#65 Turning Virtual Learning into a Multiplayer Experience with Ben Somers

Many educators associate virtual learning with isolation, disengagement, and students passively staring at screens. But what if the opposite were possible? What if distance learning could be thrilling, social, even addictive—in all the right ways?

In this episode, we meet Ben Somers, founder and CEO of Recess.gg, an online platform transforming virtual education into an e-sports-style, team-based experience where students show up because they want to. With live academic games, mentorship, and a thriving virtual economy, Recess builds belonging, identity, and motivation into every challenge. But behind the fun is a serious vision: empowering self-directed learners with the tools—and freedom—they need to thrive.

Ben draws from deep experience scaling Synthesis (born from Elon Musk’s experimental school) and brings a philosophy rooted in Papert, Dewey, and Montessori to his product design. He argues that engagement is not just a tactic, but an ecosystem built on freedom, community, and purpose.

Listeners will learn:

• Why removing humans from digital learning can kill engagement—and how to bring community back.
• How Recess balances spontaneity and structure to guide students toward long-term goals.
• What a “job board for kids” looks like—and how it helps them become creators, not consumers.
• How AI is being used not to replace human reflection, but to support deeper reflection and mentorship.
• What it means to design an environment where math is learned like French: fluently, through immersive experience.

If you’re a virtual school leader, edtech entrepreneur, homeschool parent, or anyone wondering how to make distance learning work better, this episode will challenge your assumptions and show what’s possible when engagement is student-driven and purpose-aligned.

Episode Links
- Recess.gg – Where student agency meets academic gameplay
- Seymour Papert – The educational theorist Ben credits as a major influence
- Kerbal Space Program – The game teaching kids rocket science and orbital mechanics
- Oxford Kids Conference – Where Recess students presented their podcast

Host Links
- Explore virtual learning resources and programs at CILC.org with Tami Moehring and Allyson Mitchell
- Discover global learning experiences at Banyan Global Learning with Seth Fleischauer

Want to help us reshape distance learning?
Share this episode with a colleague, reflect on your own “why” for virtual education, and remember: the future of learning might look a lot more like Recess than a lecture.