Organisational Plan
Company
Mobile Learner is a pioneering and enterprising start-up company. We offer creative products and services, which will transform the company into the premiere service provider for learning on wireless platform.
Mission
Our mission is to be the most practical and innovative solution for fast and effective learning. We aim to become the dominant player as a content provider for education and training in the mobile commerce marketplace. Our products and services will provide convenience to learners, and be an ingenious tool for trainers.
Products and Services
Mobile Learner plans to establish a new-generation learning and training tool. This tool will help learners diagnose their current understanding of the contents of a subject and identify areas that they need to focus on to improve their understanding of the subject.
This makes Mobile Learner an excellent academic tool that will serve both the students who are studying for an examination, as well as the teacher, who can use the information to tailor the lesson according to the needs of the student. It will also become an excellent companion tool for instructional and educational book publishers, and increase their value offering to their customers. In addition, Mobile Learner will make an excellent tool for corporate training, where the company can identify areas where employees need more training and customise the training to the employees needs.
Mobile Learner has a three-phase plan to launch the products and services. The full implementation of this three-phase plan will depend on the adoption rate of the product as a learning tool. We project that the full implementation can be realised in a span of three-years.
Phase 1 – Educational Tool for Students
Mobile Learner will be an assessment tool for secondary school and tertiary students preparing their examinations. The content coverage will help students in the Singapore who are studying for major examinations like G.C.E. ‘N’ levels, G.C.E. ‘O’ levels, G.C.E. ‘A’ levels, and SAT examinations. Mobile Learner will also offer content for students who are in Secondary 1 to 5.
To use Mobile Learner, students either sign-in via WAP or SMS for revision questions. They will be given a series of questions, depending upon their selection at sign-in. When they submit their answer, they will be given their score, and the correct answers to those questions that they did not get correct. Students can also sign-in via WAP or SMS for mathematical formulas, explanatory notes or subject summary.
The initially product offering will focus on core subjects like Mathematics and English; and second languages, like Mandarin and Malay, etc. These are core subjects that are taken by the majority of students in Singapore. An acceptable level of performance on these subjects is necessary as entry requirements to the next level of education, like junior college, polytechnics or universities.
Shortly after successful launch, content for specialised subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Biology, History, Geography, etc. will be added. Focusing on core subjects at launch will help us understand students learning patterns using Mobile Learner as a learning tool. It will also help us with content development for the specialised subjects.
The performance of each individual student performance will be captured in our database. This data will be made available for a small fee to the parents. Such information can be accessed by WAP, SMS or online through the Mobile Learner website.
The benefit of this offering is that parents have a fuss-free tool to monitor their children’s performance. Other information like the length of time that the student spent on a quiz and the time and frequency of sign-in can also be made available. This helps parents resolve a perennial problem of communication and trust with teenaged children (secondary school students). Often a simple question of concern from the parent regarding whether the teenager has done his or her studying results in a squabble with the teenager feeling that the parent mistrusts him or her. Mobile Learner will provide the tool to eliminate this unpleasant incident.
Many Singaporean parents engage the services of a tutor to improve their children’s academic performance. Mobile Learner could supplement the services of the tutor or totally replace the tutor for students who are already doing reasonably well in the subject. Unlike a tutor, Mobile Learner has the advantage that parents get unbiased information on their children’s academic progress. Also, in the long-run, Mobile Learner will also be a more cost-effective than tuition services.
As an assessment tool, Mobile Learner will complement students in their studying. It will help students diagnose their current understanding of a subject and discover the gaps in their knowledge and areas that they need to review during their preparation for an examination.
Phase 2 – Complementary Tool
Mobile Learner could become an integral tool for teachers and a complementary tool for educational book publishers. Mobile Learner would become a service provider to these two segments of the market.
Classroom teaching and learning is catered to the norm level of the class. Homework and assignments are means to ensure that students understand the lesson that is being taught. An important part of a teacher’s job is effectively delivery of the lesson to the class of students. Although it is impossible to tailor delivery of lessons to each individual student in a classroom environment, good teachers realise that it is necessary to use different delivery techniques for different classes. Teachers get feedback on the effectiveness of their delivery through analysing the performance on homework and assignments. However, in Singapore schools, the large class size tends to be large, about 30 to 40 students. Hence teachers spend a disproportionately large amount of time on grading homework and assignments, and lesser time in analysis of their delivery methods.
