Transforming Education for a New Era: The Journey of Lrn

Our schools are relics of a bygone era, yet the world around us has transformed dramatically. The COVID-19 pandemic has left a devastating challenge due to its profound impact on global education. According to recent statistics, only one in six countries will likely achieve their national educational goals by 2030. Even then, an estimated 84 million children will remain out of school while 300 million students will lack basic numeracy and literacy skills needed to function in this world.

On a macro level, whether we examine developed countries like the U.S., where 54 percent of adults have a literacy rate below the sixth grade, or Niger, where only 19 percent of adults over age 15 can read or write, the disparities are glaring. On a more localized level, we see an 18 percent gap in graduation rates between neighboring towns like Garden City and Hempstead, NY. This disparity stems from economic inequalities that lead to vastly different childhood experiences and outcomes.

With this pressing issue at hand, several students in the Cornell Executive MBA Metro NY program at the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management have embarked on a mission to revolutionize education through Lrn, an AI-powered application they developed that is built on neuroscience concepts. Lrn aims to transform the education industry by offering personalized learning journeys tailored to meet each student’s unique cognitive needs, thereby bridging the digital divide in communities.

Pitching LRN at the Hult Prize Summit Finals

To accelerate our vision, we participated in the Hult Prize 2024. This competition not only provides financial support to help us achieve our dreams but also offers exposure to experienced investors and successful social enterprise founders. We began our journey in the regional/open round, competing against over 10,000 teams worldwide. My classmate, Diana Leano, MBA ’25, and I were thrilled to be shortlisted for the summit round, representing Cornell University at the Summit Nationals in Mumbai, India, this June. Three hundred and sixty teams were selected for the Summit Finals across seven global locations. At the Mumbai Summit Chapter, 65 teams from 17 countries and 25 industry sectors participated. The startups were at various stages of development: 42 percent were in the ideation phase, 36 percent in the prototype phase, 13 percent had a minimum viable product (MVP), and 9 percent had already launched their products. All startups were evaluated by judges from diverse industry backgrounds.

This year’s theme was Unlimited, which encompassed all 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), each aimed at improving global conditions for humanity. Lrn directly addresses Goal 4, Quality Education, and we firmly believe that access to quality education can break the cycle of poverty, reduce gender inequalities, and foster economic growth, thereby addressing three other goals.

Customized, adaptive learning for each individual

Lrn leverages machine learning models to assess a student’s current state and learning preferences through a series of initial assessment questions. Based on the results, we identify the most effective learning methods for each student, whether they are visual, auditory, numerical learners, or a combination. Students are incentivized with badges to motivate and engage them. By personalizing learning materials, we ensure that weak topics are addressed using the most suitable methods while strong topics are further enhanced to develop other cognitive skills.

Science has shown that left-brain-dominant individuals are often auditory learners, while right-brain-dominant individuals tend to be visual learners. Yet traditional education methods fail to cater to these differences. Our adaptive learning system builds on principles dating back to apprenticeship training and human tutoring. While early forms of adaptive learning catered to a small number of learners, our goal is to use adaptive learning for large numbers, which is why we developed Lrn. For example, in our demo, students create stories by filling in actions in pre-determined sentences. As they progress, they gain more freedom and flexibility, enhancing their creativity, comprehension, grammar, and analytical thinking.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Emerging Markets Institute and the founders who gave us the opportunity to represent Cornell University at the Hult Prize 2024. Although we did not advance to the Hult finals in London, the experience was invaluable. We are committed to creating a robust educational tool with a strong AI foundation, personalized to each student’s strengths and weaknesses. The journey has just begun, and we are excited to make a lasting impact on the future of education.

About Nivisha Tated, MBA ’25

Nivisha Tated is a class of 2025 student in the Executive MBA Metro NY program at the Johnson School. A product manager with extensive experience in global market expansion, she is skilled in identifying market needs, strategic planning, and executing technology-driven product launches. Tated is also passionate about leveraging technology to overcome challenges and drive innovation.