Blackboard Virtual
Welcome to Blackboard Virtual (Blackboard Virtual is the venture that was developed by Karon Wong) – a venture specifically designed to facilitate and develop skills and knowledge learners need in a virtual setting, Blackboard Virtual promotes better teacher‐student interaction through a real‐time, collaborative educational platform where users can post comments, initiate discussions, enter a chatroom, upload media files, pictures and files, perform mobile conferencing with their mobile devices, and voice authorizing.
Elevator Pitch for Blackboard Virtual
Link to Venture Proposition.
– Karon Wong
Posted in: Venture Forum
unclereg 10:35 pm on July 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hello Karon,
I was a little unsure as to what this idea was designed to do. I’m out of the loop when it comes to smartphones (I don’t own a cell phone) so I’m guessing Blackboard is a pre-existing company and you’ve created a new mock additional program for it called ‘virtual’. I think this idea needs an accompanied picture or mock screen shot, or described scenario in which this program can be applied. I think the use of a phone app is smart because phones are everywhere and this could be a popular program….I’m just not sure of all the features it allows.
Thanks.
-Regen
karonw 12:26 pm on July 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Regen,
Thank you for your feedback, Blackboard Virtual is a mobile application that performs virtual classrooms via a mobile device rather than through a computer as more people carry a cellular around in comparison to a laptop.
More details in regards to my venture can be obtained through my venture proposition.
Thank you for reviewing my venture.
Best,
Karon Wong
vawells 2:04 am on July 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Karon
I really enjoyed viewing your elevator pitch. Neat idea using a smartphone as the delivery tool! Your idea of capitalizing on the mobile market and smartphones is a realistic venture that would certainly have a niche in the market. I am a little unclear as to what you are offering though. Would the features of Blackboard all be accessible and fully functional on the mobile device?
Good luck with your future ventures
Valerie
karonw 12:43 pm on July 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Valerie,
Thank you for your feedback. As indicated in my venture proposition Blackboard Virtual was specifically designed to facilitate and develop skills and knowledge learners need in a virtual setting (just like virtual classrooms e.g. elluminate live but instead of via a computer it is accessible through a mobile device), Blackboard Virtual promotes better teacher‐student interaction through a real‐time, collaborative educational platform where users can post comments, initiate discussions, enter a
chatroom, upload media files, pictures and files, perform mobile conferencing (like face time) with their mobile devices, and voice authorizing. All the other products that Blackboard have can be paired up with this mobile application as Blackboard’s products are all made web accessible so as long as the mobile device have a dataplan or has access to wifi it can access all its products.
Karon
Deborah S 10:16 am on July 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Karon,
I enjoyed your elevator pitch and thought it was great that you delivered your pitch from inside your device. Clever! I’m still a bit unclear as to what your product or service is.
I thought your venture pitch was well laid out and liked the use of colour in the subheadings. I thought the description of the problem could have been a bit stronger as I wasn’t sure what need your company was filling. As an EVA, I would have also liked more detailed information on the services that your competition is currently providing to assess how your product or service is different from theirs.
Good job!
Deborah
karonw 12:36 pm on July 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Deborah,
Thank you for taking the time to review my venture pitch. I tried to showcase how virtual applications would work for a mobile device, hence I have came up with the idea of using a mobile device as a frame for my venture pitch. It was very unfortunate that when I provided all the details to my venture pitch no matter how fast I spoke or how I tried to trim it down with the core details included it still went over 1 minute long. Hence, I had decided to provide a venture pitch that gives a general overview of the current problem, the solution and the main winning point it has compared to its competitors while trying to provide the details in my proposition. The idea was to move virtual classrooms into a mobile device as mobile devices are more common to be carried around, therefore it will be more convenient for learners to access their courses and collaborate with one another live.
Thanks for your suggestions!
Karon
gillian 9:20 pm on July 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Karon,
What a great elevator pitch – presenting a mobile venture via a mobile device is genius – you should pitch it to Blackboard! I was impressed that you were able to maintain eye-contact throughout your pitch and although a little fast – you were able to communicate the important parts of your venture.
As for your venture pitch, however, I am afraid I am in agreement with other comments – I am not sure what your venture is. My understanding from your pitch is that Blackboard Virtual already exists … what are you proposing that is new? Am I wrong in my understanding?
gillian
karonw 10:05 pm on July 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Gillian,
Thank you for your feedback. Blackboard Virtual is what I am proposing it is a mobile application that performs mobile conferencing which is like virtual classrooms done via the mobile device. And no, Blackboard Virtual does not exist it was a venture that I have came up with. Blackboard is a big corporation and have many products including Blackboard collaborate, blackboard transact, blackboard connect, blackboard analytics, blackboard engage and blackboard mobile. However, blackboard mobile is not the same as blackboard virtual as blackboard mobile is just accessing information via the mobile device which is no different than just loading webct on a browser through the mobile device while the venture that I came up with was virtual classrooms offered through a mobile device. My venture proposition attached to this post has more details, please feel free to review it.
