K-12 · Cognitive Foundations

Build cognitive foundations through play.

37 STEM and math simulations inside a spacecraft cockpit. Students learn by breaking things, not reading about them. 7 cognitive dimensions measured on every interaction — from kindergarten through 12th grade. 10 dedicated math modes from fractions through proofs.

When homework can be generated by AI, the only authentic evidence of learning is performance under constraint. Simulations are that constraint.

Try the cockpit free → See all 37 modes
29
Simulations
7
Dimensions
5
Grade Bands
NGSS
Aligned
◆
Grade Bands

One cockpit. Five developmental stages.

The same 37 simulations adapt difficulty, scaffolding, and feedback to the student’s developmental level. The engine adjusts — not the content.

K–2
Guided Discovery
Drag-and-drop interactions. Visual cause-and-effect. The AI tutor narrates what happened and asks “what do you think will happen if…”
3–5
Structured Inquiry
Students form hypotheses before testing. The cockpit tracks prediction accuracy. Scaffolding fades as confidence grows.
6–8
Independent Investigation
Open-ended simulations. Students design their own experiments. The AI tutor intervenes only when productive struggle tips into frustration.
9–12
Advanced Reasoning
Multi-variable systems. Competing constraints. Students defend their approach with evidence from simulation data. Transfer across domains.
Undergrad
Research-Level
Simulations with no single correct answer. Students model complex systems, evaluate trade-offs, and produce defensible conclusions.
Same Engine · Every Life Stage

What gets built — dimension by dimension.

D1 · Analytical Reasoning
From patterns to proofs
K–2: “Which ones go together?” 9–12: “Isolate the variable. Test the hypothesis. Explain why your model failed.”
D2 · Quantitative Modeling
From counting to calculus
K–2: compare quantities visually. 9–12: build mathematical models from simulation data and predict outcomes under novel constraints.
D3 · Verbal Communication
From describing to defending
K–2: “Tell me what happened.” 9–12: “Write a lab report that would survive peer review.”
D4 · Spatial Thinking
From shapes to systems
K–2: rotate and fit objects. 9–12: navigate 3D orbital mechanics, predict trajectories, design structural solutions.
D5 · Inference & Deduction
From guessing to reasoning
K–2: “What comes next?” 9–12: “Given these 4 observations, which hypothesis is falsified?”
D6 · Social & Collaborative
From sharing to stakeholder management
K–2: take turns, explain your thinking. 9–12: manage competing priorities, triage under pressure, negotiate trade-offs.
D7 · Operational Execution
From building to debugging
K–2: assemble, test, try again. 9–12: prototype rapidly, diagnose system failures, optimize under resource constraints.
◆
AI Tutor

Questions, not answers.

Productive struggle builds transfer. The AI tutor never gives the answer. It asks the question that leads the student to discover it themselves.

Productive Struggle
The right amount of hard
The engine tracks anxiety, motivation, and confidence from behavioral signals. When struggle is productive — the student is learning. When it tips into frustration — the tutor intervenes with a question, not an answer.
Misconception Detection
Find the bug in their thinking
The AI analyzes student reasoning in real time. When it detects a misconception — not a mistake, a systematic misunderstanding — it designs a targeted question to surface the contradiction.
Transfer Measurement
Can they use it somewhere new?
Every dimension is measured across multiple simulations. If a student learns analytical reasoning in Force Field but can’t apply it in Climate Engine — we know transfer hasn’t happened yet.
Hint Independence
Less scaffolding over time
The engine tracks how often a student needs a hint to make progress. As independence grows, scaffolding fades. The goal: zero hints on novel problems.
Equity & Access

Built for the students who need it most.

The students furthest from opportunity are often the ones most failed by traditional assessment. QLM is designed to reach them first.

8 Languages
Spanish-first, not Spanish-translated
Full interface and AI tutor support in 8 languages, with Spanish as the primary second language. Simulations are visual and interactive — language is scaffolding, not the assessment itself. English learners demonstrate understanding by doing, not by decoding.
Learning Differences
Dyscalculia accommodations built in
Color-coded place values. Enlarged numbers. Graph paper overlay. The adaptive engine distinguishes between a student who cannot manipulate symbols and a student who cannot reason quantitatively — they are not the same thing. One-click presets for dyslexia, ADHD, and motor difficulties.
K–2 Accessibility
Audio prompts for emerging readers
K–2 modes include audio narration for all instructions and mission briefs. Students who cannot yet read fluently still access the full simulation experience. Visual + audio + interactive — three modalities, so reading is never a gate.
No Barriers
No hardware required
Runs on any device with a browser. Chromebooks, iPads, desktops, phones. No app to install. No plugin to update. No IT ticket to file. Students in Title I schools with shared Chromebook carts get the same experience as students with personal laptops.

Title I schools: Contact us about free pilot pricing. We are actively seeking district partners serving students behind grade level to validate learning outcomes together.

schools@quantumlearningmachines.com

District Pilot

90-day free pilot. $3/student/year.

Clever rostering. FERPA-ready. No hardware required. Students play on any device with a browser. Teachers see every dimension in real time.

Start district pilot → See all 37 simulations →
One Engine · Five Life Stages

Same cockpit. Same 7 dimensions. Different chapters.

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