Teachers will find Mobile Learner a good tool for homework and assignments, as it is self-marking, and is able to explain to students the correct answer for questions or problems that they did not understand. This frees up time for teachers to monitor their students’ progress, learn more about study patterns, and devise better lesson delivery methods.
In addition, most schools and educational institutions in Singapore have incorporated an e-learning strategy to supplement lesson delivery. The idea is to inculcate a continuous learning philosophy with students. Learning does not just take place within the confines of a classroom. Mobile learning is a natural extension of e-learning and can complement the existing e-learning strategy that schools and educational institutions are currently implementing. Mobile Learner fits into this plan by becoming an assessment tool and grading tool providing convenience to students. It also provides a convenient and efficient tool for teachers to monitor their students. Teachers do not have to sit in front of a PC to get feedback on their students. They can sign-in to Mobile Learner by WAP to monitor their students, even while they are commuting in a bus or standing in a queue for lunch. This enables teachers to make effective use of their waiting time.
Educational book publishers currently compete aggressively to woo parents to buy books and supplements to help their children get better grades in school. In Singapore, parents are willing to spend on their children’s education, and this becomes a very lucrative market. Book publishers currently include e-learning supplements on CD-ROM or access to companion website with the sale of their book. Mobile Learner could be included as an assessment tool. Mobile learning would provide additional value to the student and added incentive for parents to purchase the book, giving the publisher an edge over competitors.
Phase 3 – Corporate Training Tool
Mobile Learner has tremendous potential as a complementary corporate training tool. Whenever companies launch new products or services, they need to ensure that all within the organisation are aware. However, in large organisations, there is a high trade-off between cost and a well-informed workforce. Most organisations will train their sales and marketing staff, and other frontline staff on these new product or services offering. Often support functions like human resources, finance and administration, etc. are informed of such new offerings via circulars, emails or corporate portal. However, these are ineffective as support staff have little incentive to learn more about such new offering. Mobile Learner could be used as fuss-free certification tool, to ensure that employees understand new product and service offering. Since the certification process is highly mobile and convenient, a higher participation rate from staff could be expected. In addition, support staff that are less aware of the new product and service offering could be sent customised information package.
Mobile Learner could also be used tool to enhance dissemination of information within the organisation. Since Mobile Learner is accessed by a cell-phone, it has a more real-time and wider reach compared to email and corporate portal. In addition, front-line staff, like sales and field technical support personnel, could discretely use Mobile Learner as a refresher while they are at the customer location, without the embarrassment of the letting the customers know they are lacking in information. Mobile Learner could be incorporated into the overall strategy of an organisation to improve customer service.
Business Model
Value Proposition
As a content provider, our main value proposition is to provide on-demand training to learners. Mobile Learner users have complete control of when they want to learn and how much to learn at a time, regardless of where they are at that time. Our solutions not only provide convenience, but enable the user to be mobile. Unlike current e-learning solutions, Mobile Learner users are not restricted to be in front of a PC. To commence learning activities at Mobile Learner all that is needed is a cell-phone. This enables the user to learn in a short period of time, making effective use of waiting time, like in queue waiting to buy lunch or via commuting on a train.
Mobile Learner is not just a tool for students. It is tool for all learners and trainers. It can be used in education as well as corporate environments. Mobile Learner makes a continuous process, removing the dimensions of space and time, which constrain traditional forms of learning.
Dual revenue source is forecasted for Mobile Learner:
- As a content provider, Mobile Learner would operate in the B2C space, getting revenue directly from users
- As a service provider, Mobile Learner would operate in the B2B space, getting revenue from organisations like schools, educational institutions, educational book publishers, and organisations that incorporate Mobile Learner in their corporate training strategy.
Revenue Model
The main source of revenue at launch and during the first year operations would be from the B2C segment. The revenue model is:
Subscription-based revenue would be the main source of revenue at launch and in the initial period. Mobile Learner would charge a basic fee per subject, where user will get the total package offering for that subject. Subscription fee would appeal to parents who have a long-term view of education for their children. It would also enable them to compare the offering with the services of a private tutor. Subscription-based revenue model would work for Mobile Learner, since the development of the product is sunk cost and the marginal cost per additional user is negligible.
