Why Productive Struggle Matters in AI-Powered Learning with Dacia Toll of Coursemojo

Dacia Toll is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Coursemojo, an AI teaching assistant designed to help students make meaningful reading gains. A former teacher and principal in New Haven and founder of Achievement First, Dacia brings a deep focus on instructional quality, student outcomes, and what it takes to improve learning at scale. Coursemojo has now expanded to more than 85 school districts, from large districts like Boston, Denver, and Duval County to 5 small districts in rural Wisconsin and 13 districts of all sizes in Texas.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. Why productive struggle matters for learning
2. How Coursemojo uses AI without giving away answers
3. The role of high-quality instructional materials
4. Supporting multilingual learners and students with IEPs
5. Using AI to strengthen teacher efficacy

✨ Episode Highlights:
[00:03:10] Dacia Toll’s journey from Edtech skeptic to founder
[00:04:58] Why outcomes drive Coursemojo’s approach
[00:06:29] Why high-quality instructional materials matter for reading achievement
[00:11:26] Designing AI around productive struggle
[00:18:58] Supporting multilingual learners and students with IEPs
[00:22:33] AI as a tool for teacher efficacy
[00:25:25] Coursemojo’s vision for a more coherent learning experience

Learn more: What It Looks Like to Build Educational AI Based on Cognitive Science – K12 Digest

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🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s:

This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Cooley LLP. Cooley is the go-to law firm for education and edtech innovators, offering industry-informed counsel across the 'pre-K to gray' spectrum. With a multidisciplinary approach and a powerful edtech ecosystem, Cooley helps shape the future of education.

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