Picture an education system where progress is no longer measured by report cards but by meaningful conversations, insightful feedback, and clear standards guiding every step of the learning journey. Where education that transcends grading and every student feels valued, every teacher empowered, and every parent engaged in their child’s educational journey. Well, the future is closer than ever before.
Say hello to Feedforward! Visit andrewmorris.ca/feedforward to learn more!
FEEDBACK:
I appreciate how this helps align teacher assessment methods with both the curriculum and provincial or national standards. A tool that ensures assessments are meaningful and streamlined is invaluable. I’m curious whether Feedforward could be adapted to any educational context. I’m thinking of, specifically, the IB curriculum, since this is my context. Do you see this as a specifically Canadian venture or could it accommodate various curricula?
Hey David!
Thanks for the thoughtful feedback. The goal would be to have Feedforward scalable to any curriculum anywhere. Organizations would work with our team to make sure that their version of Feedforward caters to their learners, regardless of age and regardless of expectation. This presents many challenges, but we believe it can be done!
Andrew
Great presentation and good idea for a project. My concern is based on when you mention that this is aimed at children and then they are able to give feedback on the learning. I am just slightly concerned about this element of the App. I like the comparison to government standards and that the students performance is partially assisted towards meeting this standard. I think that a challenge with children (age range seeming to be the entirety of grade school and maybe secondary school?) can make creating an interface challenging. Amazing idea and great project. Sam
Hi Sam,
Thank you for looking at my venture. I think there might be a misunderstanding with who is the target user. This is not aimed at children at all, but it will benefit them greatly.
Ultimately, this is a teacher-first tool that will benefit students, organizations and of course, teachers. The teacher receives suggested feedback they can give to the student, but it does not actually give it to the students themselves. Therefore, the UI would be designed for the teacher. Think fast and simple – quick uploading and response – allowing more face time with the students and less clumsy device interactions. As I mentioned in response to David, the goal is to have a version of Feedforward that works within your organizational goals. This includes appropriate training and responses for age, program, and location.
Andrew
Thanks for clearing that up. I am tracking what you mean. Amazing idea and great project.
Hi Andrew,
I think you hit on and tackled a very challenging topic and you’ve done it in a very balanced way which is commendable.
I agree with the arguments that you’ve highlighted of the problems posed by diverse assessments as it relates to seeing an accurate broader picture of relevant standings.
In my role in education, what I observe on a large scale is that when standardized barriers are removed, there are incentives for grade inflation in the private sector or just moving kids through the system in some cases. This is not a judgment of individual teachers, rather outcomes created by system incentives. ‘Feedback’ makes a real attempt at bridging the need for objective, measurable, standards relative to a broad population while recognizing the advantages individual teachers have in being able to be adaptive, creative and unique in their own teaching methods.
As you point out in your section on challenges, it would be difficult to get buy in at the institutional level. Not only financial buy in, of which institutions have precious little to go around, there is an ideological argument around assessments which many educators fall on different sides of. Might I suggest another path to acceptance. Perhaps use parent’s frustration at the lack of being able to obtain a clear measurable benchmark relative to a broader standardized measure and make them your customer. You could use the partners you suggest (Pearson etc) to establish their assessments to institutional or regional equivalencies. That would be extremely difficult without institutional buy-in, but if you could somehow go around the institution and just measure their outcomes whether they like it or not and deliver a product to the parents that would help them see a bigger picture and where their child fits in, I think there is a demand for that. You may find resistance from the educational community to this at first, but if done in a careful, ethical and measured way, I think it would gain respect on its merit and accuracy. Just my 2 cents.
Thanks for exploring a really interesting topic and putting forward a thoughtful Venture pitch.
Rich
Thank you for reviewing my pitch and sharing your insights. Your perspective on using the parental pain point is quite refreshing, and I love the idea. It’s frustrating for parents when they have to navigate differing standards across teachers or schools. How frustrating is it for parents to worry which teacher their child will have or what school their children might go to because they are worried the assessment and achievement standards are different? A clearer understanding of relative student achievement not only enhances programming but also provides better support for students, especially those facing challenges in traditional learning models like English language learners, students with learning disabilities, and neurodiverse students.