Pay-per-use, also known as Fee-for-Service or Utility revenue would be another important part of the revenue model. Mobile Learner would charge a fee for the one-time use of one type of product or service offering. This model would appeal to students who wish to use Mobile Learner on an ad-hoc basis for a specific topic. It would also enable trial usage, prior to a subscription. In addition, we anticipate intensive usage of Mobile Learner during the period prior to an examination. Pay-per-use model would appeal to students cramming at the eleventh hour for their examination.
A flat licensing fee or production-based revenue model would be used when for the B2B segment. However, this version of the business plan does not incorporate revenue for B2B segment. The business plan would be revised accordingly after launch of Mobile Learner.
Management Team
The management philosophy of Mobile Learner is based on mutual respect and responsibility. Mobile Learner creates an environment that encourages creativity and achievement. The management team combines leadership capabilities with strong market expertise and extensive technical know-how of the founders:
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Regina Marini has five years of experience in a tertiary institution in Singapore, developing and delivering courses through both and e-learning and the traditional lecture-tutorial environment. Prior expertise includes more than ten years in marketing, customer relationship management and project management.
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Chang Ee Chia has ten years of IT expertise in product design and project management, with a deep understanding of hardware and software applications.
Resumes of both founders would be provided as and when requested.
Market Analysis
Education has traditionally studied the world by bringing it into the classroom. As a result, learning appears to have no relevance outside the classroom. Students study theories and concepts, acquiring knowledge that they cannot apply to real problems in the real world. The obvious solution is a situational reversal, brining the classroom to the real world. However, the real world is that it is complex and filled with interactions that are non-deterministic and difficult to conceptualise.
The most valuable resource in Singapore is human capital, since the economy has no other natural resources to boast of. Education has been and will continue to be a vital aspect of national policy. In a bid to improve the productivity of the Singaporean worker, so that Singapore remains competitive among neighbouring countries, the government has focused on continuously developing the skills of the Singaporean worker. As more technological savvy workforce is more productive, and technology has been advancing at an exponential pace, life-long learning is the answer to encourage Singaporean to keep abreast with advancements and remain a competitive workforce.
The Singapore government recognises the power of the internet as tool for life-long learning. To inculcate the use of internet as a learning tool, e-learning has been aggressively promoted at school level. The problem with e-learning is that it confines the learner to sit in-front of a PC for a significant period of time. As the internet is also a medium for leisure and entertainment, the learning content competes with entertainment content for the user’s attention.
Market Trends
Mobile-Phones vs. Handhelds
“Through the end of 2004, smart-phones will generally have a negative impact on the low end of PDA market, as many individual users will find the personal information management and e-mail capabilities of smart-phones acceptable. … Smart-phones will become more important in the enterprise market in 2005”
Many organisations offering corporate training solutions have developed applications that run on either Palm OS or Microsoft Windows PDA. However, with the imminent market capitalisation of smart-phones, we at Mobile Learner decided to focus on solutions that run on WAP and SMS technology for now, and to consider GPRS solutions as the technology becomes more widely used.
Mobile-Phones Trends in Singapore
In a survey conducted by IDA Singapore in 2002, 64% or almost two-thirds of the individuals aged 15 years and above responded that they own a mobile-phone with either WAP or GPRS capabilities. The total number of individuals aged 15 years and above is 2.924 million.
Apart from voice calls, 87.7% said that the feature that they used most frequently was SMS. MMS and WAP/GPRS browsing, recorded low usage, with 7.6% and 5.5% respectively. No reasons were given on the low usage for WAP/GPRS browsing in the survey. Appendix 1 provides more findings on this survey.
This survey on InfoComm usage is conducted annually by IDA. However, in 2001, questions were asked on computer usage. Wireless usage is a new question on the 2002 survey. No comparative studies can be made at this point of time.
Mobile-Phones Usage in Singapore
We at Mobile Learner were curiously about mobile-phone usage in Singapore. Informally, we gathered data by speaking with different groups of mobile-phone users. It appears that there a basically two types of usage:
- Mostly voice calls, on work-related matters
- Family contact. These were mostly voice calls made by parents to the mobile-phones of their children, to monitor their children’s activities during the day. Also, people made voice calls for situational emergencies, like change of meeting place or time.
- Social interaction. These were mostly short voice calls to keep in contact with friends or to arrange social gatherings.
- SMS. Many people “chatted” with their friends while commuting or during waiting time through SMS messages. SMS enabled “real-time” interaction for social purposes.
