed LEAP solution. 

On the basis of research mentioned above, we conducted a simple on-field research involving 26 children for one study, 34 children for the clustering AI algorithms study, and approximately 250 children to measure the impact. The findings that have helped shape the proposed LEAP solution are described below.

One of the simplest user questions was on the preferred mode of instruction:

• Oral
• Written
• Both

Of the 26 respondents consisting of 13 first-generation  and 13 second-generation learners, 57.7% expressed preference for written instructions, 23.1% prefer oral instructions, and 19.2% favor the use of both simultaneously. This reveals that if an educator issues instructions both orally and in writing, then it becomes equally accessible to 100% children. We then applied this dual method of giving instructions at DIKSHA DiCs over a two-week period. We are referring to approximately 250 children in the age range of 2-12. The unanimous response was that they found it easier to understand the instructions. DIKSHA educators have also reported an overall improvement in children’s attentiveness and performance during sessions. This simple tool constitutes one of the prongs of our proposed solution.

To study the improvement in children with the lowest learning graph, we used the emergent AI algorithms to cluster children on the basis of playfulness, curiosity and creativity.

We next collected responses from the same 26 children on their preferred teaching methodologies: mostly activity-based or mostly instructional. The first kind involves active participation of the learners while the second mostly involves passive listening. Almost 85% of the respondents prefer activity-based learning. With the help of the emergent algorithms, we found out clear correlations between study scores and activity-based learning preference. This constitutes our second prong in the proposed LEAP solution.

Our third focus has been on understanding why DIKSHA DiCs offer a more preferred learning environment than schools. We applied the emergent AI algorithms on 34 children to decode the factors influencing the children’s preference. There is a 60.64% correlation between a supportive environment allowing speaking up and increased curiosity. The correlation between a playful learning environment and increased curiosity is 47.8%. This constitutes our third prong: how to make classrooms fear-free and joyful.

Through the application of the emergent AI tools, we have also found out that 35.29% of the respondents feature among the lowest in terms of learning graphs. However, there curiosity and creativity levels are at par with the 29.42% respondents with mediocre learning curves. This is another indication that there is need for adjustments in the teaching approach to help the lowest rung improve their learning graphs: they do not suffer due to any lack in their curiosity and creativity. This forms the basis of our proposed three-pronged solution for increased inclusion and accessibility of first-generation learners in formal classroom settings. 

DIKSHA is not an organization working with a focus on education. Its main focus is on ensuring protection of children from all forms of abuse and violence through the direct participation of community youth. However, DIKSHA recognizes the need for school enrollment and retention of marginalized children as an important means of ensuring protection. Enrollment and dropout prevention have, therefore, being part of DIKSHA’s work for many years. Staying at school protects vulnerable children from being exposed to unsafe situations when their mothers / parents / guardians are at work. Also, completing school  education improves the employability of these children as adults in non-hazardous work. However, DIKSHA recognizes the need for school enrollment and retention of marginalized children as an important means of ensuring protection. Children in school are less vulnerable as they spend hours under the protection of teaching staff, rather than in precarious situations on the street/ at home. Education also provides these children with more opportunities later in life for changing their situations and climbing out of poverty.

It is in the course of these activities that we have discovered how the problems of exclusion, inaccessibility, fear, control, and discrimination in formal classrooms contribute to marginalized children dropping out of school at the age of 12-14. We started experimenting with creating an inclusive, accessible, fear-free, joyful, and non-discriminatory learning space for marginalized first-generation learners at DIKSHA Drop in Centers (DiCs). The proposed three-pronged solution entitled LIFE: Learning Inclusively Forms Education - A holistic approach to make education more inclusive and accessible for first-generation learners is a prototype that is emerged from these experiments. The marked change in the learning graph of the children accessing DIKSHA DiCs convinces us that this three-pronged approach is a working solution for addressing the learning variability of first and second-generation learners.

This backdrop motivates us to apply for hosting a LEAP project at this juncture. We have a working prototype that needs to be piloted for generating an evidence base with which we can advocate with the government for a larger scale study. Integrating the proposed solution into mainstream formal education, especially at government pre-primary centers and schools, is critical for the retention of marginalized first-generation learners in the formal education system. To achieve that, the LEAP project would be the perfect first step that DIKSHA is ready to take at this pointing time. 

As of now, we have identified 3 major research questions that we expect the LEAP project to answer:

• Does the proposed three-pronged solution improve the learning graph of first-generation learners only, or does it have a positive impact on the learning graphs of all students?
• Can student clustering on the basis of personality types and learning patterns help improve learning graphs through enhancing peer bonding and peer support?
• Can such clustering contribute to improvements in creativity and curiosity scores beyond formal learning graphs?

