WHAT VCs READ: Union Square Ventures, whose edtech portofolio includes Codecademy, Duolingo, Edmodo, and Skillshare, is sharing some of its research and hypotheses regarding online education. The document consists mostly of major news stories and market research that the folks found to be influential. Avid readers of EdSurge won't find much to grok about other than a recap of the headlines that have shaped the overall conversation about online learning. If anything, it's a small treat to see the kinds of stories that catch eyes of the VC community. Though edtech blogger Audrey Watters doesn't think a collection of blog posts and articles constitutes good research. We think she has a good point:
"I figured too that with the money at their disposal and with the risk they were assuming that investors could (and they would) hire researchers and experts to help them make informed decisions--not just about the markets and the potential for return on investment."
