chava kassierer

Hi Vincent. I personally found the robotic voice of the elevator pitch impersonal and hard to relate to. It also slowed down your pitch making it longer than necessary. However you provided the necessary information and the pitch is solid. Good luck.

Great elevator pitch! I was engaged and wanted to hear more about how “Workday Reality” works. Your venture pitch was informative and clear. The research was interesting and disturbing (although misalignment between the academic world and the demands of the actual work force is nothing new) - the pain point came across loud and clear. The solution of VR simulations is not new – we learned about it in the OER. Connecting it with the other facets of your project and to potential employers is the novelty here. I think you should play that up more. The real world projects is added on tasks for students so I am not sure how much buy-in there will be there. With the course work and load students have in university, why would they want to take on more? Student work in their academic institution should reflect the real world so if somehow students could get a credit towards their academic learning program for taking on the program at Workday Reality, that could work! That would create a true alliance between academia and preparing them for the real workforce, and would be a significant step for everyone involved in bridging the gap between academia and the workforce reality. Good luck!

Hi YoonJu. The idea to have online homework help is interesting. You made the pain point clear and I like that it is aimed at saving stress and money for parents and is geared at enabling equal learning opportunities for students in both the private and public school sectors. I also liked the idea that We Care would provide job opportunities for unemployed teachers. Your elevator pitch was well done but here are some suggestions that can possibly improve your venture and pitch: 1) What you pprovide help in all subjects - this was too vague. All subjects seems a bit too vast. Possibly narrow it down. 2) In your goals you state you also want to develop material for teaching. That is an entirely different venture altogether. I would focus on the homework project. 3) I would scratch the f2f centre- focus on schedule a session online – keep it 21st C. Parents don’t want to start driving kids around to do homework, that’s just a regular tutor and there’s no innovation there… 4) Security – when dealing with kids and online communication, security becomes a huge issue. I think it needs to be addressed. Good luck!

Super cool idea. Coming from the field of second language learning myself, I appreciate the need for language learning to be immersive and to reflect real life scenarios reflective of the culture as well. The novelty VR brings to language learning in that it is an immersive learning experience with the ability to simulate and stimulate use of language without stress so it is a great idea. The website was very informative. I like the development plan you lay out. Here are some additional EVA questions/suggestions/comments I have. Some related to the pitch and some to the actual product: 1) The elevator pitch could use some sprucing up. In an actual elevator pitch it’s just you and your ideas and words and how you present and sell them in 60 seconds. But we can’t ignore the fact that this is a digital pitch and so even something visual in the background like a picture representing Chinese mandarin culture or wearing some type of traditional garb could add some flare. 2) I think the price might deter people. Is it so expensive because of the VR? I would be skeptical to invest because I am skeptical people would invest so much for a year on an app to learn a language. 3) You say it is suitable for anyone learning the language. However, we know that language is acquired differently between the ages 0-10 and later on in life. I would have liked to see you address the different methods suitable for children in distinction to later stage language learning. 4) I like that you offer the two modes. VR,AI mode: did you consider including a recording option so that students can hear themselves and assess their own progress? Self assessment is huge and very helpful. Even when I work with teachers, I have them record themselves teaching and then we go over the lesson together I have them look for strengths and areas that need improvement. The option to record might be something that could distinguish your venture from other similar programs out there (?). VR LIVE mode: Just wondering why this would need to be with VR? Since it is a scheduled lesson, wouldn’t a regular video chat with the instructor be sufficient? If VR is beneficial here as well, maybe clarify why and how. Lastly, I enjoyed reading your reflection. It was personal and candid. Good luck!

