Feedback Report
Mathematics (English)
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Supplemental Math, Grade 3 (IMRA25)
Program: HMH Math 180 Texas Grade 3
Component: N/A (ISBN: N/A)
Many of the flash cards in this game are extremely small and difficult to identify.
Brain Arcade, Decked Out
The publisher will provide alternative versions of all Brain Arcade games, having identical content, to better support students who may struggle with visual or audio stimuli or time pressure in Decked Out. These versions present content in a more readable format and removes elements like small images that may be challenging for some learners.
A sample alternative version of a Decked Out problem can be viewed at the link below (see page 6).
Student Login, Brain Arcade, Decked Out
After playing through many games in the brain arcade and having looked for a way to turn off the music, I finally discovered that the music off button is on the introduction page of each game. (I suggest moving it to the chapter selection page.)
Having started the game with the music turned off, I played a level in chapter 2. When that level was completed and I started the next level, the music was on again. I hit the pause button and discovered that there was also a music button on the pause screen. I tried from this point to turn off the music, but it stayed on.
Since the music will be non-conducive for some students or for families at home, this is a function that should work properly.
Student Login, Brain Arcade, Decked Out
The publisher will provide alternative versions of all Brain Arcade games, having identical content, to better support students who may struggle with visual or audio stimuli or time pressure games. These alternatives eliminate background music entirely and focus solely on delivering the math content in a clear, simplified format. This experience may be more comfortable for students who benefit from a quieter or more structured environment.
A sample problem for the alternative versions of the games can be viewed at the link below.
Several of these games have limited time available for accomplishing tasks. Although I understand the purpose of the time limit, I think that it can be very frustrating, even defeating to some students.
I think that more emphasis should be placed on accomplishing the mathematical task and less on creating a stressful environment for doing the math!
If it were possible to add a sliding scale to the timing difficulty, it could be helpful (especially for students with learning disabilities or students who do not respond well to the time/stress aspect) if teachers could reduce the time/stress restriction for individual students.
My guess under the current circumstances is that some students could become frustrated by some of these games and pass up the educational value.
Brain Arcade in general
The publisher will provide alternative versions of all Brain Arcade games, having identical content, to better support students who may struggle with visual or audio stimuli or time pressure games. These alternatives will eliminate time limits in the activity, so that students can focus on the mathematical task without added stress and benefit from fluency practice at their own pace.
A sample problem for the alternative versions of the games can be viewed at the link below.
Chapter 1, Level 3 upon loading the level, presented with an error message: "! Check Your Internet Connection and try to log in again. Error (BA server)"
I was able to dismiss the error and play the level, however the score did not display at the end of the level and the chapter does not show that the level was completed by showing the number of stars for the score.
I tried again on another day, but the error persisted.
Under student login, Brain Arcade, Game - DJ Why
Chapter 1, Level 3 upon loading the level, presented with an error message.
Thank you for your feedback. Although the publisher has not been able to replicate the error message or the issue with missing stars during internal testing, ongoing monitoring will continue, and any recurrence will prompt a prioritized investigation.
This game is very noisy and although there is a switch for the sound, it is not functional. Reduce the volume of the background noise in relation to the sound effects and instructions.
Brain Arcade, DJ Why
The publisher will provide alternative versions of all Brain Arcade games, having identical content, to better support students who may struggle with visual or audio stimuli or time pressure games. These alternatives eliminate background music entirely and focus solely on delivering the math content in a clear, simplified format. This experience may be more comfortable for students who benefit from a quieter or more structured environment.
A sample problem for the alternative versions of the games can be viewed at the link below.
While playing Fair Share in Chapter 2, the music is very anxious! While we are attempting to encourage students to become less anxious about doing math, this music does the opposite. Chapter 1 and Chapter 3 have different music. I strongly suggest changing the music in Chapter 2 to something that is less anxiety provoking.
Student login, Brain Arcade, Fair Share, Chapter 2
The publisher will provide alternative versions of all Brain Arcade games, having identical content, to better support students who may struggle with visual or audio stimuli or time pressure games. These alternatives eliminate background music entirely and focus solely on delivering the math content in a clear, simplified format. This experience may be more comfortable for students who benefit from a quieter or more structured environment.
A sample problem for the alternative versions of all games can be viewed at the link below.
The difficulty in this game is provided more by the frustrating aspects of playing the game than by the difficulty of the math.
I find it very difficult to read the math equations that are erratically moving. Many of them move on and off the screen again without being read because it's to difficult to focus on each one while they are all moving. The cursor movement on this game adds to the frustration since the cursor does not accurately move with the movement of the mouse. The ability to progress in this game is not related to learning or practicing math skills as much as developing skills to learn how the movement of the mouse relates to the erratic movement of the cursor and the erratic movement of the flying gnats.
