Hi,
I am Arka Majhi
Health Researcher
Data Enthusiast
Game Designer

Replay, Revise, and Refresh: Smartphone-Based Refresher Training for Community Healthcare Workers in India

Comparing Physical and Digital Card game and their regular in-person training for refresher training of Community Healthcare Workers ... Comparing Physical and Digital Card game and their regular in-person training for refresher training of Community Healthcare Workers. The digital card game was found to be better in learning and knowledge retention with more engagement, mainly due to its interactive and intuitive nature of play.

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Beyond ‘Slumming It’ — AI and the Real Lives of Global South Communities

We conducted workshops in three Global South communities in India and South Africa to explore perspectives on image-based GenAI.

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Posture Clip: Sit properly or I won’t let you work

Posture Clip is a collar-clipped device designed to provide real-time feedback for posture correction. Participants receiving feedback to correct their posture have shown significant improvements in neck flexion, shoulder elevation, and lumbar curvature, aligning with findings from previous research on wearable devices.

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Refresher Training through Digital and Physical, Card-Based Game for Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) and Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) in India

A refresher training game was designed both as a physical card-based and digital app-based game, focusing on enhancing CHWs’ knowledge and practices related to child immunization. A quasi-experimental study was conducted with 368 participants ... A refresher training game was designed both as a physical card-based and digital app-based game, focusing on enhancing CHWs’ knowledge and practices related to child immunization. A quasi-experimental study was conducted with 368 participants. The findings show that game-based refresher training significantly improves CHWs’ knowledge gain and retention in the area of child immunization. The discussion highlights the study’s implications and insights while developing effective digital tools for training CHWs. The research contributes to the growing body of work on digital tools for training CHWs in resource-constrained settings. The study underscores the potential of smartphone games as a scalable and effective method of refresher training for improving child immunization rates.

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Mapping Child Malnutrition and Measuring Efficiency of Community Healthcare Workers through Location Based Games in India

This research contributes to the expanding literature on co-design and Research through Design (RtD) methodologies for developing geospatial games, highlighting their potential to enhance data collection practices and improve engagement among CHWs. ... This research contributes to the expanding literature on co-design and Research through Design (RtD) methodologies for developing geospatial games, highlighting their potential to enhance data collection practices and improve engagement among CHWs.

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Physical and Augmented Reality based Playful Activities for Refresher Training of ASHA Workers in India

Two refresher training tools were developed to make learning the child immunization schedule more exciting and conceptually engaging for ASHAs. The physical and AR (Augmented Reality) versions of designed card games were compared for effectiveness and knowledge retention, pre, and post-intervention through questionnaire tests conducted immediately before and after playing multiple sessions. ... The AR-based play was found to be better in learning and knowledge retention with more engagement, mainly due to its interactive and intuitive nature of play.

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Refresher Training through Quiz App for capacity building of Community Healthcare Workers or Anganwadi Workers in India

An android based quiz app was designed, following Anganwadi Workers training modules’ content and need assessment results. The study investigates the quiz app’s effectiveness and compares it with conventional classroom instruction, with a group of Anganwadi Workers, and discusses ways to make it an adequate substitute. ... High and persistent child malnutrition levels with tardy reduction, seen in successive health surveys, continue to be a matter of concern in India, drawing attention to the need to revamp the four-decade-old Government program, Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS). ICDS field functionaries or Anganwadi Workers’ (AWWs) capacity deficit was identified as a significant factor affecting ICDS’s effectiveness. Considering rising numbers, over 1.4 million AWWs, and continuously advancing knowledge of community healthcare, conventional training pedagogy is ineffective in building and updating AWWs and their supervisors’ capacity, which calls for rethinking, using the ICT approach.

Over 6 lakh AWWs in India were smartphone equipped by 2020. An android based quiz app was designed, following AWWs training modules’ content and need assessment results. The study investigates the quiz app’s effectiveness and compares it with conventional classroom instruction, with a group of AWWs, and discusses ways to make it an adequate substitute

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Data Visualization of Covid-19 cases in India (State and District wise)

We are happy to note that, WHO has also found these maps useful for their India Situation Reports ( WHO Report 9 on 28^th March, WHO Report 10 on 5^th April and WHO Report 15 on 10^th May )

Click here to see the data visualization project

Novel interactions for navigating in VR sports

Enhancing immersion in Virtual Reality sports through novel physical interactions and haptic feedbacks

Click on the video to watch the promo video of the project.

