According to popular legend, the renowned scientist Isaac Newton had a life-changing moment when an apple fell on his head while he was resting under a tree, inspiring his groundbreaking theory of gravity. This story serves as a powerful example of how simple human experiences can transform our comprehension of the universe.
Fast forward to five years ago, Anurupa Ganguly, an MIT alumna from the classes of 2007 and 2009, observed a significant gap in learning methods within traditional educational settings.
“Students should learn to express ideas using language, notation, and eventually shorthand representations rooted in genuine human experiences,” says Ganguly.
This principle inspired the development of PrismsVR, a company that combines virtual reality with education, facilitating immersive learning experiences in the realms of math and science using physical engagement.
PrismsVR has the potential to revolutionize classroom interaction, fostering a self-paced, student-driven approach to learning. In this environment, educators focus on guiding curiosity through thought-provoking questions.
Rather than pouring over textbooks in a conventional manner, students dive into roles such as biomedical researchers devising tissue regeneration therapies or rural architects planning new school buildings, offering engaging, real-world learning applications.
“We’re creating an entire educational framework, combining methodologies with advanced tech infrastructure, allowing students to tackle challenges firsthand, rather than through abstract concepts or flat screens. They explore and ascribe meaning, language, and progress to equations, procedures, and terminology,” Ganguly elaborates.
Image: Courtesy of PrismsVR
Currently, PrismsVR has reached approximately 300,000 students across 35 states. Research indicates that this innovative approach has elevated algebra test scores by 11 percent in one study, with large-scale, multi-state studies currently in progress through funding from the Gates Foundation.
“Education demands genuine reform after years of stagnation,” says Ganguly. “Instead of merely digitizing outdated methods, we should rethink our approach to learning. Schools are collaborating with us to adopt a more aspirational model, focusing on interactive, multi-faceted learning at the core of educational design. Our mission is to make this transformation accessible to every public school student in the U.S., and eventually expand into community colleges, higher education, and global markets.”
A New Paradigm for Learning
Having studied Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT, Ganguly witnessed the gender disparity in her field firsthand. Initially, women comprised around 30 percent of her undergraduate class, a number that steadily declined as she progressed through her studies.
“It was akin to a disappearing act for many students. This experience fueled my passion to uncover what happens at the K-12 level that sets some students on a solid path while others struggle,” reminisces Ganguly.
As her graduate program concluded in 2009, Ganguly intended to relocate to California and pursue an engineering career. However, while walking through MIT’s Infinite Corridor, a sign drew her attention. It was an advertisement for Teach for America, which aimed to recruit students to teach in high-need schools.
“The idea of leveraging my education in engineering for systemic change in public education truly inspired me,” explains Ganguly, who went on to teach high school physics and algebra in Boston Public Schools.
Ganguly soon transitioned out of the classroom to become the director of mathematics for the district, where she took charge of curriculum development and teacher training. Her journey continued at New York City Public Schools, focusing on curricular innovations that relate abstract math concepts to students’ everyday realities.
“Traveling from school to school and working with millions of students convinced me that existing tools are inadequate for addressing the challenges I thought about at MIT—how to create equitable opportunities and lasting identities in mathematical sciences,” Ganguly observes.
As she sees it, students navigate a three-dimensional, intricate world, yet lessons often confine them to two-dimensional experiences via paper or screens. Why shouldn’t math and science learnings be just as multifaceted and immersive as the rest of life? The release of the Oculus Quest VR headset in 2018 sparked Ganguly’s conviction that virtual reality could revolutionize education.
However, starting an education-focused VR company during that period seemed like a bold move. The 128-gigabyte Oculus Quest was priced at $500 and no standards-based VR curricula existed in U.S. K-12 schools.
“Investors wouldn’t look our way,” Ganguly laughs.
Fortunately, Ganguly secured initial funding from the National Science Foundation to develop her first prototype. She began her journey with Algebra 1, a course that significantly impacts lifetime earnings but has exhibited a persistent achievement gap.
Her inaugural module, crafted during the pandemic, places students within a bustling food hall where a mayoral announcement warns of a rising, unknown virus. Empowered with the ability to journey back in time, students witness the virus’s spread, culminating in interactive data visualization as they analyze how many weeks until hospitals reach capacity. This foundational module paved the way for additional curricular experiences in subjects such as geometry and biology, with Prisms now encompassing all math and science subjects from seventh to eleventh grade. By fall 2025, Prisms plans to offer evergreen content up to grade 14.
Post-experience, students engage in small group reflections and write summaries. Throughout these virtual exercises, teachers have access to a web dashboard to track each student’s progress, allowing for timely support and intervention.
“In our model, the teacher becomes a facilitator like Socrates, focusing on prompting high-quality questions rather than simply imparting knowledge,” Ganguly explains.
As a solo founder, Ganguly credits the guidance she received from MIT’s Venture Mentoring Service, which offers mentorship and support to entrepreneurs from the MIT community.
“The MIT founder ecosystem is unique,” says Ganguly. “Technical founders often create products for themselves and navigate the transition from ideation to market strategy and scaling teams in a distinctive journey.”
Transforming Textbooks into Experiences
A few years back, during a classroom coaching session in a Virginia school district, a teacher shared the story of a student named Silas.
“The teacher mentioned, ‘Silas never participates; he just sits in the back,’” recalls Ganguly. “Having seen similar patterns, we decided to give Silas a new opportunity. It turned out, he was the first to complete the module and write a comprehensive synthesis report. The teacher told me that was the first time Silas submitted a fully completed assignment.”
This is just one of countless anecdotes Ganguly has collected over time.
“Many students feel alienated in traditional math classrooms due to our outdated methods of rote learning,” Ganguly asserts. “Students yearn for stories that engage them on an emotional level. They wish for their math education to resonate and create a meaningful impact.”
Ganguly envisions PrismsVR as a groundbreaking educational tool that accommodates learners nationwide.
“We aim to redefine the next generation of textbooks into immersive, spatial experiences,” Ganguly concludes.
Photo credit & article inspired by: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
