Originally posted by MET student Jay Wong on 31/05/2017
Brainitz was first inspired by challenges faced within the flipped classroom. This web-based tool allows teachers to embed questions into their recorded lessons, making them interactive and more engaging with students. If students do not answer a question correctly, the video replays and repeats the question. More information is available on their Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1175827717/turn-educational-videos-into-interactive-lessons?ref=popular
No, there are many products of this nature already out there. The technology allowed teachers to set up quizzes during video lessons that would not allow the student to continue until the mastered the content. The presenter was very engaging and used good visuals to get the point of the technology across. However, the pitch lacked any statistical data that would give the product more credibility. As such the pitch did little to persuade me to want to invest in the venture.
I don’t think flipped classroom was a brand new concept even from 3 years ago but there are more reasons why I wouldn’t invest in Brainitz. Unfortunately I don’t think from an EVA’s perspective, there is much to sell. First it doesn’t seem like the presenter is targeting the right market/audience. The pitch was more about getting the product to more teachers while we are fully aware that teachers don’t necessary have a say in how the funding is allocated to different resources. If school administrators are the ones to decide whether to use Brainitz later on, presenter should also touch upon the benefits it can bring to the schools.
Secondly, there isn’t much differentiation between what the current market already offers and what Brinitz has. There is no real advantage in investing in something that doesn’t offer anything original. Though the passion is apparent, it simply doesn’t offer much in real value. As an EVA, I don’t see any return to the energy and money I would need to put in, if I decided to invest in this.