Thanks,
Karon Wong
kimnoel 1:30 pm on August 1, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Karon,
Nice pitch and I love your venture idea. To be able to use your smartphone would be fantastic, and I think most users would consider it a valuable purchase.
My biggest concern would be using the small screen on the phone. It would seem that this would be used mostly to check for assignment, grades, comments etc., rather than actually working in discussion forums, etc.
Well done!
Smiles, Kim
karonw 10:48 pm on August 3, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Kim,
Thank you for your feedback. The small screen on the phone was put into consideration for this venture, hence Blackboard Virtual was made available to smartphones, including Blackberries, Androids, iPhone OS and devices such as the iPod touch, iPad and webOS as well .
Karon
Danielle 5:39 am on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Karon,
I am impressed with the presentation of your pitches – very professional. I am also impressed with how your company has been working with “thousands” of organizations, etc, and in 70 countries. Investors are not going to feel as great of a risk with that kind of background. My only suggestion would be to differentiate your product. What is particularly novel and innovative about this venture compared to the wider market, what are some of the challenges, and how will I gain from this from an investor’s point of view? I think you have done an excellent job with this presention, though I think I would need a little more information before diving in.
Danielle
karonw 10:58 pm on August 3, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Danielle,
Thank you for the feedback. The main feature that Blackboard Virtual offers compared to its competitors is mobile conferencing. Although, all its competitors have similar educational mobile applications Blackboard Virtual is the first to have mobile conferencing, which is bringing a virtual classroom to a mobile device. Mobile conferencing for a course can bring people closer together. Although students do not attend the class by physically being there, they render more mutual support and develop better learning relationships. The virtual classroom is
no different than a real classroom as students will be able to see and hear one another with face-to-face interaction. Yet, less progressive students do not have to feel intimated in front of a class but can comfortably pose their questions onto the discussion forum or in the chatroom. By investing in Blackboard Virtual, your institution will be recognized by its unparallelled success which would lead to higher rates of enrollment in the programs being offered by your institution and in return you will have an increase in your revenue.
Karon
troos 2:03 pm on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hello Karon:
The Blackboard Virtual venture you propose sounds like a viable and valuable proposition. Its too bad you couldn’t slow down your presentation somewhat to make it clearer. It may have helped to provide some graphics in your presentation that help focus the listener on all the different aspects you are addressing. Although I found your presentation through the smartphone a neat idea, it would be nice if it was a little larger, using more of the available screen space. I certainly appreciate what you are trying to do with your venture in making learing more mobile and accessible. Great job.
Tim
karonw 11:01 pm on August 3, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Tim,
Thank you for the feedback! Unfortunately, when I uploaded my elevator pitch to YouTube it got compressed pretty badly and the video turned out half the size it was supposed to be.
Karon
Bridget 5:58 pm on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Karon,
Thank you for sharing your pitches and after reviewing your elevator pitch I have the follow comments.
You hooked me from the beginning with the video within the video and I was instantly curious about what you had to say. The iphone instantly told me that what your company was offering would most likely have to do with mobile technology. I think it would have been fun to make it go deeper with the video inside the video inside the video etc. but I am not sure how technologically challenging this might be.
However, the quality of the audio made it difficult to hear and there were not any diagrams or flow charts to help with the explanation of your venture. I understand that it is an app to aid in online learning but it is not clear as to how it will help.
Bridget
karonw 11:06 pm on August 3, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Bridget,
Thank you for your feedback. Blackboard Virtual is the first to have mobile conferencing, which is bringing a virtual classroom to a mobile device. Mobile conferencing for a course can bring people closer together. Although students do not attend the class by physically being there, they render more mutual support and develop better learning relationships. The virtual classroom is no different than a real classroom as students will be able to see and hear one another with face-to-face interaction. Yet, less progressive students do not have to feel intimated in front of a class but can comfortably pose their questions onto the discussion forum or in the chatroom.
Karon
Dennis Pratt 9:01 pm on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Karon;
I like the idea, especially as I have gone mobile over the last few years. I like to have all my favourite programs and web pages on mobile as well as on the computer. It just makes everything smoother and easier one it is set up for mobile devices. I can see Blackboard going this way in the near future. As others eluded to, I would like to know more about the issue you are trying to solve in the elevator pitch. Good work, though.
Dennis
karonw 11:14 pm on August 3, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Dennis,
Thank you for your feedback. Due to the unavailability of laptops and inaccessibility to internet connection, learners are more likely to be disengaged and unmotivated with their learning. Blackboard Virtual was designed to be available through any mobile device. While many mobile applications performs nothing more than just online learning where information is pulled off from the browser, Blackboard Virtual was designed to offer the benefits of synchronicity and engage interactivity, the mobile conferencing feature would support teacher-student and student-student relationships, enhancement on students’ motivation and interaction.
Karon
toddpowell 10:59 pm on August 5, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Karon,
Your presentation was very well done, and kept my attention. A couple of issues that were brought to my mind was, what do you intend to do with the students in the class who can’t afford smartphones, parents won’t buy them smartphones, etc. I just have a fear that this is creating a little bit of a have-vs-have not situation.
Cheers,
Todd