CholPori

CholPori produces K-5 multimedia learning and teaching materials to develop academic excellence and nurture well-being. Materials include animated and audio lessons, practice sets and illustrated, leveled books in English and Bangla.

Mission statement 

Make K-5 learning and teaching fun, easy and meaningful for all students and educators with engaging, culturally-relevant, multimedia materials. 

Vision statement 

We envision a world where all children are individually supported in pursuing their interests  and strengthening their learning abilities. 

Core values 

CholPori content and features are developed according to 5 principles which are written from an understanding of child development and faith in interdisciplinary approaches. 

• Budding potential 

Every child has unlimited potential and CholPori supports them in unleashing it. Children can develop their talents and interests through academics, reading, and taking on challenges.

• Growth mindset

CholPori is a cheerleader, encouraging children to treat every challenge as an opportunity and each mistake as a learning. We help children develop confidence and the “I can do it” attitude.

• Joy of learning

Every child has a unique way of learning. CholPori respects cognitive diversity and develops materials to support multimodal learning to make learning joyful for all.

• Social emotional learning 

CholPori helps children to be aware of themselves, regulate their emotions and achieve personal and societal goals by developing positive relationships and making responsible decisions. 

• Friendly learning environment 

CholPori, a digital learning platform, provides a child-friendly learning environment and ensures digital security. 

Educational Content Development

• Research development of national education policy 

• Research developments in international edutech and teaching methodologies

• Map NCTB curriculum and plan CholPori curriculum in alignment

• Plan and develop original modules and materials 

• Develop learning methodologies and approaches

• Develop diagnostics materials and assessment tools

• Oversee the development of learning materials (lessons, assets, MCQ quizzes, books)

• Oversee translation, editing and publishing work 

• Lead research into efficacy of content and product, and apply learnings to improve the output 

• Partnerships and School Relations

• Develop partnerships with government and non-government institutions

• Write applications and proposals 

Team Management & Leadership

• Work with other teams to ensure the larger company goals

• Lead team learning sessions on relevant topics

• Design workflows and train team members to use them

• Maintain team HR documents up to date

• Recruit team members 

• Ensure team members are working with joy and efficiency

Cross-team collaboration

• Oversee marketing communications

• Give feedback on UX/UI 

• Assist in usability testing

Our team comprises a diverse range of professionals, including learning instruction designers, software engineers, system analysts, data analysts, partnership managers, and UX/UI designers. Each team member brings a strong academic background, expertise, experience, and dedication, making them valuable contributors to the project.

Our Education Team lead has practical experience in pedagogy and teaching at various levels in Bangladesh, coupled with an understanding of educational technology and research methodology. Her experience in the classroom and designing CholPori pilot testing in urban and rural areas,  has nurtured her comprehensive understanding of the context, realities and opportunities of the primary school system in Bangladesh. This knowledge enables her to provide strategic guidance and direction throughout the LEAP project sprint.

The members of the supporting team possess unique skills and perspectives and a positive approach to the challenges of conducting field research in schools. Their collective expertise enhances the team's ability to address the challenges effectively.

Within our organization, we recognize the significance of the LEAP project and its potential to improve educational experiences for teachers and students. Prioritization is a key practice for us in managing tasks and projects. Considering the insights and results that the LEAP project can deliver within a short timeframe, we assign it high priority. Senior-level members of our organization will commit to dedicating 2-4 hours of work per week during the sprint to ensure its success. Our effective project management strategies, including clear communication channels, optimized workflow, and leveraging the team's capacity, allow us to allocate the necessary time and effort to the LEAP project.

A K-5  high-quality, accessible and affordable, digital platform for individuals  and classrooms to improve academic performance and nurture well-being.

The current state of numeracy and literacy in Bangladesh indicates a significant need for improvement. There are 17 million children currently enrolled in the primary school level in Bangladesh. According to research by USAID and World Bank 76% of students in class 5 are not achieving minimum reading proficiency and 60% do not reach proficiency in math. 

Furthermore, traditional teaching methods and limited access to quality learning resources hinder the development of numeracy and literacy skills among students. Many schools lack sufficient teaching materials, including textbooks and supplementary resources, which are essential for a comprehensive education. As a result, students face difficulties in grasping fundamental concepts, applying them in practical scenarios, and achieving academic success.

