How Aide et Action Asia with iMpower program of M3M Foundation is tackling incremental learning gaps of migrant students across India

iMpower is a program of the M3M Foundation initiated with the vision of iMpowering migrant journeys. It is a holistic development initiative aimed at providing necessary resources to enhance the abilities of migrant workers, their children, and their families. iMpower centres are managed by Aide et Action to provide educational, health, and nutritional support to children of construction workers. Their children often accompany their parents to work due to frequent changes in their place of employment. 

Sometime back, iDream Education enabled its assessment-based adaptive learning solution iPrep PAL for students. This is enabled as a part of a collaboration between Aide et Action Asia and M3M Foundation through iMpower clubs.

Since children at iMpower Clubs are part of migrant families, they frequently move from place to place with their parents. This is why they often fail to enroll in school, and even if they do, they end up withdrawing due to the necessity of migrating to different locations, consequently disrupting the continuity of their education. The unique challenge they face atop the overarching challenge of lack of resources and awareness is that students keep moving every few months. This breaks the learning cycle of these learners and intensifies their learning gaps leading to Incremental learning gaps in them.

Challenges Faced by Coordinators and Facilitators at iMpower Clubs in Promoting Students to Grade-Level Proficiency

The coordinators and facilitators at iMpower clubs strive to instill regularity and facilitate age-appropriate grade-level learning for these students. However, they encounter significant challenges due to the diverse learning levels of children across different age groups. As expressed by their team, “We work with children of all ages and attempt to engage them collectively in learning activities. However, due to the considerable gap in their learning levels, even students of the same age exhibit varying levels of proficiency. This makes it challenging to tailor our teaching methods to their individual needs, thus, we end up wasting a lot of time.”

Furthermore, the team highlights the heartbreaking scenario where they invest considerable effort in preparing students for enrollment in new academic sessions, only to discover that they are migrating to another location. This situation often leaves bright students with incremental learning gaps due to discontinuity in their education caused by a lack of awareness and personal circumstances.

To foster student engagement and enrich the learning journeys of migrants, 

The M3M Foundation has seamlessly integrated educational technology. Since 2022, we have introduced tablet-based digital libraries, which have seen consistent usage by students. Some have begun cultivating reading habits, while others enjoy engaging with activity videos, and some prefer practicing. Leveraging EdTech solutions, we have started to maximize efforts to kindle students’ interest in learning. Through digital books, coordinators of iMpower clubs started organizing reading sessions where students enthusiastically participated, delving into diverse stories and inspirational biographies available on the tablets.

Building upon the growing interest in digital learning, 

The Partnership expanded in 2023 with the implementation of iPrep Digital Class and iPrep PAL solutions on Tablets within the Digital Library framework. With PAL, we aim to propel students toward grade-level proficiency, PAL fosters a sense of belonging by addressing lingering learning gaps in the continuous learning process without any judgment and comparison.

A simple solution to an institutional problem

The question is where does one start? Students are at different learning levels within a class. Atop they have unique challenges and personal circumstances.

Theory of change

• Instilling interest in students by exposing them to tools and devices that provide them with something tangible. Interest in these students is kindled through various engagement sessions and exercises. Students start reading, using the content available on their tablets
• Gamify their journey to overcome learning gaps by enabling an assessment-based learning solution that evaluates their level and then intuitively carves out an individual learning path where the very basics where the student is lacking are tackled with remedial learning content and practice questions; with students given a goal to complete one chapter at a time

Results?

• On average, iPrep on tablets in a digital library implemented in 2022 is utilized for 744 hours over 189 days at the center. When examining usage by subject, the highest usage is observed in Math for 332 hours, followed closely by Hindi Literature for 330 hours, environmental science for 29 hours, and science for 14 hours, among others. 

• However, when considering usage by category, it’s evident that the majority of students dedicate their time to learning through video lessons, totaling over 351 hours, followed by practicing for more than 313 hours. Additionally, students spend approximately 64 hours studying from syllabus books, with the remaining time allocated to video practicals, activity videos, and other resources.

The data underscores the significant involvement of students in learning with iPrep. The extensive usage across various subjects and categories highlights the versatility and accessibility of digital content. Students find digital resources engaging, as evidenced by their enthusiastic engagement with video lessons, practice sessions, and interactive materials. This underscores the potential of education technology to enhance interest in learning and make education more accessible and enjoyable for students of all backgrounds. By leveraging digital resources effectively, we can further tailor learning experiences to meet the diverse needs and preferences of last mile learners, ultimately fostering a more dynamic and enriching educational environment. Students are ready to enroll in formal schools.

Progress is underway in utilizing the newly implemented 5 smart classrooms and 8 digital libraries equipped with PAL on tablets. We have set the stage to monitor the usage and improvement resulting from the recent implementation.

We are hopeful that if such interventions happen at scale, we will unleash the immense potential of these students. Organizations such as Aide et Action Asia and M3M Foundation simply need to continue to do what they are doing, with proper care, guidance, continuity, and usage, students shall not only advance academically but also in confidence and their overall well-being and careers.

In case you would like to know more about iPrep PAL and other digital learning solutions, visit our website, www.idreameducation.org, or write to us at [email protected]