DreamBox Learning®» Learning Research http://www.dreambox.com DreamBox Learning, a web-based math learning company Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:01:10 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 SRI Study: Changing the education landscape with intelligent adaptive learning http://www.dreambox.com/blog/sri-study http://www.dreambox.com/blog/sri-study#comments Thu, 04 Aug 2011 15:49:03 +0000 Jessie W http://www.dreambox.com/blog/?p=8190 Evaluation of Rocketship Education’s Use of DreamBox Learning Online Mathematics Program, was commissioned by Rocketship Education to measure the impact of online math learning on its students’ academic growth. “Intelligent adaptive learning is a game changer” To measure learning progress, students were administered the NWEA MAP mathematics test at the beginning and conclusion of the study. The study found that Rocketship students who received additional online math instruction through the DreamBox Learning program scored an average of 2.3 points higher on the NWEA mathematics test than similar students who did not receive the added online instruction time. For the average student, these gains would be equivalent to progressing 5.5 points in percentile ranking (e.g., from the 50th percentile to the 55.5th percentile) in just 16 weeks. This SRI study validates DreamBox Learning’s core value proposition – that intelligent adaptive learning is a game changer in education. Rocketship is a showcase example of how the platform has significantly impacted math score gains across a diverse landscape of students. I encourage you to read the SRI International study if you haven’t already. Together, we can be a part of the change in education, and empower our young children with the foundation they need to succeed. - Jessie Woolley-Wilson, CEO]]> http://www.dreambox.com/blog/sri-study/feed 0 The "Hole In The Wall" Project http://www.dreambox.com/blog/hole-in-the-wall-project http://www.dreambox.com/blog/hole-in-the-wall-project#comments Thu, 28 Oct 2010 18:07:14 +0000 Neal M http://www.dreambox.com/blog/?p=6547 Hole in the Wall Project over the past nine years. In short, Hole in the Wall project began with a Learning Station consisting of a computer system setup with no instruction manual or teacher involvement. Mitra and his team found that the residents, especially the children, were able to teach themselves and one another how to use not only the computer hardware, but the basic software included as well. Mitra's team expanded this concept throughout India, with Learning Stations set up in impoverished neighborhoods as a minimally invasive academic tool. If you are interested in learning more about Sugata Mitra, I recommend these videos from TED on "How Kids Teach Themselves" and from PBS's show Frontline: World. How can we apply the findings of Hole in the Wall to our own classrooms and schools? Should we as teachers drop off learning materials, computer systems, and leave our students to handle the learning on their own? Of course not. However, there is a time and place for a teacher to know when we stop advancing learning, and are instead inhibiting academic growth. Sometimes it is appropriate and preferred to pose a question, provide materials, and take a step back to see what happens. You may be surprised at the ability of your students to self-organize and seize their learning.]]> http://www.dreambox.com/blog/hole-in-the-wall-project/feed 0 Keeping Kids Engaged and in School http://www.dreambox.com/blog/keeping-kids-in-school http://www.dreambox.com/blog/keeping-kids-in-school#comments Fri, 20 Aug 2010 16:33:02 +0000 Tracy H http://www.dreambox.com/blog/?p=6099 Read the full report, “Enhancing Middle School Student Experiences”). We at DreamBox couldn’t agree more. But why wait until middle school? Why not start with elementary school? This is where a child’s foundation for learning really takes hold. As DreamBox and teachers work together to address intervention for elementary schools, we hope more and more schools incorporate prevention programs to help students succeed.]]> http://www.dreambox.com/blog/keeping-kids-in-school/feed 0 A Few More Reasons "Why Must I Learn Math?" http://www.dreambox.com/blog/a-few-more-reasons-why-must-i-learn-math http://www.dreambox.com/blog/a-few-more-reasons-why-must-i-learn-math#comments Sun, 04 Jan 2009 22:06:12 +0000 Sue http://www.dreambox.com/blog/?p=1163 Mark Karadimos, called MathGuide—and in particular the page on “Why Must I Learn Math?” For parents who bring the same kind of baggage to the subject that I do, this is a very educational read. Because today, it’s not just the traditional math and science careers that require mathematics—not just astronauts and scientists and engineers—every profession needs math.

Kids Need to Build Math Skills for All Professions

I'm more aware of this than ever because I'm working on a short documentary-style video for DreamBox where we interviewed more than 50 children, asking them what they want to be when they grow up. As part of this project I've been researching how an amazing range of careers—from beauticians to farmers to paleontologists, rock stars, and zoologists—all need math in their jobs! And if you still have any doubt about why it’s important to overcome our own negative math education experiences, read the National Math Panel report to learn more about the importance of math in terms of access to college, career choices, and earning potential! You’ll find it, along with other parent resources, at the U.S. Dept. of Education site.]]> http://www.dreambox.com/blog/a-few-more-reasons-why-must-i-learn-math/feed 0 What Place Does Fun Have in Learning? http://www.dreambox.com/blog/what-place-does-fun-have-in-learning http://www.dreambox.com/blog/what-place-does-fun-have-in-learning#comments Thu, 18 Dec 2008 16:30:00 +0000 Sue http://www.dreambox.com/blog/?p=1067 Top Educational Toys”—we had a good time catching up on some cool learning toys. Hey, we were going to go shopping for our kids, nieces, and nephews anyway! But in the course of writing it we never really took the opportunity to talk about why learning by playing is so important. Kids are simply more receptive to learning when they’re having fun. And lots of experts say that play not only fosters learning but it’s also an essential part of a child’s overall well-being. Play enhances kids' cognitive capacity when it gives them opportunities for trial and error, problem solving, and decision making while encouraging their participation in a fun, rewarding environment—that's what makes play both intellectually stimulating and emotionally gratifying.