Click here to watch the working details of the project.

Prime Minister Research Fellowship for Doctoral Studies - Review Meeting

14 February, 2023

Presented progress of my Doctoral Studies at the Prime Minister Research Fellowship - Review Meeting organised by SERB-FICCI hosted at IIT Delhi.

The poster presentation explains the design and development of a digital card game to be played on a smartphone for training Community Healthcare Workers like ASHAs and Anganwadi Workers on the topic of scheduled immunization and timely care to be provided for :

1. Children below age of 1 year
2. Children above age of 1 year
3. Ante-natal care or care for pregnant women
4. Post-natal care or care for mothers after child delivery

By playing the game for a few rounds, the player or the community healthcare worker is expected to refresh the knowledge of timely immunization and care to be given to children, pregnant women and mothers, which would hopefully lead to better health outcomes.

I want to thank Prof. Satish B. Agnihotri , Prof. Girish Dalvi , Prof. Uday Athavankar , Prof. Amit Arora , Prof. Sarthak Gaurav and Dr. Rupal Dalal for guiding me throughout the research.

I would also like to thank all the Community Healthcare Workers ( ASHAs and Anganwadi Workers ) and their supervisors who participated in the study and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Women and Child Development for their cooperation.

I want to thank SERB-FICCI and UNICEF India for funding my Doctoral Research studies.

Consultation Meeting : Key findings of CNNS (Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey)

The Coalition for Food and Nutrition Security (CFNS) in collaboration with Innovative Change Collaborative and Civic Engagement Alliance organised one day consultation meeting on the Key findings of CNNS (Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey) on 28 November, 2019. The objective of the meeting was knowledge dissemination and discussion over the CNNS survey.

Workshop on UX Design at SPA Delhi

Participants :
43 college students from Jamia Milia Islamia University, School of Planning and Architecture Delhi, Amity University, Delhi University Persuing Architecture and Masters in Design
15 high school students (class 12th) from Bal Bharati Public School, Delhi

Off Line: 12 classes x 1.5 Hrs [Hands on exercise and Presentations included] (19-21 April, 2024)
Topics Covered in the workshop:

1. User Research and Analysis
2. Information Architecture and Interaction Design
3. Visual Design and UI Principles
4. Usability Evaluation and Testing
5. UX Strategy and Design Thinking
6. Accessibility and Inclusive Design

Information Visualisation, Statistical Data Analysis and Business Analytics for Bachelors and Masters of Design students at MIT Pune (Loni Campus)

2023-2024
80 students are taught for 6 weeks in person classes (30 X 6 Hrs) in MIT Pune, Institute of Design

Topics covered under Information Visualization Module
1. Visualization techniques and principles
2. GIS techniques for Data Representation. Tools and Datasets- Census 2001 and 2011, NFHS4 and NFHS5
3. Scatterplot, Regression, Tools for visualization - Excel and Flourish
4. Dispersion, Clustering, Box Plots, Central Tendency, Normal Distribution, Tools for visualization - Python

Output of the class:
Click here to see the compilation of Capstone Projects presented at the Foyer by the student groups

Topics covered under Statistical Analysis Module and Business Analytics
1. Qualitative and Quantitative approach to Design Research
2. Variables - Dependent and Independent
3. Research Question, Hypothesis, Redearch Design
4. Null hypothesis significance testing (NHST): Criterion of falsifiability | Null hypothesis and alternative hypothesis | Level of significance (α) | Two-tailed or one-tailed p values
5. Goodness of fit tests: Proportions, interval Z test, interval t test , ordinal KS test, nominal chi-squared test, Two-tailed p values
6. Benchmarking: Proportions, interval Z test, interval t test, One-tailed p values
7. Comparing two interval samples: Dependent measures (within subjects) - paired t test | Independent measures (between subjects) - Student’s t test equal / unequal variances | Two-tailed p values and confidence limits for the difference
8. Comparing two ordinal samples: Independent - KS test
9. Comparing two binomial samples: Independent - chi-squared, N-1 chi-squared, Fisher exact, Z test equal and not equal | Dependent - Z test
10. 1-way ANOVA, ANCOVA, MANOVA, Multiple Measures ANOVA
11. Regression, Correlation and Causation