Hey Ryan. What an interesting concept to incorporate VR into theater! From the media sources you brought, it appears there are two ways this can be used: 1) To bring theater experience from multiple perspectives, to those who can’t get there, 2) To enhance the actual theater experience when actually there – which seems totally awesome (as if going to the theater isn’t incredible enough to begin with…). It is my understanding that your venture would focus on the first option, in which case I probably would keep all sources strictly on this form of VA and theater so that your venture is clear and focused (even though I myself enjoyed learning about the topic). Here are some additional tips I have to offer you: 1) While the price for VR headsets will eventually become less expensive, when you show the Oculus for 500$ my immediate reaction was: A ticket for a student to the theater (we’re not talking about Hamilton on Broadway…) is a lot less. My school took us to 2 French plays and 2 English plays a year and I’m pretty sure it was till less expensive than purchasing headsets for an entire class, or even a few and rotating between students (although this kills the field trip, community experience). I feel I am lacking information on how your project really comes to solve the financial challenge of being able to experience and learn from the theater experience. 2) While I liked your idea of opening with the theater seats, to just look at empty seats for 60 seconds while hearing you speak, isn’t gripping enough. There is nothing more powerful than a personal story. In order to convince of the real need for your venture, tell and SHOW (video, not a still picture) who needs this and how they benefit from it: children/schools without the resources to go to actual theater; children with long term illness that are in the hospital; children with disabilities (spectrum/autism?)…speak to the heart. 3) I was not convinced as to the way(s) in which VR in the Round would actually help develop soft skills. You mention collaboration as an example but how exactly would your project work on this skill is unclear. I would want to see a concrete example(s). I like that you already set up the means through which to contact you for more info, and to sponsor and fund your venture. Good luck!

Thanks so much for your kind words and positive feedback Judy :)

Thanks for your kind words and feedback Jennifer. I was well aware of the fact that I delayed my personal intro. Although I know it is more accepted to first introduce yourself to establish trust so that the audience will want to keep listening, I opted to first get them intrigued by the idea and market and then show them why I am the right person to do it. In my venture pitch I brought in my bio only after discussing why others failed and why I will succeed at developing a quality Bible game. It was a stylistic decision, not the standard flow, but then again, there is nothing standard about the idea of teaching Bible through video games... ;)

Thanks for your feedback and kind words Marc!

Thanks Jiri for your kind words and for your candid and legitimate question. It is indeed a fine balance between making the game enjoyable and good enough for students to want to play but also educational. As explained in my pitch, the learning of the Biblical narrative will be framed in the game/quest narrative, and in order to progress in the quest, students have to read the Biblical text and complete tasks and activities on the Biblical text. Part of these tasks would include questions on how to interpret different aspects of the Biblical text. These questions of Biblical interpretation vary from questions such as: a) interpreting a word or phrase and what can be derived from it, b) evaluating a Biblical characters actions, c) hypothesizing what a character should do next in the Biblical narrative, d) drawing connections between different Biblical stories/characters. The game will be constructed in such a way that it is played in teams or individually and each team/player needs to post their ideas on a discussion board. They can continue the quest once they have completed the task. Where is the quality control of the learning then?! They can gain points/powers/something to help them on the quest by commenting; disproving a different teams answer or explaining why they accept the interpretation, so that they are motivated to contribute. They can be penalized for not contributing (sent back to complete a different task, lose points…) It is the teacher/instructor that “unlocks” powers and notifies the team/player of their reward for their contribution to the discussion, or their setback for failing to complete the task. This is how I envision keeping students engaged and thinking and CREATING in the “learning part”. In terms of keeping the game good enough to keep them interested, here the game narrative is crucial and my team will include experienced game designers that will know how to construct together an exciting quest narrative. After following the game David: Rise of a King, it is clear to me the game invested way too much in game mechanics such as making David swing on a vine like Tarzan and swim through treacherous water. David was a warrior but in no place in the Biblical text does it claim that he had to swim and survive perilous waters. So why invest in developing that?! The game needs to be exciting enough to convince students to want to play, but cannot lose sight of what is the true focus. From my experience teaching middle school, students are happy and excited to play almost any game, even if it isn’t digital. Seriously, sometimes I would be amazed at how excited they were to play simple games I made for them on the smartboard or with Kahoot – jumping out of their seats in 7th grade! What I did manage to create with my limited abilities (And I am not a game designer, I used the simple tools available to me to make it feel like a video game experience), there was total buy in. I can only imagine the enthusiasm for a real video game! Compared to the alternative of no game…I am not suggesting BibleQuest can replace Fortnite, I am suggesting an alternative way to learning, or rather, experiencing the Biblical text in different learning settings.

