1.
Segment:
The segment
I identified is one that includes UF students in the Warrington College of Business
that take two or more online classes.
2.
Analysis
from the three conducted interviews:
Three interviews
I conducted consisted of students in the Warrington College of Business, in which
two had two classes online and one had four online classes. When initially
explaining the problem I believe existed, all three interviewees did agree that
laziness and other factors played a role in not having the desire to watch all
pre-recorded lectures but didn’t believe an adequate solution was available to
ease their problem besides a week before an upcoming exam. After I disclosed me
potential solution to this problem, they were quick to take interest in wanting
to learn more about the new option, as their information search online for
needed academic options did not previously include an alternative such as this.
After questioning where their interest in my solution came from, all three gave
examples of taking exams and using outside materials instead of everyday
studying and feeling ill-prepared for the sections. Throughout the course of
all three interviews, my major takeaway included the extent to which my
solution was seen as a new spin on notetaking and how the awareness for such a
need came from my questioning rather for the seeking of a new solution.
3.
Drawing
Conclusions:
After conducting the three interviews, I found that
the need for a product that I am theoretically offering does exist among the segment
of the population I identified. However, the scale of the procrastination is
not to the level at which I anticipated, and the market for a subscription-based
service is not as rich as I previously thought. The most important piece of need
awareness I acquired was understanding that choosing to not watch one’s online lectures
was not a pre-meditated decision and instead was made after outside deciding factors
came up at a given time. In terms of the information search I found after
conducting these interviews, most look for a given service that will help with
exam prep close to the test date and are unaware of this service even being a
possibility. I believe I stand closer to proving some sort of market need but have
to tweak potentially the way my service is offered.
Many students at UF have the habit of relying on study materials to prepare for tests and not the textbook or live lectures. If your product can offer a more long term solution that covers notes throughout the semester and not just for cramming for exams I think you can find success. The population of potential subscribers may be smaller than anticipated but it definitely exists.
ReplyDeleteNice post. I take 3 online classes and have taken several in the past. Online classes are easier for me and my work schedule. I also feel I can learn at my own pace where as in a lecture hall , I have one chance to hear something and write it down or else that opportunity is gone.
ReplyDeleteHi Andrew,
ReplyDeleteAs someone who is in the business school, I can relate to your interviewers in that, most of the time when I choose to not watch a lecture, its about 50% laziness and the other 50%, I just feel like the way the teacher is teaching the class is ineffective. I hate to say that most of the time, I am more worried about exam prepping, than the actual material presented in class. I think you are on to a great idea, however, like you said, you would just need to tweak it a little.