Nick

I would also like to add that sometimes the central feed where every post (excluding comments) appear was at times a bit overwhelming and I question its overall value. At times it was difficult to sort through the feed to find postings from the OER of the week when others will still posting things related to the previous week's OER. I often used the Categories column to jump to the appropriate OER. I wonder if drawing more attention to Categories would make the website easier to navigate?

FEEDBACK (10): Your presentation style is well-organized and neat. You definitely understand the volatility of your market. However, without cross-referencing the features of your LMS to competitors, I cannot confidently assess your business model. In particular, you mention the implementation of gamification which is an appealing idea, but there is no illustration of this. Although you have a solid market strategy, it is necessary to further animate your ideas.

FEEDBACK: Very interesting idea and your tone of voice is extremely confident. However, I am left with some questions. What is the base content? Why can’t instructors manipulate the base content? I don’t entirely understand why the base content should stay the same. Is this because of app development? If content was 100% adjustable, then this product could be used in markets outside of British Columbia. I am not sure how much money this venture can really make in a single market.

FEEDBACK: I agree that ESL teachers would benefit from this app because they can save time preparation time. However, as you said so yourself, ESL teachers are constantly tailoring learning materials to suit the specific needs of their students. I am an ESL teacher and I would not 100% rely on any tool to tailor my learning materials as every student or group of students is different. That is not to say that ESL Teacher’s Aid is not useful, but I do not know how often or when exactly I would ever use this product. Downloading easy to access podcasts are great, but how do I know which one I should use? Competitors have databases consisting of thousands of videos and podcasts, but are available to ESL learners. I think that you have struck into a niche market by targeting ESL teachers themselves. However, ESL Teacher’s Aid cannot escape the reality that it will have to provide copious amounts of content to ESL teachers just as competitors provide for students.

FEEDBACK: Your venture outlines a detailed assessment strategy of various blended learning environments. You articulate very well the demand for blended learning strategies in post-secondary institutions. The big concern is adopting a blended learning solution riddled with implementation inconsistencies as you pinpoint competitors for being guilty of, but I am unable to determine how BLEND would fare any better. How can an investor verify that BLEND truly provides consistent designs? Although instructors are required to design blended learning environments, they may intentionally design a course that some would interpret as inconsistent with other courses offered by a department. Does BLEND step in to help standardize blending learning environments in a particular institution at the behest of instructors or policy makers? BLEND is a great tool, but I am confused about who the customer really is.

FEEDBACK: I really enjoyed your elevator pitch, it was engaging, had catchy music and made me feel like I should be creating maps instead of only trying to interpret them. Your venture pitch covers all the bases a viable venture should cover. In fact, you provide so much information in text-based format that comes off as a little bit too dense. Maybe it is just too close to my bed time, but there was a few times I needed to rest my eyes. Your pitches are convincing though, I couldn't help but snicker at your question about why students are still colouring the ocean blue. I was left wondering how this app could evolve to widen its consumer base beyond students ages 8-12. Could consumers use Mapper to create their own, personalized maps to give quick and effective directions or visualize a location? Possibilities seem endless and this venture may benefit from long-term planning.

FEEDBACK: This is a novel idea that actually might even work in large metropolitan areas. Your venture pitch could have used another medium than Weebly to more effectively illustrate how GPS language exchange would take place. I appreciate the market research you conducted on travel, but it is incomplete. What languages are in the highest demand to learn? Where are people most likely to learn another language? Why are you using Canada as your only focal point when there are bigger and more diverse language learning markets in Asia and South America? I like this idea. I could have used an app while in Japan teaching English to make some extra coin on the side. There are other non-GPS competitors like Teacher7.com that you should be aware of because the essentially facilitate the same sort of random language exchange. Of course, these competitors have their flaws and a mobile app if this kind could exploit those gaps in the language learning market, but your venture does not really explain any strategies to maintain its niche in the market.

REVIEW: This is a useful venture with a clear purpose and strong potential. I like it but I don’t understand why BC should be the starting point for this venture. There are larger markets in education in other parts of the country and certainly abroad. Your venture has the potential to tap into more than just what BC offers. As an investor, I would need to see how your venture intends to branch out and make more buck because I definitely think that it could. Consumers benefit from more players in this market. I am familiar with all your competitors and have some sort of issue with the services each offers. I want more options and you are offering another so I think you did a good job at orientating your venture in a market where real profits can be made. However, your venture would benefit a lot from a chart comparing services. I wanted to see exactly how your venture intends to offer more holistic services and what impact that will have on the process of digital migration. Great breakdown of your proposed budget, but how much do you need to get started? I want to invest, but first need a little bit more convincing why this venture will be viable.

REVIEW: Both pitches very clearly define the pain point: that educators need inexpensive and specific training in educational technology. You do a great job at covering all your bases by stating the value, summarizing the market, drawing attention to competitors, and defining a market strategy. Although the technological medium chosen for the venture pitch is not very engaging, you provide holistic information that sketches a comprehensive picture of the venture in a well-organized fashion. However, I am not convinced I should invest. As leahbio mentioned, investors should really know how the $800,000 that your venture needs will be spent. This is crucial because it highlights specific, market-driven challenges that you need to convince me that your venture can overcome. I am glad that you acknowledge your competition. However, you offer little insight into how your solution is better than others so I cannot confidently evaluate the uniqueness of your venture.

REVIEW: I agree with maxim that the elevator pitch seems out of sync with the music and content, and I too would feel more confident investing in your venture if I heard your voice. That being said, I am snagged by a good idea when I see one. I think any venture that tackles game-based learning is very brave and deserves deeper analysis. Your pain point succinctly describes the inherently tricky nature of adapting game-based learning to the classroom. I am confident that your venture is cognizant that although games are effective at keeping students engaged, they do not always promote the appropriate learning goals. There is a very clear outline defining the role of both students and teachers, which is very helpful in understanding exactly how to use your product. I admire that your venture intends to include many of the academic areas of study, but your venture should make an attempt to somehow illustrate a game design that exhibits these educational qualities. I am left with the impression that this is a fantasy rpg game that only promises to be educational. I think that your solid idea would have been best expressed in a technological medium that enabled you to include interactive media. Your content on Weebly is very clear, but not ironically not very engaging. I would probably invest in this venture if I had a better visualization of the game design.