Workshop on Data Visualization for the Chief Minister Fellows

27 Chief Minister Fellows were trained for 9 days in person classes (4 X 1.5 Hrs each) in IIT Bombay and 46 (every saturday) classes online (2 X 1.5 Hrs each)

Off Line: 4 classes x 1.5 Hrs [Short quizzes and exercise included] (29th May to 8th June, 2023)
1. Importance of data in governance and its visualisation,
2. Different visualisation techniques including GIS mapping,
3. Hands on exercise for a district, handling large data, use of dash-boards,
4. Learning basic techniques including QGIS

On Line: 6 Classes x 3 Hrs – Detailed elaboration of the techniques, exercises and presentations
1. Familiarity with Censusgis.org: Looking at different demographic and infrastructure parameters
2. Hands on exercise for a district and class presentations
3. Using the NFHS-4 and NFHS-5 website – Using the data to communicate with Policy
4. Exposure to various data sets How to make data analysis ready / practicing QGIS
5. Using different visualisation tools: Pie Chart, bar graphs, boxplots, line graphs, colour coded tables, Radar Diagram and their use through a dash-board
6. Hands on analysis for a district

Training Monitoring and Evaluation officers of all districts of Maharashtra state

Capacity Building Workshop for M&E officers of all districts of Maharashtra state at the State Health Systems Resource Centre, based in Yashwantrao Chavan Academy Of Development Administration (YASHADA) at Pune

• Batch 1 : 3 and 4 May, 2023

2-week Workshop on Data Driven Agriculture: Tools and Techniques theme for the researchers of VNMKV Agricultural University, Parbhani, Maharashtra

The workshop was held on 10-23 December, 2022. There were 42 participants. About 40% have engineering background (Soil and Water Conservation Engineering, Food Science and Technology, Remote Sensing, Farm Power etc. ) and rest have Agriculture Science background (Agronomy, Horticulture, Entomology and so on). This workshop was to help them appreciate Data Visualization, Application of data analytics in Agriculture, Intro to software tools such as R, Python, MINITAB and a few advance statistics topics.

Training program on Data Visualisation and Interpretation using Tableau for the development sector professionals

The Coalition for Food and Nutrition Security (CFNS) in collaboration with CTARA, IIT Bombay organised two days training program on "Data Visualisation and Interpretation using Tableau" for the development sector professionals on 28 & 29 November, 2019. The objective of this training is to provide hands on training to the CSOs/ academicians for enhancing their skills in big data visualisation techniques using tableau, one of the most powerful and fastest growing data visualisation tools.

Best Paper Award (Asian CHI 2021)

Best Paper Award in long paper category in Asian CHI Symposium 2021 in CHI 2021 for the paper titled : Refresher Training through Quiz App for capacity building of Community Healthcare Workers or Anganwadi Workers in India

Best Paper Award (Asian CHI 2022)

Best Paper Award in long paper category in Asian CHI Symposium 2022 in CHI 2022 for the paper titled : Physical and Augmented Reality based Playful Activities for Refresher Training of ASHA Workers in India

Prime Minister Research Fellowship

Prime Minister Research Fellowship for doctoral research in collaboration with SERB-FICCI and UNICEF India

Masters in Design (2016-18)

Masters in Design from Industrial Design Centre (IDC), Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) specializing in Interaction Design

Bachelors in Architecture (2011-16)

Bachelors in Architecture from School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi (SPA Delhi)

Dainik Bhaskar

Dainik Bhaskar, on September 28, 2023, featured my research experiment, which involved the use of a smartphone game app for providing refresher training to ASHA workers in Burhanpur District, Madhya Pradesh.

#Research #ASHAWorkers #TrainingInnovation

Link to the digital publication: Click here

Dainik Bhaskar

On September 29, 2023, Dainik Bhaskar featured my visit to Jhiri, a village near Burhanpur. During my visit, I engaged with the primary and secondary school students, encouraging a daily newspaper reading habit. I explored various areas of the village, offering solutions to pressing issues. I also connected with local households, small-scale and cottage industries, as well as large-scale mill businesses, proposing strategies to foster a thriving and harmonious village livelihood.

#CommunityEngagement #Empowerment #VillageDevelopment