Apply: The second stage in the Invent-Apply-Transition framework. In this stage, researchers and developers identify end-user and market requirements and further define and test their solution. Activities in the Apply stage result in a product that meets the needs of end users and satisfies product-user fit.
Champion: A champion is a pivotal figure within the ideal user group or audience of an educational product who not only uses the product extensively, but also advocates for its adoption.
Core components: The smallest number of components of a solution that are necessary to produce the intended outcomes.
Customer value proposition: A brief statement that conveys how a product addresses an end-user need or problem of practice and what benefits the product offers.
Designing from the margins: Prioritizing the needs of the most impacted and historically marginalized end users to create a product that is most beneficial for the most end users.
Educational product: An intervention, program, or solution designed to meet a need in an educational setting. Educational products may include curricular materials, educational technology, and professional development.
End users: The entities or people (schools, districts, teachers, students) who will use a particular educational product.
Implementation integrity: The extent to which end users use an educational product as designed and intended.
Invent: The first stage in the Invent-Apply-Transition framework. In this stage, researchers and developers seek to deeply understand a perceived problem of practice or need and invent a solution that is likely to address that problem or need. Activities in the Invent stage result in a relevant and accessible solution that meets a priority end-user need.
Key performance indicators (KPIs): Measurable outcomes that align with identified needs and goals of end users, indicators of implementation integrity, and timelines for meeting needs and goals that define how researchers and developers will know whether an educational product addresses a problem of practice or need.
Liberatory Design: A human-centered design approach “to addressing equity challenges and change efforts in complex systems.” Liberatory design supports creating scalable educational products by centering the needs of end users and other impacted groups.
Market requirements: The needs, wants, and expectations of the customer.
Market segment: A subgroup of potential customers that share a common need or priority.
Market size: The number of potential customers that exist within the market segment (or segments).
Minimum viable product (MVP): An early-stage educational product that incorporates the smallest number of features (i.e., the core components) of the final product needed to validate that the product meets the needs of the end users.
Needs hypothesis: A succinct statement of the problem of practice or need that researchers and developers are seeking to address.
Notice and Reflect: The Notice and Reflect modes of Liberatory Design encourage researchers and developers to practice self-awareness and situational awareness in the design process and to pause for reflecting on intention and impact and adapting throughout the process.
Performance, reliability, convenience, and cost (PRCC) analysis: The iterative process of assessing, refining, and adapting an educational product to maximize performance, reliability, convenience, and cost for the end user.
Product-market fit: When an educational product meets the needs of all potential stakeholders and satisfies a demand from the market.
Product-user fit: When an educational product meets the needs of the end users in terms of achieving their goals and expected outcomes and being accessible and feasible for them to use.
Scale: Widespread reach and use of an educational product.
Scaling: Working to achieve widespread, equitable, and sustainable reach and impact of an educational product.
Transition: The third and final stage in the Invent-Apply-Transition framework. In this stage, researchers and developers forge a scaling pathway and bring an educational product to market. Activities in the Transition stage result in a scaled solution that satisfies product-market fit.
User traction: A measure of how much attention, interest, and engagement your product is getting from potential users.