Brain Arcade, Gnat Zapper game
The publisher understands the concern regarding the rapid movement of numbers in Gnat Zapper. To better support students who may struggle with fast visual stimuli, the publisher is developing accessible alternatives to all Brain Arcade games. These versions present content in a more readable, non-visual format and remove elements like moving targets or small images that may be challenging for some learners
A sample alternative version of a Gnat Zapper problem can be viewed using the link below (see page 7).
The cards provided show place value addition exercise examples with 3 place values. The size of the font on the cards in this exercise are not legible.
There are a few of these cards that have quite small fonts. If shrinking the image to fit onto the card makes the fonts illegible, then choose a different representation that is legible.
Success Zone Game in Addition, Subtraction and Place Value. In a Place Value review "Jeopardy" style game, in a card sort.
The publisher will update these Place Value Chart images to have a larger, more readable font, as well as offer accessibility updates that allow better zoom for students that need more support reading them.
The description refers to materials for 5-8 but being reviewed include to 3rd grade but maybe this should be changed to K-12 if you are offering K-12.
When signed in as teacher, click Math 180, go to “Inside Math 180 Classroom.” Scroll to “related resources” All About Math 180.
Publisher will replace "Grades 5-12" to "Grades 3-12" as Math 180 is a supplemental math intervention product intended to support students in Grades 3-12.
Old Text:
Math 180® is a revolutionary math intervention program for students in Grades 5–12 that focuses on deep understanding and mastery of the essential skills and concepts necessary to unlock algebra and advanced mathematics.
New Text:
Math 180® is a revolutionary math intervention program for students in Grades 3–12 that focuses on deep understanding and mastery of the essential skills and concepts necessary to unlock algebra and advanced mathematics.
In these problem exercises, a rectangle is provided and the student is asked to move a vertical bar to divide the rectangle to represent the place values of the given problem. The vertical bar can be difficult to manipulate on the exercises containing factors of hundreds. In particular, in the problem "4 x 802" while working on my laptop, the divider would not stop on 800, but jumps between 801 and 799. I suggest changing the problem to "4 x 803," or "4 x 304" to make the divider easier to manipulate.
With the divider not able to be placed in the correct position, the student will have the problem marked wrong.
URL is not specific. Online Student Exercises, Learn Zone - Multiplication Division, Block 2 Topic 2 Lesson 1, unknown problem number
In our accessibility update, the publisher will update this lesson (Learn Zone Multiplication and Division Block 2 Topic 2 Lesson 1) to shift the student action from dragging a bar to split to rectangle in the image to instead labeling a pre-split rectangle by place value. This obviates the need to use a splitter to deconstruct the Area Model mTool, which will now be split for the student at the start of the step for all problems in the lesson, shifting the student interaction instead to labeling with numbers by splitting into factors using place value.
squiggly marks added to page that are not needed.
Multiplication and Division pdf pages 31,41,47,54
The publisher has identified that this issue occurred because of incompatible fonts. The publisher will fix the fonts so that all "four headed arrows" are changed to the correct symbol.
Component: HMH Math 180 Texas Teacher Digital Subscription (ISBN: N/A)
Love that names of the jobs were provided for each practice problem, especially for students who may not be aware that these jobs exist.
Block 1 Topic 3 Lesson 5: Try It 1, Practice 2-4, Exit Ticket
Thank you. We appreciate the positive feedback!
The problem applies to problems arising in the workplace. However, the third-grade Tek for multiplication has solved one-step problems within 100. It is confusing to give a TEK or a problem in a series that applies to students from multiple grade levels
Block 3 Topic 3 Lesson 5: Try It 1, Practice 2-4, Exit Ticket
.
The publisher has additional examples of student activities that align with grade-level content standards, such as problem-solving lessons involving fractions. Please see the following examples.
Fractions, Block 1, Topic 2, Lesson 5, pp. 34-35. (https://www.hmhco.com/content/sis/math_180/g5_12/teacher/epub/frc_mSpac…)
Fractions Block 1, Topic 2, Lesson 5, pp. 48-49, Worked Example, Try It 1, and Practice 2-4 (https://www.hmhco.com/content/sis/math_180/g5_12/teacher/epub/frc_mSpac…)
Fractions, Block 2, Topic 1, Lesson 5, pp. 72-73,Worked Example, Try It 1, Practice 2-4 (https://www.hmhco.com/content/sis/math_180/g5_12/teacher/epub/frc_mSpac…)
These activities do allow students to apply mathematics to everyday life, however consider varying the types of problem structures within the same topic.
Block 1 Topic 2 Lesson 3: Try It 1, Practice 2-4, Exit Ticket
Thank you for your feedback. Please see an additional example of a student activity that aligns with this grade-level content standard.
mSpace Annotated, Multiplication and Division, Block 1, Topic 2, Lesson 5 pp. 72-73
https://www.hmhco.com/content/sis/math_180/g5_12/teacher/epub/md_mSpace…