Reflection
Data analytics and the affordances thereof are of great interest to me as an educator. This is due to my own lack of formal training in education, looking to data to “show me what I cannot see.” It is also due to my multi-disciplinary, multi-stakeholder, and 3-dimensionally focused career choice (interior design), where I am not only constantly creating and using visuals to share ideas, but also constantly looking to learn from clients in sectors I am unfamiliar with, and from other experts that I need to collaborate with (engineers, contractors, etc.) This frequency of “unfamiliar” territory has me always looking for connections, similarities, and shared parameters, which led me to the idea for per | data as an effort to find and learn from existing information.
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The strengths of this pitch, and of per | data in general, are the educational focus which is not common in data-driven dashboards like this one, the focus on learning analytics (LA) specifically (which, following peer feedback, I would elaborate on and offer further support to such as ‘helpers’ to input data), and the small, “at your own pace” opportunity for LA use by educators. Learning analytics is an enormous field of opportunity, but often overwhelming for educational institutions and underfunded. These strengths should allow for piquing the interest of investors and users, without overwhelming.
The weaknesses of this pitch are partially mine as a founder, as a non-full-time educator or programmer who would lack the resources to create this entire system on my own - but who would prefer to be as "hands on" as possible, and also partially the field of LA’s, which tends to be “foggy” and misunderstood by educators, leading to a lack of recognition in its capacity, and lack of resources showing ROI. Due to this my venture pitch struggles to articulate anticipated overall revenue gain, a critical piece for investor interest. Additionally, many educators (users) consider (perhaps rightfully) that their experience is worth more than data, and investors may not even be aware of the field of LA. Pitching per | data as an inquiry-based add-on tool is critical for user adoption, but may make investors feel that the platform is ‘not necessary’. These weaknesses could trigger a lack of confidence, and a dismissal of value in the venture.
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In developing this elevator and venture pitch on per | data, I have learned how much effort goes into even small pitches, and how polished and prepared entrepreneurs can be expected to when requesting funding. I was blown away by the depth that the venture preparation alone could reach before a business is even began. Completing this assignment has left me with a better sense of how I may start a venture in educational technology, if I choose to do so!
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