Dive Brief:

• In the process of developing an ed tech library, EdSurge writer Shuaib Ahmed found out just how difficult it can be to figure out what an educational technology solution actually does.
• He found many company web pages failed to answer basic questions about which grade levels the solution is intended for and how academic goals are set.
• Some of the vagueness, it seems, comes from the turbulence of the educational technology world; products are rapidly shifting and many are being repurposed for new things. Being too specific could limit the appeal.

Dive Insight:

Ahmed interviewed a group of ed tech developers and experts about why they thought companies kept descriptions so vague. Their responses were fascinating. One company, for example, didn’t want to say their product was designed for K-6 (although it was) because it worked for some 7th and 8th grade classrooms, as well. Others said the lack of specificity was driving away customers who actually knew what they were looking for and couldn’t find it in the vague phrasing. 

And then there’s this: eSpark Learning CEO David Vinca sees a “huge divide between the people creating the software and the people actually using it. You’d think they’d understand each other and understand what they’re buying, but they don’t!”

In the end, the group of experts recommended having in-person or phone conversations about whether a product is a fit, even in today's age of e-purchasing.