DreamBox Learning

DreamBox Learning is a supplemental online mathematics program that provides adaptive instruction for students in grades K–5, focusing on number and operations, place value, and number sense. The program aims to individualize instruction for each student with millions of unique paths through the curriculum intended to match each student's level of comprehension and learning style. The curriculum is based on the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) standards and is made up of more than 720 online lessons. Students complete lessons by playing math games and solving puzzles using DreamBox Learning's virtual manipulatives. As students interact with the program, the lesson sequence, difficulty, pace, and number of hints are adapted in real time. DreamBox Learning can be used in a range of instructional settings including the classroom, small groups, or students using the program independently. DreamBox Learning recommends students spend at least 90 minutes a week on the program. In the study, intervention students were scheduled to receive 20 to 40 minutes of DreamBox Learning mathematics instruction per day in a computer lab, with usage statistics showing that students averaged 21.8 hours of usage over the course of the study. The computer labs were run by lab coordinators, noncredentialed hourly staff who played a minimal role in instruction.