Actually think.

Most learning asks students to absorb. We think they should be doing the thinking.

Principle 01 of 03

Concrete.

Learning sticks when it's about something real.

Traditional

With Tyto

Read Chapter 7 on plate tectonics.

→Figure out whether the island you live on is sitting on an active volcano — and who's in danger.

Read the chapter on local government.

→A new development is about to displace a neighborhood in your city — figure out who has the power to stop it, and make the case.

Why it works

Grounding learning in specific, tangible scenarios means the question "why are we learning this?" answers itself — you’re learning it because you need it to solve the problem in front of you. Engaging with learning this way also makes it more tangible and easier to approach, so learners are often surprised how easily it comes.

"it was the best thing in the world for me to play i understood everything way easier then just in the book."

— Middle school student

Principle 02 of 03

Active.

Learning sticks when you figure it out yourself.

Traditional

With Tyto

Calculate the mean and standard deviation.

→Two classes got different test results — figure out whether the difference is real or just noise.

Select the correct answer from the list.

→Build an argument with evidence: why is this ecosystem collapsing?

Why it works

Following instructions teaches compliance. Designing your own approach teaches thinking. Choosing from a list of options tests recognition. Constructing an argument tests understanding. Productive struggle — gathering evidence, testing an idea, getting it wrong, revising, trying again — is harder than being told the answer, and it’s how understanding actually forms.

"Before playing it, she would say she was bad at science. She doesn’t say that any more! She [says] ‘I haven’t learned that, yet.’ Such a huge difference!"

— Parent of a K-12 student

Principle 03 of 03

Joyful.

Learning sticks when it doesn't feel like a threat.

Traditional

With Tyto

Complete the unit test by Friday.

→You're running your own dragon-breeding lab — crack the genetics to get the dragon you want.

If you score below 70%, retake the quiz.

→Your argument didn’t land. Where’s the weak point — and what would make it hold?

Why it works

A test is something to survive. A mission is something to care about. Failure in a test means you failed. Failure in a game means you learned something and get to try again. When the stakes are lower and the world is interesting, students take risks and engage not because they’re told to, but because the experience is genuinely worth being inside of.

"It puts a spin on regular learning and I’ve never seen anything like it."

— Middle school student