SRINAGAR: In a major achievement, the Deputy Commissioner (DC) Srinagar, Mohammad Aijaz Asad, was conferred with the prestigious National e-governance Gold Award by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) for Project/Initiative ‘GAASH’ under the category of “Excellence in District Level Initiative in e-Governance” of the National Awards for e-Governance Scheme 2021-2022.
Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr. Jitendra Singh presented the award to Deputy Commissioner Srinagar in a two-day Conference organized by the Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances DARPG and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology(MEITY) in association with the Government of Jammu and Kashmir on the theme “Bringing Citizens, Industry and Government closer” which begin here on Saturday at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU), Katra.
Speaking in this regard, the DC Srinagar said that the GAASH project is a gamified e-learning initiative of the Srinagar District Administration for school students with special emphasis on learning through gamified modules for students from classes 6-12.
The DC said that with the introduction of the web application during the Covid-19, a large number of students as well as teachers exhibited keen interest and started using the digital platform resulting in overall increased learning outcomes.
He added that a longitudinal study of the comparison between experimental and control groups reveal a marked hike in the average score of the students in subjects like English, Maths, and Science.
Underscoring the benefits of the project, the DC said the gamified app aims to create an interactive and conducive environment for the students where they get conceptual clarity as well as ease of learning. It provides a comprehensive understanding of learning outcomes for all stakeholders in education – parents, schools, and students besides empowering students with cutting-edge edu-technology to help them realise their full potential.
“Now a student can visualise a 3-D video of the solar system and understand its functioning on a computer screen and not merely on a piece of paper,” the DC added.
The DC further said each enrolled student has a unique dashboard wherein the student can test his/her learning levels through quizzes, MCQ, etc immediately after finishing a lesson. Moreover, students can identify their aptitude in a particular subject through the feedback loop and can plan for further studies in engineering, medicine, and other courses depending upon their scores over the year subject-wise.
He also said that Project Gaash also helps to bridge the digital divide among students placed differentially in the social strata by providing free access to quality. “While e-learning gamified modules to students who may not be in a position to afford the expenses for online quality education.”
“The effort is factored by the use of digital technology pursuing next-generation reforms and innovations by adopting emerging technologies and use of ICT Management,” the DC said.
The DC said the District Administration Srinagar has also tied up with PACE IIT & Medical Mumbai. The PACE will provide free coaching for IIT-JEE/MEDICAL entrance to the top performing students on WebApp Tests and hailing from economically weaker strata of society. Hence it can be said that project Gaash is a great Social and Digital Equaliser for the student community. The student can learn the lessons at his/her own learning speed and at own comfort.
The DC maintained that the project has broadened the scope of learning from a classroom setup and brought it to the doorsteps of the students. Early trends in the reduction of drop-outs is also being witnessed as an outcome of the Gaash application. “While gamified learning also aims to reach specially-abled students as technology is an aid in their learning process.”
The DC observed that with project GAASH we are keeping pace with the requirements and mindset of the modern generation, a mindset that gives emphasis on evidence-based learning and critical thinking.
He said that Project Gaash is a beginning to bridge Digital Divide in Schools. “The establishment of computer Labs is an enabler to pull up those having no access or low-speed access to digital learning modules.”
