Interview
The Calculus of Success
- Current math education suffers from low proficiency, with 70% of U.S. eighth graders lacking foundational skills and middle school math scores declining three to four times faster than literacy scores.
- Prisms VR launched in fall 2021 and plans to expand across school systems, aiming to close achievement gaps in math and science by scaling spatial reasoning and abstract ability competencies.
- Feasibility studies project double-digit growth in Algebra 1 proficiency, while a full-year randomized control trial is expected to validate a 11% increase in algebra proficiencies compared to control groups.
- The platform anticipates compressing instruction time for topics typically requiring four weeks into one week, potentially transitioning Algebra 1 from a year-long course to a two-month duration.
- Future curriculum expansion plans include moving beyond STEM into humanities, utilizing spatial simulations for creative writing and historical perspective in English and social sciences.
- Strategic development includes integrating AI into spatial environments to deliver cognitive support and feedback during critical moments of struggle, with a belief that AI will not succeed in education until it addresses student confidence and mindset.
- Market analysis suggests that roughly 10 to 12% of the population will continue to learn via traditional paper-and-pencil methods, while the majority is expected to require spatial or multisensory modalities as 3D interfaces become normalized.
- The organization maintains an uncertain outlook regarding the specific market adoption trajectories of various spatial computing technologies.