Paddling in Front of the Wave: From Math to Everything Else

Ten years ago, in my math class, I discovered something that changed everything. With the help of Khan Academy, I had access to data that showed exactly which skills and concepts my students had mastered and where they were struggling, concept by concept, based on their actual work in math. Armed with this insight, I didn’t just stand at the front of the room and lecture—I created a learning system.

I used that data to pair students together in peer-to-peer matches, idea by idea. Those who were blocked on a concept got unblocked by working with peers who had already mastered it. At the same time, those who had a solid understanding deepened their knowledge by teaching it to others before moving on. The result? Accelerated learning across the board.

But here’s the thing: what I was able to do in that math classroom is now possible for all learners, from kindergarten through retirement. And that’s not just important—it’s revolutionary.

Generative AI is the game-changer we didn’t know we needed. It’s taking what was once confined to specific domains, like math, and making it possible everywhere. This isn’t just about a new tool; it’s about a whole new way of thinking about learning, teaching, and how we assess what people know.

At Upduo, we’ve been paddling in front of this wave for a while now. We’ve built a learning system that does more than just teach—it gets under the hood and accurately, unobtrusively assesses knowledge. We’ve created something that isn’t just possible in a math classroom but can exist in any learning environment, anywhere.

The potential is enormous. We’re on the brink of blowing up the old ways of thinking and ushering in a new era of education.