Just wanted to write a short post to congratulate the fledgling EVAs of ETEC 522 2009.

Well done. Lots of evaluations (tables and prose) and comments on EVA findings. Thanks also for the useful resources that have been posted to support extensions to the content for Module 2.

d.

A VERY new (pitches are not quite public yet) addition to bplans.com this section of the site allows users to post video pitches to the community to be evaluated (looks like 522 has some competition).  With a host of other free information on pitches and business plans, this site would be well worth a browse in preparing to develop your own pitch.  Welcome video by Tim Berry gives some solid thoughts on developing a pitch.

bplans.com pitch site

The Business Link is a joint web site- hosted by Govt. of Alberta and the Govt. of Canada.   http://www.canadabusiness.ab.ca/

This web site has many different sections from marketing- financing and includes a section  on e-business

Marketing- http://www.canadabusiness.ca/servlet/ContentServer?cid=1104766631708&pagename=CBSC_AB%2FCBSC_WebPage%2FCBSC_WebPage_Temp&c=CBSC_WebPage

e-business- http://www.canadabusiness.ca/servlet/ContentServer?cid=1184870303638&pagename=CBSC_AB%2FCBSC_WebPage%2FCBSC_WebPage_Temp&c=CBSC_WebPage

Hi:  I have completed my Business bootcamp analysis of the 2 pitches.  I did them on a chart in word.  I would to copy the chart into my post.  How do I do this?

Bev

I don’t remember seeing any of these sites posted let me know if you find them helpful!

http://www.1000ventures.com/venture_financing/vfin_vp_chart_byvpa.html – cool venture planning concept chart!

http://abc.go.com/shows/shark-tank– American version of Dragons Den, prime time version of making the pitch! 

http://sbinformation.about.com/cs/bestpractices/a/jointventure.htm – I found this interesting it is all about the benfits of entering in a joint venture to improve the chances of your company’s success.

Okay, so here is my evaluation of Royal Roads University (RRU) open courseware and Recombo.  Having been my first time as an EVA I found this to be challanging task.  More research time on both topics is what I would need to go forth with an investment.  Teachers love these little organizational charts!! 

Second Life (SL),  owned by Linden Lab, is an online 3D world created and maintained by its users (residents).  Click here for a short video. Although not originally intended to be, the Second Life platform is emerging as a learning technology.

Face 1 – Market Focus

The SL platform offers opportunities to all three market sectors on the cube. Higher education institutes like colleges and universities have raced to establish themselves on the SL grid to offer distance/blended course offerings and to create virtual learning spaces. The corporate world serves as another market because companies, both private and government, can establish a presence in SL and use the platform for training and development. To a lesser extent, the K-12 sector represents another market focus. Although the potential is there for profit from the K-12 markets, growth has been slower due to several restrictions and barriers.

Face 2 – Types of Offerings

As a learning technology, SL offers infrastructure as a mechanism for providing online learning opportunities. Although general membership and participation in SL is free, those wanting to create learning opportunities must purchase land and pay other service fees.  Content and subject matter is the responsibility of the users/clients. Varying levels of technical support only is offered by SL to its paying customers.

Face 3 – Who is the Buyer?

Typically, SL as a learning technology is purchased by corporations, school districts, and higher education institutes. According to the cube, I suppose it is either “learning bought for learner” or “learning bought centrally” depending on how the purchaser intends the technology will be used and whether the use of SL is imposed on learners and institutions. Interestingly, there is an opportunity for revenue from individual learners once immersed in the learning technology because SL has its own currency system and market that entices users to make purchases, sometimes costing real world funds.

Face 4 – Global Markets

The SL platform is best suited for regions with excellent Internet infrastructure. Regions where Internet and bandwidth is limited or restricted will experience far too many problems using SL as learning technology. In fact, broadband Internet and above average computer hardware are minimum recommendations for using SL. Regarding the issue of language, the SL platform is available in English, French, German, and Chinese. This could be viewed as a restriction, however, because SL is created and maintained by its users creative ways to translate the interface have been used including an in-world translator.

Face 5 – Development of the Market

I’m hoping this face of the cube allows for some blurring of the boundaries because I’m not exactly sure where SL as a learning technology fits in regarding development of the market. As previously stated, poor Internet infrastructure, potential language barriers and poverty creates unfavourable market conditions for selling SL as a learning technology in some regions. It simply is not a good fit in some countries. However, generally speaking, the global market freely imports  and exports learning technologies. Potential buyers are free to consider using SL. While SL does face a small number of competitors in the virtual world market, its popularity gives it a slight edge.

Face 6 – Learning Technology Competing with Other Forms of Learning

SL is a learning technology that “works with a well developed learning system”. SL is likely going to be used to enhance teaching and learning by those who have chosen to explore the benefits of the engaging environment of 3D virtual worlds. In some cases, however, I could see that the use of SL as a learning technology could be imposed on a system as a cost and time saving means of delivering instruction and training. Corporations, for example, might make it mandatory for employees to enroll in professional development delivered in SL as opposed to the more traditional means of expensive face to face training sessions and conferences. In this case, drawing from the cube, the technology is “imposed and competes with existing learning systems”.

Welcome to Module 3 – which takes up weeks 3 & 4 of the course.

We’ve given this module more time than the others because it begins a shift in thinking to the perspective of the entrepreneur – which is more daunting than that of the analyst.   It’s so much easier being a critic than an innovator!   What entrepreneurs need most is focus, and identifying a customer is obviously a critical part of that.  Identifying a market is also critical, and the CUBE is one good tool for creating an understanding of the global marketplace.

I really appreciate all the great global resources that have already been offered forward by 522 students, and I’m looking forward to more!

DavidV