These findings are consistent with the type of mobile-phone plans offered by the three telcos in Singapore. A direct comparison of mobile-phone plans is difficult, as each telco structures the plans differently. However, a general summary of mobile-phone plans is as follows:
- High subscription fees supporting many free minutes of free voice call coverage but an average of 300 free SMS per month.
- Reasonable subscription fees supporting an average of 100 minutes of free voice call coverage and an average of 300 free SMS.
- Low subscription fees supporting fewer minutes of free voice call coverage but more SMS per month.
Details of price plans are found at each of the telco websites.
In an attempt to find out the reasons that WAP / GPRS browsing was not frequently used, many felt that WAP / GPRS content was currently lacking. Another major reason for not using WAP / GPRS was cost.
Survey on Student Perception of E-Learning
A study on e-learning perceptions was done in 2000, on 657 first-year business studies students at Temasek polytechnic. 81% indicated that those without PCs at home see themselves as handicapped when compared to counterparts who have PCs at home. 62.7% spent 30 minutes or less for each e-learning session, of which 35.8% spent 15 – 30 minutes. For each e-learning session, time spent included waiting time and access time. Waiting time included time taken to log-in to gain access to the materials, while access time was time student was actively engage in reviewing content. The study reported that access time ranged from 20 – 60 %, indicating a significant amount of waiting time.
Survey on Student Usage of WAP / GPRS usage
In Jan 04, we conducted a survey on 100 students at a polytechnic in Singapore. These students were in the age range of 17 – 22 years and were pursing either a business or informatics diploma. These students have had at least two semesters, where their subjects were delivered partially through the institution’s e-learning system. The results are:
- 99% own a mobile-phone. The actual number should be 100%. At the time of the survey, one student reported that his parents had temporarily revoked his mobile-phone rights by refusing to replace his mobile phone which he had lost a couple of days earlier.
- 30% own two mobile-phones, using different phones for voice calls and SMS, supported by the different plans for each mobile-phone.
- Current usage consists of:
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Daily usage of voice calls, SMS and PIM
- 28% used WAP services at least once a month
- 12% used GPRS services at least once a month
- 43% used MMS services at least once a month
- 89% download music and ring-tones at least once a month
- Perception of cost are as follows:
- 93% felt that the cost for voice calls and SMS services are reasonable
- 95% felt that cost for WAP services is high
- 100% felt that the cost for GPRS services is high
- 42% felt that the cost for MMS is high
- 33% felt that the cost for downloading music and ring-tones is high
- Cost – 100% indicated that they were likely to use WAP / GPRS services if the cost were lowered
- Content – 97% cited the lack of relevant and interesting content
- Display of information – 77% felt that the size of the current mobile-phone screen is too small to display content effectively
- Download speed – 47% felt that loading a WAP / GPRS page is too slow currently
- Payment mechanism – 92% were comfortable using the mobile phone to pay for services if the payment was collected by the telco, but 100% were uncomfortable with key-entering a credit card or debit card number on their mobile-phone as their major concern was security and fraud
- E-learning was time-consuming. 100% of the students felt that it was tedious to sit in front of the PC for hours to learn something new. They were also unable to grasp the lessons at one e-learning screening, and to ensure reasonable understanding, they need to go through the e-learning lesson at least a second time.
- E-learning is boring. 100% felt that interactive exercises became tiresome. Also while they were on logged onto the e-learning website, leisure content was only a mouse-click away. Almost always, they were signed on to multiple websites during a single e-learning sitting, mostly web-mail or chat.
- E-learning was a good tool for last minute revision. Although perceptions for e-learning were generally negative, 100% felt that it was a good tool for revision of examination. They felt that after they understood the content, e-learning was useful for review purposes to help them focus on areas where they were weak in. E-learning was preferred over reading their text-book as e-learning content was in a summarised form.
Survey respondents remained anonymous. The survey questionnaire is shown in Appendix 2.
Industry Players
Competitors
Our search did not reveal companies that were intended to develop a mobile learning tool targeted at students. Several companies were already providing solutions for corporate training. But these companies were providing solutions on PDA platforms, mostly Palm OS. The more significant of players are Knowledge Net () and Smart Force (). These companies were clearly targeting the corporate training market in USA. There is no evidence that these companies are playing in the Asian market. However, we are willing to accept that our search may be incomplete, so we will not prematurely conclude there are no competitors in the Singapore market.
