For Hetal Kumari, a language teacher at Denapura Primary School, the first two class periods of the day have undergone a remarkable transformation since July 2023. Her school is one of the nearly 30,000 public schools in Gujarat to adopt Vaachan Samiksha as part of their teaching and learning practices in the classroom. “Earlier we used to schedule assessments in larger cohorts and less frequently. Now, we reserve the first two periods of each day for using the application with batches of 5-10 students,” she shares, highlighting how this tool has reshaped her approach to fluency.
Vaachan Samiksha addresses the critical gaps in Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) by assessing students’ ORF through the automation of assessments. Deployed across Gujarat since July 2023 and integrated with G-Shala ( Gujarat-Students’ Holistic Adaptive Learning App–an eContent App for classes 1 to 12) and Convegenius’ Swiftchat platforms, Vaachan Samiksha has helped 1,20,000 teachers conduct ORF assessments for over 2.5 million students in the Gujarati language. The digital tool supports both students and teachers by providing real-time and objective assessments of reading fluency, paving the way for individualized learning pathways.
Transforming Fluency Assessments With AI
Primary school ORF assessments aim to measure up to the Nipun Bharat benchmarks. Based on the Foundational Learning Study 2022, the benchmarks specify an average of 35-53 correct words per minute for English, 35-54 for Hindi, and 33-52 for Gujarati.
Typically, Kumari prints paragraphs, distributes them to students—asking them to read aloud—and manually marks correct and incorrect words per minute while timing the reading session. This method, while functional, is cumbersome and prone to inconsistencies. It is also the standard followed in most Indian schools.
Vaachan Samiksha automates this process. It offers a digital, automated solution that assesses students’ fluency with ease and provides digitized, geo-tagged, and tamper-proof assessment results.
Systematically Improving Learning Outcomes
In many ways, Vaachan Samiksha has been a game-changer. With insightful metrics such as correct words read per minute and accuracy, it provides teachers with clear indicators of student progress. Hetal also shares how Vaachan Samiksha is motivating her students. “It has inculcated a healthy competitive spirit amongst students,” she remarks. “Since results are immediately available, students are motivated to perform better and outdo their friends and peers. This encourages them to improve their fluency and pushes the needle in the direction of growth.”
Nitibha Jadeja, headmistress at Denapura Primary School adds, “Just getting to hold the mobile phone (where Vaachan Samiksha is installed as a mobile application) excites the students. To perform the assessment using technology is a big motivating factor for them.”
Moving Forward with Vaachan Samiksha
The impact of Vaachan Samiksha extends beyond individual classrooms. In the 2024 academic year, the aim is to integrate the solution as a part of periodic assessment tests—a key component of the Gujarat pedagogical approach. Teachers are expected to conduct these tests at least thrice a year, incorporating reading fluency assessments (using the solution) alongside other subjects. We are also working towards including ORF assessments in English in Gujarat as a part of the application.
As it continues to evolve and expand, Vaachan Samiksha holds the promise of significantly enhancing educational outcomes and ensuring that every child in India has the opportunity to achieve their full potential in reading and beyond. For educators like Hetal Kumari and students across Gujarat, this tool highlights the path to a future where every child can confidently and fluently read. In the future, the application can be adapted to benefit society by contextualizing its usage, to improve reading fluency even in adults. For example, professionals in trades can utilize it to enhance learning, communication, and understanding, and ultimately improve their economic opportunities.