Thanks so much for your questions Jason! They are excellent and on point. It is clear that you have some type of experience with Bible study. It is somewhat difficult to address the complexity of the points you raise in the limited amount of time of a venture pitch, but I had two of them listed in my own troubleshooting – trying to foresee questions that might and SHOULD come up with potential investors regarding this venture. And in my mind, they would be addressed in the discussion to follow the pitch and in the next phase of the business pitch. I will answer your questions in order: 1) There is a Jewish saying regarding interpretation of the Hebrew Bible: “There are 70 faces to the Bible” to signify the idea that there are multiple ways of interpreting the Bible and the world of Biblical exegesis is vast indeed, and it is one of the key elements that keeps Bible study alive. As explained in my pitch, in order to progress in the game/quest narrative, students would have to read the Biblical text and complete tasks and activities on the Biblical text. Part of these tasks would include questions on how to interpret different aspects of the Biblical text. These questions of Biblical interpretation vary from questions such as: a) interpreting a word or phrase and what can be derived from it, b) evaluating a Biblical characters actions, c) hypothesizing what a character should do next in the Biblical narrative, d) drawing connections between different Biblical stories/characters. The game itself can be constructed in such a way that it is played in teams or individually and each team/player needs to post their ideas on a discussion board. They can continue the quest once they have completed the task. Where is the quality control of the learning then?! They can gain points/powers/something to help them on the quest by commenting; disproving a different teams answer or explaining why they accept the interpretation so they are motivated to contribute. They can be penalized for not contributing (sent back to complete a different task, lose points…) It is the teacher/instructor that “unlocks” powers and notifies the team/player of their reward for their contribution to the discussion, or their setback for failing to take the task seriously. This is how I envision keeping students engaged, thinking and CREATING (there is nothing more exciting for me when my students come up with an interpretation I never learned or came across) about what they are learning in the Bible. I hope this answers a few of your questions. 2) Regarding the money and the quality of the game – it is only for the development of one chapter (of 25 vs) that would serve as a prototype and pilot. Expanding it would require additional funds of course. After following the game David: Rise of a King, it is clear to me the game invested way too much in game mechanics such as making David swing on a vine like Tarzan and swim through treacherous water. David was a warrior but in no place in the Biblical text does it claim that he had to swim and survive perilous waters. So why invest in developing that?! The game needs to be exciting enough to convince students to want to play, but cannot lose sight of what is the true focus. From my experience teaching middle school, students are happy to play almost any game, even if it isn’t digital. What I did manage to create with my limited abilities (And I am not a game designer, I used the simple tools available to me to make it feel like a video game experience), there was total buy in. Compared to the alternative of no game…I am not suggesting BibleQuest can replace Fortnite, I am suggesting an alternative way to learning, or rather, experiencing the Biblical text. Investing in what needs to be invested to make it good enough and exciting enough for the right potential market. 3) Regarding difficult Biblical stories, for example, the rape of Dina and the violent revenge perpetrated by Simeon and Levi on the people of Shechem (Genesis 34). These are questions my team and I had to address when developing our written curriculum as well. We had a policy not to skip any chapter so as not convey the message that some Biblical stories are less important than others. More challenging stories were developed in a less extensive model, providing the tools for teachers to teach the material but essentially leaving it up to teachers/schools to decide whether they want to learn the story or skip it. A game is more expensive to design, so it is a more complicated decision to make. We do not need to “play out” every aspect of a story in order to learn it, and so I don’t see inappropriate graphics being a problem. I would like to think we would be able to provide a way to learn difficult stories as well, but in general, I don’t think the entire Bible needs to be made into a video game. We will decide which parts of the Bible we want to teach as a game and which lend themselves to be taught as a game, and take it from there… 4) Regarding conservative approaches – the objective of the game is to learn and discuss Biblical narrative. I would not include anything in the game that I would not want my own children and students to be exposed to. Part of our job will be to reach out to different figures and groups that represent different denominations and faiths, to involve them in the game and its importance in teaching Bible in the 21st C. A game designed by a group of religious educators, albeit diverse, with the official seal of approval that the content is appropriate and does not contain anything offensive, with the approval of different religious authorities, should generally be accepted. But there will always be people who shy away from change and progress. 5) Which text should be used- King James Bible, New King James Bible, New American Standard? Which interpretation? Once the game is designed, it’s small stuff to put in different text options into the parts of the Biblical text, and so I envision that players choose their version of the game. A Jewish player can pick to play with the Hebrew text option or with an accepted English translation such as JPS; and Christian players can pick their preferred version. Similar to The Bible Museum in Washington, visitors pick their (learning) path based on their faith/interest, so to the game will allow for a few options, the most common texts. I’m not saying it will be simple to make all of these decisions when creating the game, but it won’t be as difficult as splitting the sea ;)