Substitutes
In Singapore, there are several tuition agencies which have set up e-learning websites to complement their tuition services. Another significant substitute is an organisation that targets to help students taking the English examination for SAT. The Learn-a-Word-a-Day program promises to teach users a standard base of a vocabulary 500 words that is commonly used in the SAT examination. Mentaurs () is well-established in as an e-learning website in USA. In Singapore their local partner is a former English teacher.
Buyers
As a content provider, our primary customers would be the users who are either the students themselves or their parents. They could also include primary influencers like teachers, tutors or friends.
As we expand to become a service provider, schools and educational institutions would use Mobile Learner as a alternative learning tool. Also, educational book publishers would find Mobile Learner a good complementary tool that would increase the market value of their book. Corporations would use Mobile Learner as a complementary tool to their corporation communication and training strategy. In addition, telcos are potential buyers to supplement existing content for their customers.
Potential Entrants
We recognised that the product and service offering is not difficult to duplicate. Neither is our technology proprietary. It is possible for existing content providers like book publishers to develop and offer this product themselves. E-learning websites could develop this product as an extension of their existing offering. In addition, telcos could easily develop this product as content for their existing customers.
However, mobile learning is at the infancy stage, and many organisations are unsure of the direction of mobile learning. Hence, at this point of time, they are unwilling to risk venturing into mobile learning.
Suppliers / Partners
Existing content providers, like educational book publishers, could become our partners. Although they could easily enter the market themselves, the risks involved with the uncertainty of the direction of mobile learning would make a strategic alliance with a company like Mobile Learner, a sound business decision.
Other potential alliances include intermediary services and payment gateway like IPX. In addition, telcos may also decide on the soundness of a strategic alliance with a content provider like Mobile Learner, rather than committing resources to enter the market themselves.
Target Market
Primary Target Market – Educational Sector
At launch, Mobile Leaner would be a content provider, offering an educational tool. The primary target market would be customer segments that need educational tools. Our largest customer segment would be students between the ages of 13 and 22, i.e.: students who are currently studying in secondary schools, junior colleges and polytechnics. The second largest customer segment would be the parents, who would take up a subscription plan for their children. The third largest customer segment would be teachers, who would recommend this product as an effective learning tool to their students.
Secondary Target Market – Corporation
As a service provider, Mobile Leaner would target corporations providing educational-related services. Schools and educational institutions could integrate Mobile Learner with their Learning Management Systems, as a complementary tool for their e-learning. Educational book publishers could incorporate Mobile Learner access as supplementary materials with the purchase of each book.
In addition, corporate trainers could use Mobile Learner as a tool to disseminate information on new products and service offerings, and a certification tool, to ensure that employees know of their new offering. Also, Mobile Learner could become a tool to improve customer service.
Product Requirement – Primary Target Segment
In development Mobile Learner for launch, we will focus on meeting the requirements of the key customer segment in the primary target market, i.e.: the students. Their requirements are:
- The tool should facilitate learning during time that would be wasted in the process of another activity like waiting and commuting time
- Content should be organised so that learning can be done in a couple of minutes as opposed to current e-learning which requires an average of hour and hour
- The tool should emulate a personal trainer and enable the learner the ability to seek help when required
- Students want to get immediate feedback on their performance on a quiz, and know what how they could improve their performance
- In addition to seeking help, when the users are doing a quiz, they also want hints to help them when they are unsure, and notes that would facilitate their learning
- Students are motivated when they have some form of reward for good performance, like the ability to download free ring-tone or logo
- This is the most important requirement. The tool must be available at an affordable price.
Marketing Plan
Marketing Strategy
Product Strategy
As a content provider, Mobile Learner would to offer a standard product through WAP and SMS. When GPRS technology becomes more prevalent, Mobile Learner would also offer the product through GPRS.
As a service provider, Mobile Learner would customise the product to the needs of the B2B customer, i.e.: the educational institution or the corporate training service provider.
Pricing Strategy
As cost is an important component for the primary target customer segment, the students, Mobile Learner would adopt a penetration pricing strategy. This strategy would enable Mobile Learner to gain a critical mass of subscribers. Also Mobile Learner could gain the network effects, with existing users recommending Mobile Learner to their peers, enabling Mobile Learner to create a large customer base. Mobile Learner is able to adopt the penetration pricing strategy as marginal cost per additional customer is negligible.