• Guidance on refining the research questions, if necessary.
• Guidance on the foundational aspect of the study if it matches with the expertise area of any of the LEAP Fellows. The Team Lead for this initiative has the necessary credentials to conduct relevant secondary research for  the final report to be generated. However, further guidance would be most welcome.
• Guidance from LEAP Fellows on designing the baseline, mid-line, and end-line studies to ensure robust evidence generation and collection. The entire focus of the proposed pilot study is to generate an evidence base with which to influence the relevant government departments towards a larger scale study. The need for strengthening the evidence base is critical, therefore. DIKSHA definitely needs help in this aspect.
• Guidance on strengthening the AI algorithms if that matches with the expertise area of LEAP Fellows. If not, guidance on interpreting the findings from the AI algorithms. The DIKSHA volunteer working on the AI algorithms is both qualified and capable of developing them on his own. However, since he is young, some expert guidance from an educational research perspective could be helpful.
• Guidance on the kind of case studies to capture. DIKSHA has considerable experience in collecting case studies. However, it would be very helpful to receive guidance on how to strengthen the academic rigor of the case studies collected during this pilot study.
• Guidance on fine tuning the session plans,  if necessary, after we develop and finalize them at our end.
• Strategic guidance on capturing the recommendations from this quasi-experimental pilot study. Since the core purpose of this initiative is to push the government towards a larger scale study, how we capture the recommendations is critical. 

• The finalized solution post the pilot stage will be applied at the DIKSHA DiCs. This will help strengthen the proposed solution and contribute to its further development in the learning graphs of the first and second-generation learners accessing DIKSHA DiCs. DIKSHA will continue to apply this solution to other operational areas that might emerge in future.

• DIKSHA will offer peer-mentoring support if necessary to one government-run and one nonprofit pre-primary center to ensure continued application of the proposed solution. The aim would be to integrate this solution into the educational approach at these two centers. DIKSHA will be collecting data from these centers for strengthening its evidence base.
• DIKSHA will do the same with one nonprofit run primary school for the same purpose.
• DIKSHA aims to work with the teachers of one government school for mainstreaming the solution into the teaching methodologies of that school. DIKSHA’s existing relationship with the headmaster of this school through prior Leadership Development workshops with higher class students is likely to facilitate this process.
• The main aim of the pilot study is to motivate the government to allow a larger scale study. DIKSHA will liaison with relevant government officials for that.
• DIKSHA will network with other non-profit organizations and private schools to try and integrate this solution into their teaching methodologies towards making those classrooms more inclusive accessible for all children.

Short Term Outcomes

• Improving the learning graphs of children accessing DIKSHA DiCs. Currently, we have only generated a prototype through applying the proposed solution on about 30 children. We will apply it to all the children from now on, and keep collecting data on the changes in the learning graphs.
• Improving the learning outcomes of children accessing one government run and one nonprofit run pre-primary center. DIKSHA plans to continue offering peer mentoring over a six month period to ensure this.
• Improving the learning graphs of children accessing two nonprofit run primary schools. For this also, the plan is to offer peer mentoring support for six months.
• Generating a strong enough evidence base to advocate with government for a larger scale study. This is the most important short term outcome expected from the LEAP initiative. The others can happen even without the support of LEAP Research Fellows. But this outcome might remain beyond DIKSHA’s reach without their help. 

Mid Term Outcomes

• Changing the learning environment towards inclusion and accessibility at the pre-primary centers and schools where the larger scale study would be carried out. Some support as during the pilot phase would be of tremendous help during this study also. DIKSHA will keep looking for opportunities from MIT or other sources for the same. 

Long Term Outcomes

• Making classrooms more inclusive and accessible through the integration of the proposed solution. This is the dream that guides the proposed solution. While this pilot initiative focuses mainly on first-generation learners, we believe that more inclusive and accessible classrooms can make learning a joyful experience for all children from any background.
• Improving the learning graphs of first and second-generation learners and other vulnerable children. This will continue to remain an area of special focus in DIKSHA’s future endeavors towards making learning environments more inclusive and accessible.
• Preventing this children from dropping out of school, thereby remaining protected from child labor, underage marriage, and other unsafe possibilities now, and have improved employability as adults. DIKSHA believes that more inclusive and accessible learning spaces are critical not just for reducing the present vulnerabilities of marginalized children, but also change their futures for the better.