Verhalten: A Classroom
Management Simulation
requin technologies

Executive Summary
REQUIN TECHNOLOGIES IS A START-UP ORGANIZATION WHOSE VISION IS TO
CREATE THE FINEST SIMULATION AND SERIOUS GAMING SOFTWARE FOR THE
TEACHER TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT INDUSTRY.
VERHALTEN: A CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT SIMULATION HAS BEEN
CONCEPTUALIZED AND DESIGNED BY A TEAM OF VETERANS IN THE INDUSTRY,
AND WILL ALLOW PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS TO PRACTICE CLASSROOM AND
BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES IN AN INTERACTIVE, SAFE, AND
CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENT PRIOR TO PHYSICALLY ENTERING THE
CLASSROOM.
LOCATED IN VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, REQUIN TECHNOLOGIES WAS
FORMED IN 2010, AND IS LED BY CEO AND FOUNDER, REBECCA TICKNOR.

Executive Summary - The Market
requin technologies has identified teacher
education programs at the university level
as the primary market for verhalten.
There are currently 56 universities in
Canada and 814 universities in the United
States offering teacher education programs
(AACTE, n.d.; SAEE, 2008).
verhalten’s primary market is universities
that teach classroom and behaviour
management methods courses to pre-
service teachers.
The secondary market is schools, districts
or organizations offering professional
development opportunities to teachers.

PROJECT
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - THE PRODUCT
VERHALTEN
DATE CLIENT
JANUARY 2011 REQUIN TECHNOLOGIES

Executive Summary - verhalten
verhalten is a game-based learning environment
where teachers interact with students in a 3D,
virtual classroom.
It focuses on classroom and behaviour
management, and contains hundreds of different
scenarios that teachers may encounter in their
classroom.
Pre-service teachers can experiment with
management methods and techniques prior to
stepping foot in a real classroom.

Executive Summary -
Competitive Edge
Games-based learning environments
(GBLEs) such as simulations and serious
games motivate, test and educate the
players they were designed for in a fun and
interactive manner.
verhalten is the first GBLE made specially
for the teacher education market - current
courses teaching classroom and behaviour
management rely solely on textbooks and
lecture.
Simulations and serious games are part of
a $52.5 billion industry that is set to grow
by over 10% in the next four years (PwC,
2010).

Executive Summary -
Management Team
requin technologies consists of
CEO and founder - Rebecca Ticknor (B.Ed, MET), a Vancouver-area teacher and
technology consultant with international teaching experience.
CFO - Joshua Contant (B.Com, CA), a Vancouver-area Chartered Accountant with
PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Director of Content - Leanna Madill (B.Ed, M.Ed, Ph.D), a Victoria-based professor at
the University of Victoria in the Teacher Education Program.
Director of Design & Marketing- Kira Lee (B.Ed), a Victoria-based teacher with
experience in curriculum and project design.
Director of Human Resources - Lesley Goodwin (B.Ed), a Victoria-based teacher with
international teaching experience and in human resources.

Table of Contents
1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
2.0 COMPANY SUMMARY
3.0 VERHALTEN
4.0 MARKET ANALYSIS
5.0 FINANCIAL ANALYSIS
6.0 STRENGTHS
7.0 WEAKNESSES
8.0 REFLECTION
9.0 REFERENCES

Mission
requin technologies is committed to developing
serious gaming software for teacher training and
development. Our games will provide teacher
education programs and professional
development organizations with a medium to try
and test methods, techniques and ideas without
fear of failure or criticism. We exist to make
teacher training and development products that
are realistic, educational and fun.

Keys to Success
Develop verhalten into a high-quality serious game that will
enhance teacher training and development programs.
Create strong, lasting relationships with teacher education
programs and professional development organizations, both
in North America, and around the world.
Develop additional serious games that meet the needs of
teacher education programs and professional development
organizations.

verhalten
What you need to know.

The Context
The idea of stepping into a classroom for the first time is
intimidating and frightening for pre-service teachers.
One of the greatest fears they will have is that they will not
be able to control their class, and something potentially
harmful will occur to their students or themselves.
To combat these fears, classroom and behaviour
management courses teach their students various methods
and techniques that can keep unruly students and
classrooms under control.

The Problem
Students rarely have the
opportunity to practice
their new methods and
techniques before
entering a live
classroom.

Our Solution
verhalten is a multi-lingual,
fully interactive, 3D virtual
classroom where pre-service
teachers can practice their
methods and techniques in a
safe, risk-free environment.

The Scenarios
The game-based learning environment contains hundreds of
authentic classroom scenarios gathered from experienced
teachers around the world.
These experiences were gathered by the management team
at requin technologies during professional development
conferences, online discussions with and surveys from
colleagues around the world, and from the hundreds of
textbooks available on the subject.

The Scenarios
Users will also be able to submit their own experiences to
the verhalten team, who can create additional scenarios
based on these scenarios.
Scenarios will range from simple behavioural issues to
severe threats to the health and safety of the teachers and
students.