REVIEW
Hi Andrew,
I love the idea of being able to streamline feedback processes. I think there is huge opportunity to leverage AI and automation to improve education in that department. I’m curious how your venture would be able to complete “real-time standards-based analysis of teacher lessons”, and where does the data to train the algorithm that is used to make such analyses come from? You mention that teachers upload photos, and resources etc., but it’s not clear to me how that equates to having a system that can objectively analyze those things and the steps involved for getting that established. Also in the spirit of diverse ways of demonstrating understanding, how do you evaluate a student response to a learning task if say one student wants to create a poster vs a student who creates a digital artifact like a website? It would still require a lot of human intervention to transcribe that sort of information into a something that the algorithm can process I think.
Overall, I love the idea, and I appreciate the detailed breakdown of the financials. I am curious why you are only looking for a $200,000 investment when at a bare minimum you project a cost of $350,000 to get through the first 3 phases of your project. According to the roll out plan, It isn’t even put to market by phase 3. It seems like you might run short on funds before even getting to market. I’m also unsure on how you will price your product and what kind of profitability or how long until there is a ROI realized. As an investmentor, it would be good to have a solid understand on the timeline and returns and the structure around how it’s all profitable etc. I think the idea is great and you do a good job and presenting the big picture, but there are a lot of hurdles related to software development that would need to be overcome to make this viable.
Thanks for sharing!
Bradley
Thank you for diving deep into my venture and raising insightful questions. I know from looking at your wonderful venture pitch that you have a similar passion for creating a bigger picture of student capabilities and have created a thoughtful business plan to accompany it. My personal A3 goal was to think big, pushing boundaries and considering possibilities that may seem out of reach at present which lends itself to new obstacles. How fun!
Feedforward’s ultimate objective is to dynamically adjust standards based on accumulating student data. With widespread adoption, Feedforward could leverage vast datasets spanning multiple years and schools to create its own standards within specific boards or regions. Initially, forming partnerships with educational testing companies will lay the groundwork for Feedforward’s standards-based comparisons. Feedback related to curriculum will be derived from its nuanced understanding based on location, subject, and grade levels.
Regarding product diversity, the goal is to have educators upload assignment criteria, allowing for a range of student-generated products. AI’s strength lies in its capacity to comprehend diverse inputs, and can already create realistic sounding songs (SunoAI), images (Midjourney), or text-based submissions, making it adaptable across various formats. While this is a complex endeavour requiring extensive training (e.g., how can it read a Grade 1’s varied writing), the advancements in AI capabilities shows promising strides towards these big goals. Finally, the tool is not meant to be the ultimate judgement, but a reference point. The professional judgement of the educator is extremely valuable and will not be replaced – I still want my job!
On the financial front, I value your feedback tremendously. Trying to find a realistic financial projection is an ongoing refinement process, and I will use your insights as I improve the pitch. I believe that at this early stage, assigning a fixed price or predicting ROI ranges is challenging due to the venture’s evolving nature. That being said, I also recognize this isn’t *exactly* what an investor wants to hear. I’m open to hearing suggestions from the class on revenue streams or monetization strategies as I continue to make the business aspect of the pitch stronger.
Thank you again Bradley!
REVIEW:
Hi Andrew,
Thank you for putting this Venture together! I was curious to see what your Venture entailed and the problem you talk about is a problem nation-wide. I really like that you broke down the current student reporting and how it all flows into your solution. I like how it this would be done in real-time and that it would be a way for parents to see their child’s progress.
While going through your Venture, I had some questions that may strengthen this Venture.
For Privacy and Security, is it safe to assume that this will be a Canadian venture then launch into the American Market? I also wonder where the server would be located to align with privacy and security? I wonder if by stating that the server would be based in Canada, school boards would be more receptive to buying in.
I’m curious about the gradeless approach. I wonder if the intention is to be from grades K-12? Forgive me if I may have missed it but would this eventually lead to grades being provided for post-secondary admissions?
I’m also curious about the return of investment? Is there one? I would wonder if there is a return on the investment. Although your venture is tailored to the education sector, one would assume what does the investor get in return?
I think that the venture would be a good one and I would be interested to see this come to life if ever pursued. Thank you for putting this together.
Jeremiah
Hi Jeremiah!
