SBIR-STTR Award

Phase I goals are to: 1) develop educational multimedia body exploration software targeted toward 8 to 11 year old subjects using introduction to heart health as a prototype example; 2) pilot test and address subjects' concerns about educational concepts and ease of use of the prototype; and 3) measure knowledge and skill changes associated with use of the prototype. We will collect data from target group subjects by introducing them to prototype software at three stages during production. These data will include: 1) qualitative, focus group data - primarily subjects' reactions to the software interface and content; 2) quantitative, questionnaire data on pre-intervention to post-intervention change in (a) knowledge of elementary anatomy and physiology of the heart and circulatory system, and (b) knowledge of behaviors and substances helpful and detrimental to heart health (e.g., diet, exercise, smoking); and 3) observational data on pre-intervention to post-intervention change in demonstrable skill to accurately take one's own pulse. Results of Phase I focus group discussions, observations, and questionnaires will be reported, and providing they confirm feasibility, used in designing the Phase II product. In Phase II we will complete research and development of the CD-ROM and its affiliate Website (My Body Lab at www.healthmedialab.com).

Thesaurus Terms:
computer assisted instruction, educational resource design /development, heart function, interactive multimedia DVD /CD ROM, cardiovascular disorder education, cardiovascular function, computer program /software, health behavior, middle childhood (6-11) clinical research, human subject, questionnaire

The goal of this project is to complete development and evaluation - through focus group discussions, observed pulse-taking skills, and randomized trial survey data - of an upper elementary level interactive anatomy and physiology education product. This product will enable students to learn about the fundamental processes and care of the human body (the circulatory skeletal, muscle, immune, respiratory, and digestive systems; elementary physiology; growth and development; the brain, nerves, and senses; body maintenance; reproduction). Educational emphasis will be on knowledge gain, skill development, and increased self-protective behaviors to help achieve school health educational standards and maintain healthy lives. The target audience is 8 to 11 year-old children, the usual age range of children in the 3rd through 5th grades, and a cognitively similar group. It is an age where children are intensely interested in their own bodies and their own health. Health Media Lab has extensive experience in developing, evaluating, and marketing interactive, multimedia software that encourages use, is proven effective, and is developmentally appropriate for this age group. Like our other interactive school health education products - Hungry Red Planet TM and D.M. Dinwiddie, Physician-in-Training TM - this product will be designed to integrate with most state health education standards for schools. In addition, this product will be ready for teachers to use, requiring no lesson preparation. Also like our other products, this one will consist of an academic and a home use version. The Academic Version will be sold to schools through a variety of mechanisms including resellers and directly on our Website. It will contain both a student and an instructor CD-ROM or DVD, plus an Instructor's Guide with complete lesson plans, worksheets and handouts, software installation and system requirement information, and an overview of educational concepts, in both hard copy and digital PDF files. The Home Version will be sold through catalogues and directly on our Website, and will consist of software for CD-ROM, DVD, X-Box, and/or PS2, and a printed Parents' Guide for parents who want to accompany their children in learning about anatomy and physiology