The Methods & Techniques
The methods and techniques used in verhalten are based
on the latest philosophies in classroom and behaviour
management.
These methods and techniques were informed by and
gathered from the latest scholarly research, conference
proceedings and textbooks on the subject, and will be
constantly updated to reflect changing philosophies in the
subject.

Game Play
verhalten will be based on other 3D learning
environments on the market which allow users to:
explore the virtual environment
make decisions based on information at hand
interact with virtual people
interact with virtual objects

Game Play
The virtual teacher will be given a brief context of
the classroom, including:
number of students
whether there are any students with special
needs or medical issues
a few of the “classroom rules”
lesson being taught

Game Play
Once the context has been given, game play will
begin.
During game play, students may begin to
misbehave, and teachers are required to take
action as necessary.
To take action, the user clicks on the student with
which they wish to interact, and are given a few
options.

Game Play
The action chosen by the user will occur, and may,
or may not be the appropriate choice.
A short interlude will occur with each interaction,
with a short blurb about what happened.
Within the interlude, a link for further information
will be available should users wish to learn more
about the method or technique chosen in that
instance.

Game Play
If the decision was incorrect, or failed to address
the issue at hand, further decisions must be made.
Users will be notified when the scenario finishes,
and a short summary of the actions taken during
the scenario will be available for consumption.

Curriculum Integration
In order to assist our clients with a seamless
integration of verhalten into their curriculum, our
team will work with institutions to help them adopt
the program.
We will also provide workshops to instructors to
demonstrate how to play the game, and become
acclimatized to the software.

Market Analysis
A summary

Summary
The market for teacher training and development software can be segmented
into a primary and secondary market.
The primary market is teacher education programs at the university level, and
the secondary market is schools, districts or organizations offering
professional development opportunities for teachers.
These two markets were identified for verhalten as they are the main
purchasers of products for individuals dealing with teacher training and
development.
The market is currently dominated by textbooks, consultants, and
conferences aimed at teaching classroom and behaviour management.
Where these items fall short is their inability to provide authentic, risk-free
learning experiences for users - they are usually passive ways of learning
about classroom and behaviour management

Market Segmentation
Primary Market: Teacher education programs:
There are currently 56 universities in Canada and 814
universities in the United States offering teacher education
programs (AACTE, n.d.; SAEE, 2008).
Users in these institutions would likely use the program
multiple times throughout an introductory classroom and
behaviour management course, and additional times in other
courses if specializing in this area.

Market Segmentation
Secondary Market: Schools, districts and professional
development organizations
Users in schools and school districts would likely use the
product multiple times, especially when new methods and
techniques are introduced.
Users of the product during events put on by professional
development organizations would likely only use the product
once.

Industry Analysis
Simba Information (2006) reported that professional development
for educators is a $5 billion market, wide-open in terms of need,
potential growth and providers.
The current competitors to verhalten are:
Textbook companies such as McGraw-Hill, Pearson, etc.
Consultants such as Ruth Sidney Charney, Richard L. Curwin
and Allen N. Mendler who frequently publish and speak about
classroom and behaviour management methods and techniques
Conferences put on by organizations such as ASCD

Why verhalten over
these products?
Being a game-based learning environment, verhalten has benefits that other
products lack:
Gaming environments closely [mirror] the real-life environment which
learned content will be used.
Students receive immediate and non-judgmental feedback.
Students are encouraged to experiment and explore different styles
Students receive individualized instruction
Gaming environments appeal to multiple senses/learning experiences
(Cordova & Lepper, 1996)

What About the Cost?
Textbooks:
Textbooks for classroom and behaviour management courses
typically cost between $25-80 per student (Amazon.ca, n.d.).
Consultants:
A one-day workshop for a university class can cost around $2
100, with the cost of a week-long workshop costing up to $14
500 (Responsive Classroom, n.d.). This works out to about
$70-90 per student.
Conferences:
A one-day conference will typically cost between $100-200 per
attendee (Responsive Classroom, n.d.).

What About the Cost?
verhalten costs only $40/user, regardless of the
institution or organization that purchases the
product.
This is in line with what textbooks, consultants and
conferences cost, and can be used as many times
as the user wishes each year.

Financial Analysis
A summary.

Background Information -
Canada
The SAEE (2008) states that universities in Canada graduate
over 18 000 new teachers a year.
This breaks down to an average of 321 graduates in each of
the 56 teacher education programs across the country each
year.
With teacher education programs typically being 2 years in
length, each institution will have on average 642 pre-service
teachers enrolled each year.

Projected Revenue -
Canada
Average number of graduates per year group 321
Year groups in university 2
Teachers per university 642
Cost of program per year Can$40
Revenue per university Can$25,680
Estimated number of programs in Canada 56
Canadian revenue Can$1,438,080
Total Revenue: Can$1,438,080

Background Information -
United States
The AACTE (2010) states that universities in the United
States graduate over 259 000 new teachers a year.
This breaks down to an average of 318 graduates in each of
the 814 teacher education programs across the country
each year.
With teacher education programs typically being 2 years in
length, each institution will have on average 636 pre-service
teachers enrolled each year.

