Two-segment customer taxonomy for the adult learning ed-tech market: learning providers as primary segment, independent learners as secondary segment¶

Theory · All theories
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

The guide organizes the adult learning market around two customer segments. The primary segment is learning providers — institutions and organizations serving low-skilled learners, including community colleges, K-12 districts, community-based organizations, workforce development centers, libraries, and correctional institutions. The secondary segment is independent learners, a direct-to-learner market the guide calls "yet unproven" but showing indicators of potential. The taxonomy structures the guide's analysis of customer objectives, pain points, and value propositions, with a table listing each segment's objectives (e.g., increase retention and completion rates) and pain points (e.g., limited funding, time and access constraints).

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Products must be matched to the specific segment's objectives and pain points as identified in the guide's customer-objectives table
• Entrepreneurs must understand each segment's distinct objectives and pain points before defining value propositions, as the guide's customer objectives table shows segments differ in goals such as retention, job skills, and recidivism reduction

Constraints¶

• The direct-to-learner model is described as yet unproven, and the guide states not enough research exists to know what approaches would work with which independent learners
• The guide states the direct-to-learner model is yet unproven and that not enough research exists to know what approaches would work with which independent learners

Target Learners¶

• low-skilled adult learners in the United States
• adult basic education and ESL learners

Target Learning Objectives¶

• basic skills, literacy, and numeracy
• ESL and English language skills
• high school equivalency preparation
• job-based and digital literacy skills
• adult basic education, ESL, high school equivalency preparation, computer literacy, and job-based skills

Claims¶

• 36 Million Low Skilled Adults 11 Percent Served [+M]

Related Theories¶

• Empathy by design: four guiding principles for adult ed-tech development

Examples¶

• Sell to consortia of adult education providers and encourage institutions to buy technology together to lower cost and risk
• Ten concrete action items for entrepreneurs preparing to launch ventures in the adult learning market
• Design adult learning products with short lessons, visualizations, mobile-first simplicity, and contextualized content integrating basic and job skills
• Sell to consortia and groups of institutions with flexible licensing to ease buying and expand access for small providers

Key Sources¶

• Amber Laxton, Mike Berlin, Patti Constantakis, Ph.D. (2017). Accelerating Change: A Guide to the Adult Learning Ed-Tech Market. Digital Promise. https://digitalpromise.dspacedirect.org/items/36eceee2-6442-4c5c-8fa1-7b9e7eab4533
• Amber Laxton, Mike Berlin, Patti Constantakis, Ph.D. (2017). Accelerating Change: A Guide to the Adult Learning Ed-Tech Market. Digital Promise. https://digitalpromise.dspacedirect.org/items/d14be2b4-b279-4e5a-8e24-81eec9e16509