 The lack of interactive and engaging learning materials tailored to the national curriculum has impeded progress and fueled drop out rates. Given these challenges, there is an urgent need for CholPori to address the numeracy and literacy gaps in Bangladesh's education system. By producing high-quality learning content aligned with the national curriculum, CholPori can bridge the resource and accessibility gaps, providing students with the necessary tools to enhance their numeracy and literacy skills. 

Our solution is a web app with personalized student accounts which hosts quality content (multimedia lessons, practice sets, read-aloud books). CholPori is designed to cater to students in grades K-5, whether they are studying independently or in a classroom setting. The platform offers a wide range of multimedia content, ensuring that children with diverse learning styles can benefit from it. 

Students, guardians and parents can track progress over time. The content blends socio-emotional learning and academic learning objectives through the use of storytelling and characters. The platform is interactive and child-friendly.

Currently, our research is centered around exploring the usage of our solution in larger classrooms where only a single device may be available. We aim to determine how the varied materials and media can effectively engage students with different levels of understanding. Additionally, we are investigating ways to leverage these materials to manage larger classrooms, such as implementing group activities, independent assignments, and collaborative projects. 

In Q4 of 2022, CholPori conducted a pilot study to evaluate the effectiveness of its educational product. The study took place over a period of four weeks in two private schools: Chittagong Grammar School (CGS) and Abinta Kabir Foundation School (AKFS). The product was implemented in classes 4 for English and math subjects, involving a total of 51 students and four teachers.

Before the pilot study, pre-pilot surveys were conducted with both students and teachers to understand their needs and gather baseline information. Throughout the pilot period, weekly surveys were administered to assess the students' and teachers' experiences with CholPori. These surveys aimed to gather feedback on usability, engagement, and perceived impact on learning.

In addition to surveys, a CholPori team member observed classroom lessons once a week and recorded predetermined data points. This qualitative observation helped capture insights into how the product was being used and its impact on classroom dynamics.

To evaluate academic performance, students completed assessment tests in math and English both before and after the pilot period. By comparing the results, the study aimed to identify any changes in academic performance that could be attributed to the use of CholPori. 

Throughout the pilot study, teachers had access to a 24-hour reporting tool to report any technical issues they encountered while using CholPori. This feedback mechanism allowed the CholPori team to address any technical issues promptly and ensure a smooth user experience.

The pilot study provided valuable data and feedback on the implementation of CholPori in the classroom. By collecting information through surveys, observations, academic assessments, and usage analytics, the study aimed to demonstrate the effectiveness of CholPori in improving student learning outcomes and enhancing the teaching experience.

During the pilot study, it was observed that teachers reported higher levels of student participation in the classroom when using CholPori compared to their regular teaching methods. This suggests that the platform has the potential to increase student engagement and involvement in the learning process.

The presence of the teacher character, Ms. Pecha, within the platform also had a positive impact. Teachers saw Ms. Pecha as a role model and aimed to conduct lessons similar to her approach. On the other hand, students could connect with characters like Robot and Kathal and tried to practice positive behavior and grit in their daily lives. This indicates that incorporating relatable and inspiring characters or role models within the educational content can influence teaching practices and create a positive learning environment.

One specific aspect of the solution that had a noticeable effect was the audio recordings of new English words. These recordings helped improve students' pronunciation and motivated them to speak in English. This highlights the potential of incorporating multimedia elements, such as audio, to enhance language learning and oral communication skills.

In terms of academic performance, the comparison of pre-pilot and post-pilot assessments showed a significant improvement in student scores. In math, 50 out of 51 students demonstrated improved performance, while in English, 39 out of 52 students showed improvement. On average, students' scores increased by approximately 20%. These findings suggest that the CholPori platform has the potential to positively impact students' academic achievement.

Informed by the research findings, CholPori plans to expand its pilot study to 29 schools in Dhaka and Chattagram in 2023. This expansion will provide an opportunity to further evaluate the effectiveness of the solution across a larger sample and diverse school settings.

The organization's go-to-market (GTM) strategy for 2023 focuses on developing partnerships with schools and onboarding students through these partner schools. By forging collaborations with educational institutions, CholPori aims to reach a wider student population and establish 100 CholPori schools by Q3 of 2023.

The pilot study data indicated that students’ engagement in class increased when CholPori was being used and their academic performance improved as well. However, it should be noted that the findings about increased student engagement are either reported by the teachers or CholPori observers. The teacher reported data may be biased as teachers may want to report positively about their students so that their reputation as a teacher is protected. CholPori observers did not have a reference point to compare students’ level of enjoyment and engagement. For example, were students enjoying lessons and as engaged before CholPori was used in the classrooms? Similarly, the improvement in academic performance could be a result of natural academic progression over time or due to the increased engagement when using CholPori. Therefore it cannot be definitely stated that students performed better academically only because of using CholPori during lessons. Ideally, having a control group of the same grade students but from a different section would provide further insights and minimize these biases. 

