How might Outschool expand its curriculum offerings to address emerging educational trends or subjects?

Introduction

Expanding Outschool's curriculum offerings to address emerging educational trends and subjects is a critical challenge that could significantly impact the platform's growth and user satisfaction. I'll approach this by analyzing our current offerings, identifying key user segments, exploring emerging trends, and proposing innovative solutions to enhance our curriculum.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (5 mins)

• Looking at Outschool's current position, I'm thinking about the platform's growth trajectory. Could you share insights on our user acquisition and retention rates over the past year?

Why it matters: This helps us understand if we should focus on attracting new users or improving engagement for existing ones. Expected answer: Steady growth in new users, but retention rates have plateaued. Impact on approach: We might prioritize curriculum expansions that boost retention and engagement.

• Considering the rapidly evolving education landscape, I'm curious about our current curriculum coverage. What percentage of our courses align with traditional subjects versus emerging fields like coding, AI, or sustainability?

Why it matters: This informs whether we need to pivot towards more cutting-edge topics or strengthen our core offerings. Expected answer: 70% traditional subjects, 30% emerging fields. Impact on approach: We might focus on expanding emerging field offerings to differentiate from competitors.

• Given the global nature of online education, I'm wondering about our user demographics. What's the current split between domestic and international students, and are there any specific regions showing high growth potential?

Why it matters: This helps us tailor curriculum expansion to specific market needs and opportunities. Expected answer: 60% domestic, 40% international, with significant growth in Asia and Europe. Impact on approach: We might prioritize curriculum offerings that cater to international markets or explore localization strategies.

• Thinking about our instructor community, I'm interested in their capacity for new course development. What's our current instructor satisfaction rate, and how open are they to developing courses in new subject areas?

Why it matters: This informs our ability to rapidly expand into new curriculum areas. Expected answer: 85% satisfaction rate, with 60% expressing interest in developing new courses. Impact on approach: We might focus on supporting and incentivizing instructors to create courses in emerging fields.