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Can’t think of ways to make schooling a stress-free affair? Take the cue from the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS). It has come up with a unique method of evaluation under which students can appear for their summative assessments (equivalent to semester examinations) multiple number of times, giving them ample opportunities to better their score with each attempt.
KVS officials said they are going to pilot a new form of learning exercises, the learner director evaluation system (LDES), which is “based on the concept of video games, where the player can play till he wins or is satisfied with his performance.” This system is based on the continuous and comprehensive evaluation system followed by the Central Board of Secondary Education.
Geeta Balagangadharan, principal of Kendriya Vidyalaya 2 in Navy Nagar, said a similar system is already in place at her school. “We understand that there are multiple intelligences in a classroom. Every child has his/her own level and pace of learning. So, during our assessment, we have multiple question papers, each with a different level of difficulty. Every child gets a paper depending on his/her learning capacity. Children who are fast learners will be given analytical types of questions, where they are asked to apply the concepts, while those slow to learn are given more objective types of questions.”
And if they are still unable to tackle the questions, no worries: the students are given many chances. “The objective is to ensure every child learns. The teacher continues assessing the students through different levels of question papers or exercises until the child’s performance improves,” said Balagangadharan.
She added that such learning exercises also reduce cheating in exams, as children know that one assessment alone can’t seal their fate. “Every child knows that s/he is not being pressured; there is no competition,” she said.
The KVS is planning to introduce the LDES in all its schools. Currently, there are 48 Kendriya Vidyalayas with 46,838 students in the city. The first phase will target only students of classes I to VIII in the northern region. The pilot testing project will be launched for evaluation in mathematics in April, when the new academic session begins. The second phase will cover all subjects and will make the system accessible on the KVS website.