Since CholPori is entering the market commercially, it is vital to have a strong evidence base at this point which indicates that CholPori contributes to academic improvement of its users. We wish to improve our data collection and reporting mechanisms. 

RQ1: How can CholPori better support teachers in identifying, embracing and effectively addressing within-group variability in a classroom, while also accelerating the learning progress of students with different performance levels?

RQ2: How can we optimize our evaluation and research methods to gather actionable feedback and insights, quickly and efficiently, from students and teachers to help us design better features, interface and content for learning variability?

CholPori aims to enhance the learning experience for teachers and students by collecting insights and feedback, and we seek support from LEAP fellows to improve our data collection and research methodologies. Here's how LEAP fellows can contribute:

• Feedback on Current Design: LEAP fellows can help identify strengths and areas for improvement in our existing evaluation tools, such as surveys and interview checklists.

• Design of Scalable Tools: LEAP fellows can leverage their expertise to design new evaluation and research methodologies that are scalable and aligned with our specific objectives.

• Data Collection Techniques: LEAP fellows can assist in developing efficient data collection techniques, including surveys, interviews, focus groups, or observations, to capture meaningful insights from students and teachers in a timely manner.

• Data Analysis and Interpretation: LEAP fellows can support us in structuring the analysis model to derive actionable insights and make informed decisions based on the collected data.

• Research Ethics and Validity: LEAP fellows can collaborate with us to develop ethical guidelines, ensure the validity of our findings, and address any potential biases or limitations in the research design.

By collaborating with LEAP fellows, we can tap into their expertise, experience, and knowledge to optimize our evaluation and research methods. This collaboration will enable us to gather valuable feedback and insights efficiently, leading to informed decision-making and improved outcomes in our educational initiatives.

These outputs can be put into action in our next research round which will begin in January 2024 (the start of the academic year in Bangladesh). We will use the feedback to identify areas where the existing research tools and methods are not effective. This information can be used to develop new tools and methods or to improve the existing ones to be more effective and efficient. 

We would like to improve our data collection techniques so we can scale the research and expand the focus area (including remote hill areas). The third output will help us design better channels of communication and collection. Likewise analysis will need to be done on bigger volumes of data, and we need to prepare for this leap with smarter data analysis and interpretation approaches. 

We will  implement the newly designed tools and practices almost immediately at the end of the LEAP program.. This will involve training the team on how to use the new tools and practices. It will also involve developing a plan for how the new tools and practices will be used in the research.

We will use the new ethics and validity standards throughout the organization, not only in classroom testing but in usability tests and content assessments. 

Short-term outcomes 

• Improved Teacher Training and Support: CholPori will be able to provide teachers with enhanced tools, resources, and strategies to identify and address within-group variability in the classroom. This support will enable teachers to tailor their instruction and interventions to better meet the diverse learning needs of their students. 

• Actionable Feedback: By optimizing the evaluation and research methods, CholPori aims to collect feedback and insights from students and teachers in a timely and efficient manner. This feedback will be actionable, providing valuable information to guide the design of CholPori's features, interface, and content, ensuring they effectively address learning variability.

• Enhanced Adaptability: CholPori should become more adaptable to different learning styles, abilities, and preferences. Based on the findings from the future studies, CholPori will be able to develop a more responsive and flexible platform that can cater to individual student needs, promoting engagement and personalized learning experiences.

Long-term outcomes 

• CholPori aims to accelerate the learning progress of all students, regardless of their performance levels, by effectively addressing within-group variability and incorporating personalized features, CholPori should contribute to improved academic outcomes for students, ensuring their individual potential is maximized. 

• CholPori hopes to satisfy users (students and teachers) with its offerings. By actively seeking feedback, implementing improvement and continuously iterating the platform, CholPori aims to create a positive and engaging learning environment for all users with diverse needs. 

• CholPori aims to develop evaluation and research methods that can be scaled and applied in various classroom contexts to be able to gather valuable insights on a larger scale and contribute to improving educational practices. 

• CholPori team members want to learn from the feedback and insights, work for improvements and ensure efficacy of the learning materials and growth of the organization.