For the B2B customer, Mobile Learner would adopt a leader pricing strategy. The leader pricing strategy may not be profit maximising, but would act as an entry barrier to potential new entrants. Also, once a critical mass of B2C customer base is achieved, we believe that Mobile Learner would be a good position to command a profit maximising price.
Promotion Strategy
As mobile learning is in its infancy stage in Singapore and Mobile Learner is a relatively new learning concept, our strategy would be to implement informative promotions. Firstly, we would like to convert existing e-learning users to mobile learning users. Secondly, we intend to build on the image of the value of mobile learning as a learning tool, i.e.: the ability to learn anywhere and anytime, without the constraint of time and space.
Distribution Strategy
As a start-up, we realise that Mobile Learner would face survival challenges, even with a good product. We intend to pursue strategic alliances, horizontally with other content providers, like educational book publishers and training institutions, and vertically with intermediaries to telcos, like IPX.
Marketing Implementation Plan
Product Plan
Subscribers would sign-up for our Mobile Learner, which would be organised into subjects. Each subject would comprise an average of ten topics. Each topic would comprise of three quizzes with ten questions per quiz. The quiz would be organised into three levels of difficulty: beginner, intermediate and advanced. In addition, each subject would offer a test, comprising 30 questions of varying levels of difficulty, randomly selected from each of the various topics. In addition to the basic product offering, subscribers could also gain access to hints, notes and formulas. Subscribers can also personalise Mobile Learner to schedule tests, prompt them with reminders, and personalise their motivation with selected rewards of downloads of ring-tones, logos, etc.
In addition, the performance of each subscriber would be tracked. A progress report would be available for an additional fee, which either the subscriber or the parent could request for.
Ad-hoc users would be able to sign-in using WAP or SMS and purchase quizzes of two, five or ten questions. We anticipate that most ad-hoc users would use Mobile Learner as a tool for their last minute revision prior to an examination or test.
Price Plan
A subscriber would pay $60 per subject, which would be entitled to access all ten topics of the subject, each with three quizzes of 10 questions each.
A test comprising 30 questions would cost $6.
If a progress report is required to be sent to the parents, an additional charge of $5 per subject would be levied.
For ad-hoc usage, the price would be $1.00, $1.50 and $2.00 for quizzes of 2, 5 and 10 questions respectively.
At implementation, odd-even pricing tactic would be used and each subscriber would pay $59 per subject.
Price bundling of subject and test would also be used, and each subscriber would pay $64 to get all the product offering of the subject and a 30-question test.
The price plan is intended to attract a large base of students to subscribe to Mobile Learner. Ad-hoc usage is provided to bring the product to more students in the hope of converting them into subscribers.
Promotion Plan
Mobile Learner promotion plan would essentially be advertising, product bundling, and publicity through event sponsorship.
Advertising for Mobile Learner would done mainly through media which is currently consumed mainly by students:
- TV Mobile
- Free sheets like Today and Streats
- Tabloids like The New Paper, Computer Times
- Publications like Lime Magazine
- Radio stations like Perfect 10
Mobile Learner would also intend to sponsor school events like Sports Day, Founder’s Day, Graduation Ceremony, etc. Such events would provide publicity for the Mobile Learner product to the primary target customer segment.
Distribution Plan
At the initial stage, Mobile Learner will concentrate product and service offering in the Singapore. Mobile Learner will focus on the education and corporate training market. However, we believe that Mobile Learner as a learning tool is a portable model is portable. While content in other markets differ, some level customisation would enable Mobile Learner to operate in any other market. Given the opportunity, Mobile Learner would venture into the regional and global education and training market.
Operational Plan
Product Development
Mobile Learner is a product that requires a very short development period. In addition, the product offering is scalable, as customer demand and business opportunities arise.
For launch, Mobile Learner would offer Mathematics as the launch content offering. Mathematics is a core subject taken by all students in the Singapore education system. It is also a subject that improvements in the ability are gained through sheer constant practice, rather than reading. For a student to become more efficient in preparing for a mathematics examination, the student needs a diagnostic tool that is able to point out areas that he or she is lacking.
The student can then concentrate on these areas by practising with more problems. Mobile Learner can help students maximise their study time and become more efficient in preparation for examinations.
We estimate that at start-up we require a database of 15,000 questions for a subject like Mathematics, serving various levels from secondary 1 to 5, G.C.E. ‘N’, ‘O’ and ‘A’ level examinations, and SAT examination. Such questions are easily available through various publications of assessment workbooks that prepare students for such examinations.
