DreamBox, an adaptive learning company, has received $10 million in a round of funding.
DreamBox provides an adaptive learning platform that measures 50,000 data points per hour for each student, allowing the service to automatically personalize instruction. Its goal is to give students a conceptual understanding of mathematics, and the service gives lessons in Spanish as well as English. Because of the way it analyzes data, it can tailor itself to students who are struggling or advanced better than teachers in a traditional classroom can, the company ays. The service enhances student engagement by including visuals, sound, and consistent interaction.
Students have to prove that they understand one lesson before moving onto the next, according to the DreamBox Learning website.
Dara Holt, Director of Pre K-5 at Valdosta City Schools in Georgia, said that the program helps round out a classroom education:
DreamBox has been able to fill conceptual math gaps that third, fourth, and fifth graders have had since kindergarten.
The funds will go towards creating a second generation of the platform that includes more content and to improve its services for educators to give teachers and district administrators more insight into student performance based on collected data.
Jacob Demmitt of GeekWire quoted DreamBox CEO Jessie Woolley-Wilson about the need for education to be tailored to each individual regardless of location:
We share the belief that all students deserve an engaging, personalized and effective learning experience, regardless of the ZIP code in which they live. With this investment, our future remains bright as we continue our important work to reimagine and reshape the future of learning.
The funding round was led by Owl Ventures, and DreamBox will be adding Owl’s co-founder and managing partner Tory Patterson to its Board of Directors. The company’s board also includes Reed Hastings, co-founder, Chairman, and CEO of Netflix, and other prominent figures in venture capital and education technology. Tao Capital Partners also invested.
Regan Pritzker of Tao Capital said that DreamBox’s initiatives are the best of the next-generation approaches to education:
DreamBox’s belief that teachers should remain at the center of learning is critical, and as a teacher, I am inspired by what they are doing to support educators in blended learning environments. DreamBox prepares educators to fully harness smart data and support better learning outcomes and opportunities for students. We remain encouraged by what can be achieved for students when teachers leverage powerful learning innovations that engage students while personalizing learning. We believe DreamBox Learning is a best of breed learning design.
DreamBox was founded in 2006 in Bellevue, Washington, and since 2011 has doubled its users every year. 1.5 million student users are currently active and span grades K-8, all 50 states, Washington DC, and Canada.
