The long-term aim of this research is to develop, evaluate, and distribute an educational software and curriculum unit for use in elementary schools. This unit will teach the health consequences of tobacco, alcohol, and drug abuse, the influence of advertising and promotions, and skills for avoiding abuse of these substances. The Phase I prototype will focus on tobacco use prevention. Target users will be students ages 8 through 11 years, and outcomes will be based on health education standards for those ages, conforming to health education content standards. The 8 to 11 year old age range is a cognitively and developmentally similar group that comprises the upper elementary segment in most school systems. Health Media Lab has extensive experience in developing and evaluating interactive, multimedia software that encourages use and is developmentally appropriate for this age group. Students will engage in an interactive exercise where they play the role of an investigator who uncovers clues that illustrate the hazards of tobacco use, and the skills necessary to avoid use. Experiential learning will be encouraged through interactive software featuring animation, voice-over narration, music, and audio effects. The multimedia program will incorporate current educational theory by engaging learners through active participation by tracking down leads and researching topics on the computer, by supporting participation in groups through maintaining team notes and producing reports on individual and team worksheet exercises, by encouraging frequent user interaction through software and worksheets exercises, and through the connections to real-world contexts that will be an integral part of each investigation. Lessons will promote the following educational concepts: tobacco use is an extremely unhealthful behavior, smoking is unattractive, chewing tobacco is unattractive, people have a right not to inhale others' smoke, people can become addicted to nicotine, it is good for people to support their friends' efforts to stop using tobacco or not to use it in the first place, perceiving tobacco promotion messages critically helps people make good decisions, and it is acceptable to turn down an offer to use tobacco. Outcomes will be tied to these concepts. ? ?
