State schools to have lesson-based assessment, evaluation through app

With an aim to improve the learning outcome of school children, the Department of School Education and Literacy (DSEL) has decided to introduce Lesson-Based Assessment (LBA) from the upcoming academic year.

Under the LBA method, students from classes 1 to 10 will be tested after completing each lesson at the school level. Evaluation of answer sheets will be through digital technology, using a mobile app developed by Vidya Samiksha Kendra of the National Digital Education Architecture of the Union Ministry of Education.

In addition, the DSEL has submitted a proposal the Union government and State government for necessary funds for the implementation of this scheme.

Why the initiative

Several surveys conducted on the learning outcomes of school children, including the UDISE+ report, have highlighted significant gaps.

Although four Formative Assessment (FA-4) and two Summative Assessment (SA-2) tests are conducted annually at the school level, teachers and the education department have failed to identify and rectify the learning disabilities. This has also affected class 10 results. In this context, DSEL has decided to conduct an LBA for all students from classes 1 to 10 from 2025-26.

How will LBA be conducted?

LBA will focus on using informal methods like short quizzes, quick checks and others. Lesson-based tests will be conducted on the basis of fill in the blanks, Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ,) and others. To avoid burden of evaluation on teachers, steps have been taken to conduct the assessment of the answer sheets through a mobile app.

“If the answer sheets are scanned through this app, it will assess them instantly and display the score. So, it helps teachers determine how well students have grasped the material covered in a particular lesson and whether the lesson objectives have been achieved,” said K.V. Trilok Chandra, Commissioner of Public Instruction.

“LBA allows teachers to identify areas where students are struggling in the respective chapters, and if the children do not understand the concepts, they will be taught again. Students receive immediate feedback on their learning, enabling them to address any misunderstandings. Regular assessment help students stay engaged and focused on the subjects,” he added.

Request for grant

Mr. Chandra added that they need funds to conduct exams for each subject and provide free answer sheets to children and other components. “In this context, a proposal has been made to the Union government to provide additional fund through Samagra Shikshana Karnataka and State governments,” stated Trilok Chandra.