Projected Revenue -
United States
Average number of graduates per year group 318
Year groups in university 2
Teachers per university 636
Cost of program per year Can$40
Revenue per university Can$25,440
Estimated number of programs in United States 814
United States revenue Can$20,708,160
Total Revenue: Can$20,708,160

5 Year Projection
These are modest projections, and the number of institutions and
revenue figures could be higher in Years 3-5.
Starting in Year 2, requin technologies will emphasize verhalten
in the United States due to the large nature of the market.

Background Information -
Expenses
Serious games are less expensive to make than their
commercial counterparts.
The underlying technology of many serious games is the
same technology that powers the commercial games
(Kalning, 2006).
Budgets for the development of serious games range
between $400 000 and $1 000 000 (Engage Learning, n.d.).

Expenses - Year One
Item Cost
verhalten development $750 000
Payroll $340 000
Office lease $10 000
Computers, furniture $15 000
Utilities $5 000
Insurance $5 000
Miscellaneous $10 000
Total: $1 135 000
Payroll consists of:
3 members of game development team @$70 000 (industry average)
2 general staff members @$40 000
5 members of management team @$10 000

Expenses - Year 2 and
Onwards
Item Cost
verhalten maintenance/upgrades $20 000
Payroll $155 000
Office lease $10 000
Utilities $5 000
Insurance $5 000
Miscellaneous $10 000
Total: $205 000
verhalten maintenance/upgrades cost includes cost of one-off contracts with developers
Payroll consists of:
2 general staff members @$40 000
5 members of management team @$15 000

Cash Flow Forecast
Year One Year Two Year Three Year Four Year Five
Revenue 255600 638400 1275600 2295600 3061200
Expenses 1135000 205000 205000 205000 205000
Net Cash Flow for year -879400 433400 1070600 2090600 2856200
Opening Cash 100000 -779400 -346000 724600 2815200
Ending Cash -779400 -346000 724600 2815200 5671400
Notes:
Opening cash in Year 1 is from funds previously raised by the management team.
Salary of management team stays consistent throughout five year forecast; however, as of Year
3, dividends will be paid to said team based on company/product performance.

Secondary Markets
There are over 300 school districts/boards in Canada alone.
There are over 700 000 teachers in Canada (Statistics
Canada, 2009).
If verhalten was used by even 1% of the teachers in Canada
as a professional development tool each year, it would
equate to a revenue stream of $280 000.

Exit Strategy
requin technologies looks to continue developing game-
based learning products for the teacher training and
development industry beyond verhalten in the future.
We are aiming to hire those that will keep requin
technologies’ vision alive, and will likely hand the company
over to people within our company once we wish to leave.
If requin technologies runs into difficulty, we will approach
companies such as Breakaway Ltd. or Virtual Heroes, who
specialize in serious games for learning in the health care
and military industry.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths
verhalten is the first game-based learning environment available for the teacher training and development
industry.
The product’s features help alleviate fears associated with stepping into a live classroom by providing a risk-
free environment in which new teachers can experiment with methods and techniques - no other product
offers this type of environment.
The product is based on other commercial/entertainment games on the market, so students will likely be
familiar with the game and the nature of the game play.
Multilingual nature makes it easy to adapt to other countries around the world.
The management team has many contacts within the industry, which translates to a large list of potential
clients.
The management team is very familiar with the nuances of the industry, and as a result, can stay on top of new
developments to keep the product current and fresh.
There are well over a thousand teacher education programs in the world, translating to a very large market for
the product.
The cost of the product to the buyer is relatively low when compared to that of the cost of a textbook,
consultant or conference.

Weaknesses
Game-based learning environments have been very successful for training people in the military and
health care industries, but this has not yet translated to the teacher training and development
industry.
There is still some reluctance by those in the teacher training and development industry to use game-
based learning environments to help teach content and practice skills.
Universities may not want to take on the cost of the program, as textbooks and conferences are
usually paid for by the students themselves.
Being a brand new company, with a brand new product, universities may not be willing to take a risk
on the product.
The cost of developing the game may be well over the $750 000 estimate given in the financial
analysis.
Companies such as BreakAway Ltd. could be in the position to develop something similar to
verhalten using their PULSE! platform, though they would lack the expertise in the teacher training
and development industry.
Little attention was paid to the secondary market, but statistics concerning that market are lacking.

Reflection
This assignment was unlike any other that I have completed in the past. It was both incredibly
exhilarating and frustrating at the same time. It was exhilarating because I feel like I have a
product that would actually be successful in teacher education programs. I would love to put
this idea forward to a company such as BreakAway Ltd., or Virtual Heroes, who already have the
3D software needed to create verhalten.
It was frustrating because I lack the technical knowledge to sufficiently explain my product, the
financial prowess to accurately forecast revenues, and had a very difficult time coming up with
any statistics concerning the teacher education and training market. I struggled to find
information on the secondary market, and as a result, was not able to come up with much of an
analysis for that market.
This assignment also made me realize how much time and effort goes into crafting business
ventures, and how difficult it is to make everything work. I will be interested to hear feedback
from my peers about the venture, and whether or not they would invest in something like this!

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