Licences fee and copyright infringement were considered. However, our initial research and legal advice show that there would not be a copyright infringement in reproducing such questions from major examinations like G.C.E. ‘N’, ‘O’ and ‘A’ level examinations, and SAT examination. Hence no licensing fees are required. Also, once the syllabus has been identified, developing content by modifying of past examination questions is not a difficult task.
Architecture
Exhibit 1 illustrates the simple architecture of Mobile Learner system architecture for both the subscriber and the ad-hoc user.
The subscriber would sign-up for mobile services either at Mobile Learner website or through WAP. Payment would be made upon sign-up through credit card, debit card or other online payment methods.
The ad-hoc user would enter Mobile Learner content space through WAP or SMS. Payment for Mobile Learner services would be made through a payment gateway like IPX.
Exhibit 1: The Mobile Learner Architecture
Technology
Technology used for Mobile Learner is non-proprietary. Web hosting would be outsourced initially, with plans to operate in-house servers as customer base grows to a significant level.
Financial and Contingency Plan
Profit and Loss Forecast
The income projection for the first three years of operation is as depicted in exhibit 2.
Exhibit 2: Three-Year Income Projection
Assumptions used in the income projection is as followed:
- First year number of customer: 500
- Number of subscriber (30%): 150
- Number of adhoc (70%): 350
- Annual increase of user: 30%
- Corporate tax: 22%
Break-Even Analysis
Payment cost is the only cost for each product sold. For subscription customer, a 10% commission is payable to the Credit card company, or $6 per Internet transaction. For adhoc customer, 50% commission is payable to IPX, or $1 per transaction.
Based on the variable and fixed cost of each transaction, and the assumption of a 30-70 mix of subscriber and adhoc customers, the total number of subscriber required per month is 888.
Funding Required
The initial setup cost required is as followed:
Content development $20,000
WAP development $ 5,000
Web development $ 5,000
Total: $30,000
The content development includes database of 10 subjects and the SAT module. The estimated number of question for a subject is 3,000, while for SAT is 10,000.
Risk Analysis
Mobile learning is a natural extension of e-learning, so a mobile learning model is a workable idea. The major risk is direction of mobile learning, which is still unknown. However, the initial investment is to kick-off Mobile Learner is small. Product development is done in-house. The initial investment to kick-off Mobile Learner is small $30,000. Hence, the risk associated with this business is very low.
Exit Strategy
As part of our initial market research, we spoke informally with several educational book publishers. Many expressed that they were in the market research phase of mobile learning tool as a complementary tool to their current publications. Hence, if the business of Mobile Learner should fail, we are confident that losses could be minimised by selling Mobile Learner as a book publisher.
Appendix
Appendix 1
The following information is extracted from the Annual Survey on InfoComm Usage in Households and by Individuals for 2002. This survey is conducted annually by IDA Singapore. However, in 2001, questions were asked on computer usage. Wireless usage is a new question on the 2002 survey. Hence, no comparative studies on wireless usage can be made at this point of time.
Appendix 2
Survey on Mobile-Phone Usage and E-Learning
Circle the answer that applies to you
- Do you own a mobile-phone? (a) Yes (b) No
- Do you own a second mobile-phone with a different subscription plan?
- Yes (b) No
If you have a second mobile-phone, what do you use each mobile-phone plans for?
- I use my mobile phone for the following:
- Cost are for the following services are:
- I feel that:
- I am comfortable using my mobile phone to pay for services if:
Mobile-phone service provider collected payment (a) yes (b) no
I keyed my credit / debit card number on my mobile-phone (a) yes (b) no
My biggest concerns are:
- I think that e-learning is time-consuming (a) yes (b) no
Reason:
I think that e-learning is boring (a) yes (b) no
Reason:
I think that e-learning useful for last minute revision (a) yes (b) no
Reason:
Source: . Article: Mobile Phones to Oust Handhelds, published on 2 Feb 04. Quotation by Todd Kort, Gartner Analyst
Annual Survey on InfoComm Usage in Households and by Individuals for 2002, IDA Singapore
Students’ Perception of Online Learning: A Case Study of Singapore Temasek Polytechnic’s Virtual School of Business Project; by Wee Leng Peh and Schubert Foo, Division of Information Studies, School of Computer Engineering, Nanyang Technological University
PIM is Personal Information Management for activities like scheduling appointments, calendar activities, to-do lists, etc.
