An activity a week, teachers and students speak: embedding videos for hands-on activities in primary school teachers' weekly planners

Abstract

This paper details a design approach for the consistent practice of hands-on learning of STEM, Language, Social-Emotional Learning, and Art in primary schools in the low-income contexts of government schools in Uttar Pradesh, India. This program will be deployed in all primary schools in the state, potentially reaching millions of students. The Activity a Week project delivers DIY videos and trains teachers in a hybrid manner. Resources are designed iteratively with feedback from children and teachers. The design approach responds to the environment, teacher experience and children's response. Features of the program include the use of commonly and locally available materials, and physical games and activities to keep costs as minimal as possible. We incorporate multiple scaffolds and entry points for learners at different levels, providing QR codes linking to videos embedded in the teacher guidebook. In addition, we also train teachers and teacher trainers, both online and offline.