XplanaZine

In the January issue of Wired Magazine, Sonia Zjawniski lays out a three-point plan for gadget manufacturers who want to stand out. I think her plan makes a lot of sense for educational technology as well so, for this podcast, I’d like to apply her ideas to our little neck of the woods.

1. Stop drowning us in sameness. Zjawniski’s complaints about the lack of real distinctiveness among digital cameras and cell phones applies nicely to educational technology products. Take LMS platforms, for example. To the non-initiated typical end user, most look, act, and feel pretty much the same. They have the same features and deliver the same (INHO) ho-hum results. The bar has been set so low at this juncture that the only marketable distinction between the various products is price and service. Give me a break! How about an LMS platform with real Web 2.0 features like blog, Flickr, Skype and wiki integration in ways that really make sense in a learning context.

Now, having ranted just a bit, I would like to give kudos in this category to Moodle and WordPress. These are examples of products that other educational technology companies would do well to study.

2. Stop making us feel buyer’s remorse. In an ever-competitive market, educational product companies churn out newer versions of their products at a dizzying pace. This means that we poor consumers are constantly caught in no-person’s land wondering if the current version on sale will be obsolete in a few short months. Whether a company is selling learning platforms, classroom technology gadgets, or textbooks, I suggest that the goal should be to let consumers feel pride and confidence in their purchases. A hint here — if you don’t release your products until they’re ready and it will be easier to stay competitive and cut down on iterative releases.

3. Stop releasing features that aren’t ready for prime time. This is obviously related to my comments about buyer’s remorse, but nothing is more frustrating than purchasing a product because it has certain features only to find out that those features don’t really exist or that they don’t work they way you were told they would. Speaking of features, might I suggest to product manufacturers in the space that they listen more when it comes to new feature planning. When it comes to educational technology, the consumers really do have a pretty clear idea about what we need and want. Conduct your R&D around what we really need instead of trying to convince us to buy things we don’t.

I don’t actually believe anyone will implement the prescribed plan because the pressures of profit and competition push everyone to build new products (needed or not), promise ew features, and to over promise and under deliver on everything. As a consumer and as an executive in a company that makes products, however, I do plan to scream a lot about these points over the coming year.

You never know. A little change might make a big difference in education this year.

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