Resources for Balancing Playing and Learning

A while back one of our regular parent newsletters talked about the importance of play in learning—in that article we offered parents a number of resources to learn more about the subject. I’ll share those links again here in case you missed it. You can also read the original newsletter article on our site.]]> http://www.dreambox.com/blog/what-place-does-fun-have-in-learning/feed 0 John Hopkins Study: Innate Number Sense Correlates to Math Achievement http://www.dreambox.com/blog/study-innate-number-sense-correlates-to-math-achievement http://www.dreambox.com/blog/study-innate-number-sense-correlates-to-math-achievement#comments Thu, 11 Sep 2008 15:50:42 +0000 Aja http://www.dreambox.com/blog/?p=199 innate number sense and math achievement in school. To measure number sense the authors showed 14-year-old children images of blue and yellow dots and asked the child if there were more blue dots or yellow dots. The images were shown for less than a second so the students could not count them and instead had to estimate which group had more. Most students did well when one group was significantly bigger, but some students were much better when the difference was smaller.
Math Correlation Study
The researchers then looked at each child's scores on several standardized math tests. The students who performed well on the number sense activity also had higher math achievement. The correlation remained even after they accounted for IQ, working memory, and several other measures of cognitive skill.

When Are Math Learning Skills Determined?

This study seems to support the common belief that math is easy for some people and harder for others. I'm not sure I buy that though. The skill measured in the estimation task develops very early in life, starting before one year. I refuse to believe that future math achievement is determined before a child can even talk. I'd love to see a study where they took the children who struggled with the estimation task and tried to improve those skills with repeated practice. I wonder if their math achievement would improve? Perhaps age 14 is too late to try that kind of experiment but maybe it could be done with children in preschool or early elementary. That would help establish whether ability with relative estimates raises math scores by itself or whether there are additional factors at play. What do you think? Additionally, when it comes to math, do girls = boys?]]> http://www.dreambox.com/blog/study-innate-number-sense-correlates-to-math-achievement/feed 0 A Four Day School Week? http://www.dreambox.com/blog/a-four-day-school-week http://www.dreambox.com/blog/a-four-day-school-week#comments Tue, 09 Sep 2008 04:52:56 +0000 Lou http://www.dreambox.com/blog/?p=127 Homeschooling with Dreambox Today, if my sons’ schools instituted a four day school week, I’m reminded how lucky they’d be to use DreamBox at home. So lucky in fact, I actually think I’ll recount it for them -- along with stories about my ill-fitting hand-me-down paisley polyester shirts, shoveling snow with a 40 lb rusty spade, and grandpa’s insistence that milk expiration dates were a conspiracy to get you to buy more milk. It’s no wonder I dislike cottage cheese.]]> http://www.dreambox.com/blog/a-four-day-school-week/feed 0 When It Comes to Learning Math, do Girls = Boys? http://www.dreambox.com/blog/when-it-comes-to-math-do-girls-boys http://www.dreambox.com/blog/when-it-comes-to-math-do-girls-boys#comments Wed, 27 Aug 2008 17:58:47 +0000 Lou http://www.dreambox.com/blog/?p=91 journal Science, released the largest study of its kind on the subject of girls and math. After studying 7 million students over 20 years, it concluded that in grades 2 through 11, “girls have now achieved gender parity in performance on standardized math tests.” Wonderful news, right?!]]> journal Science, released the largest study of its kind on the subject of girls and math. After studying 7 million students over 20 years, it concluded that in grades 2 through 11, “girls have now achieved gender parity in performance on standardized math tests.” Wonderful news, right?! Not exactly. It turns out that while girls are doing better on the math portion of standardized tests, these standardized tests themselves don’t *really* test for anything other than the most basic math concepts. Put another way, girls and boys are equal in that they do about the same on standardized tests that don’t really test math very well! This vital portion of the research was completely missed by the mainstream press, and it came in the form of an unanswered question:

Does the gender gap remain in complex problem-solving?

No one knows because, again, our standardized tests do not test beyond the most basic math concepts, which according to the authors means “these [complex problem-solving] skills may be neglected in instruction, putting American students at a disadvantage relative to those in other countries where tests and curricula emphasize more challenging content.” Wow. In any event, it’s a no brainer that if you remove the cultural and instructional barriers to math, girls = boys (sorry Lawrence Summers!) Actually, I believe that regardless of gender, socioeconomic status, or proclivity for math, most students can make significant improvements in math if the instruction is engaging, relevant, effective, and individualized. By the way, given how critical it is to later academic success, I wonder why K – 1 math performance was excluded from the study. Was it unattainable, meaningless, or did it skew the results (i.e., girls do less well)? Hmmm.]]> http://www.dreambox.com/blog/when-it-comes-to-math-do-girls-boys/feed 0