Thank you for your valuable feedback as I look to improve my pitch. I will absolutely add some privacy considerations – great catch! Gradeless approaches are being adopted at an increasing rate in the elementary and middle school system. This does not necessarily mean students don’t get a final judgement, but that feedback isn’t accompanied by a level. The adoption of a true gradeless system by secondary schools is complicated and I would love to get some more insight to this. Feedforward is a tool to be used all year by the educator, regardless of whether or not they still give a final grade.
In terms of a return, the investor can expect equity appreciation through the revenue model of a subscription based service with options for additional premium features and professional development sales opportunities.
Thanks again for the feedback!
FEEDBACK
Hi Andrew,
I think that this is an excellent idea. Providing the correct feedback in a timely manner is definitely something that many teachers struggle with, myself included. I think that the infrastructure you have put in place here really sets the tone for an amazing product, and your video was very strong to present it. I wonder, what forms of communication are possible between teacher and student or between teacher and parent with this app? Also, for something that allows this kind of communication at this level, is there a possibility that it could be manipulated? Would there need to be some level of security in place for this? Again, I think that this is a great idea, and I can’t really think of anything out there in the industry that is comparable to it. Real time feedback is something that it not always accessible, even in today’s world of nearly unlimited resources for education.
Great idea here. Thank you for sharing.
Adam Turpin
REVIEW:
I am highly supportive of this venture and would consider investment. I appreciate this venture’s commitment to the philosophy of going gradeless, a change which has long been touted by progressivists but has never gained mainstream traction. The intention of harmonizing individualized daily assessment practices and standardized curricular standards addresses a definite need. standards. A venture that can make curricular standards more resonant with teachers within unique contexts and can enhance feedback process stands to make a significant impact in the EdTech market.
The business strategy is intelligent, starting with trials in smaller school districts. This allows for the refinement of practices before scaling up. Feedforward’s approach is well-aligned with the current demand for in-depth educational analytics and the increasing scrutiny of assessment practices. It has the potential to become a valuable tool that provides a rational basis for determining whether or not current practices can assess student learning outcomes.
I also value how Feedforward is intended to address the issue of subjectivity and bias in assessment —an area where AI holds a lot of potential. Maybe an AI- driven educational revolution, which Feedforward represents, can be what topples the grade-based system and creates a culture in which the focus is on understanding and engaging with the material rather than the pursuit of grades.
Well done, Andrew!
Hello Andrew,
This proposition of a gradeless standard for assessing students reminds me of the system in Finland, which has also been recognized for its high achievement globally. Your idea of taking this into an online venture has captured my attention, which started with your elevator pitch for it. The study of this market and your potential challenges are comprehensive and seem accurate. I also felt your investment plan and roadmap seemed accurate and well-planned.
From an investor’s perspective, I would invest. From a customer’s perspective, I feel this would need some work to get people on board, but for my kids’ teaching, I am all for it.
Hi Andrew,
Great elevator pitch! I value the voice of the founder as an idea is pitched.
I am fully on board with the need for quality and timely feedback – this is always a struggle. A tool that can assist with that is always welcome. As I considered your proposal, I found myself very aware of the need for schools to be in line with provincial mandates, and the need for buy-in at political levels, as well as districts and schools. This is a big challenge. You’re right, there is no national standard – education is under the purview of provinces and will remain there. Here in BC, the province recently moved K-9 to proficiency scales, and I use them at the high school level as well though percentages are still required in the end for Grades 10-12. I believe this to be much better, and it opens the door to conversations about progress and standards. A tool to help with this – yes please.
I found it interesting that you noted the ineffectiveness of standardized testing, but your sample phone screens look much like the data that AP teachers receive regarding their student performance on standardized tests.
I’m all in favour for this tool – I just think it will be challenging and require some institutional changes.
FEEDBACK:
Hi Andrew,
Your elevator pitch was very professional and well delivered! I believe feedback is one of the areas I can personally improve in as a teacher, and also that the educational system as a whole could improve at tremendously. Our district has data that our students report cards are looked at by less than half of parents, which means that they don’t find the report cards useful (or they don’t care about their kids achievement but I hope this is less common!)
As an investor I would be on board because I think educators will realize over time that we need to get away from grades (especially for younger students) and get towards targeted, actionable feedback.