What Happens When Middle Schoolers Become the Teachers?
As middle school science classes wrestle with confusion, uneven engagement, and lessons that don’t always stick, one question rises to the surface: what if students could actually learn more by taking on the role of a teacher?
That’s the question driving our latest partnership with Knowalla—and one we’re proud to explore together.
In Tandem is excited to support Knowalla, an early-stage edtech company piloting a new way for middle schoolers to experience science. Their vision? A content-agnostic platform that empowers students to teach science concepts to an AI character trained to learn from them, starting with Amplify Science in a California public school this fall.
Organization Spotlight: Knowalla
Knowalla is reimagining science education by putting students in charge of teaching. Instead of focusing only on content delivery, the platform creates space for learners to explain concepts to an AI character—turning confusion into clarity and strengthening understanding through a back and forth conversation.
At the center of this approach is Knowalla’s learning-by-teaching (LBT) model, where students explain ideas in their own words to an AI character that is trained to ask curious follow-up questions and probe for deeper explanations. The character then applies what it has learned to answer quiz questions. Watching the character apply what it has “learned” provides feedback in a new way—showing students where they’re strong, where they’re still uncertain, and how they can go deeper.
Built to be content-agnostic, Knowalla can support a wide range of curricula. Its first pilot this fall will test how student-led teaching—enhanced by AI-powered feedback—can spark stronger engagement and make science learning stick.
How We’re Partnering To Shape Peer-To-Peer Teaching
Ahead of Knowalla’s fall pilot, In Tandem is collaborating on youth-led testing and feedback to refine the platform experience. With the semester fast approaching, three urgent needs surfaced:
- Capturing honest feedback through interviews and product testing, especially around moments of confusion and clarity.
- Building better onramps helps students feel oriented and ready before engaging deeply with the content.
- Finding the right level of challenge by stretching students to grow, without overwhelming them.
Why In Tandem?
At In Tandem, we provide the scaffolding that makes youth contribution safe, structured, and actionable. Our Youth Partners are not just testing a platform—they’re shaping how it meets real classroom needs.
By centering youth feedback before launch, Knowalla is modeling what it looks like to build with the people most impacted. This project creates space for their perspectives to guide both the pilot and the improvements that follow—so the platform can unlock its full potential where it matters most: in the hands of young learners.
Learn More
