Learning goes hi-tech in CBSE

NAGPUR: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is furthering is progressive steps to bring technology closer to its day-to-day operations. The central board is seeking software developers to prepare a comprehensive online and offline Learning Management System (LMS). The software will help teachers implement the path-breaking assessment system of Comprehensive and Continuous Evaluation (CCE) with ease.
TOI had reported on November 15 last year, about CBSE's plans to introduce such software. Now the board has floated tender seeking bids from IT companies to turn the LMS project into reality. It is expected that the board will be able introduce a pilot version by the next academic year.
A document from the central board details the expectations it has from the LMS. Schools will be able to log on to LMS for a specified fee (no charge for government schools) and conduct a variety of operations. The LMS will be used initially for Std IX and X for English, Mathematics, Science, Social Science and Hindi subjects.
The LMS will be able to churn out question papers, for the summative assessments (SA), at the click of a button from its massive question bank. The LMS data bank will keep questions ready in every format (fill in the blanks, match the following etc), from every chapter and for every category (high scoring or low scoring questions). This method will eliminate the burden on both the board and schools to prepare question papers for SA. Even students are expected to be given access rights to set "practice question papers".
The LMS' more challenging innovation comes from its ability to evaluate students in formative assessment (FA). Known as co-scholastic, the FA is a complex system of assessment which helps to evaluate students in a non-conventional way. LMS will use interactive methods to evaluate students in their class and home assignments, assertion-reason type questions, quiz, projects/practicals etc.
Also another concept called "adaptive assessment" is being looked at, which will scale up the difficultly level of the test according to the student's ability in three modes - easy, average and difficult. The LMS interactive system will first throw up easy questions online and if the student answers more than 80% correctly, then the next level kicks in. If the student answers 80% correctly at the average level then she/he is taken to the difficult level. This system will again help in providing a fair assessment system, but only after a working model is ready will one be able to judge its performance.
Grading students will also become easier as the software will automatically enter grades in its data bank after online and some offline tests. The grades can be exported straight to the CBSE's grading system software making it easier for schools. Schools will also be able to provide a feedback on CCE through this system directly making communication with the board easier.
CBSE GOES HI-TECH
Schools will be able to log on to LMS for a specified fee
Software will be used initially for Std IX and X
Will be able to churn out question papers, for the summative assessments
Will keep questions ready in every format from every chapter and for every category
Grading students will also become easier