DEVELOP AN INTERACTIVE-LEARNING EXPERIENCE USING GAMING TECHNIQUES, ANIMATION, GRAPHICS, SIMULATIONS, AND ON-LINE INFORMATION RETRIEVAL TO CONVEY DRUG EDUCATION TO STUDENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS

VANGUARD RESEARCH INC. (VRI), PROPOSES TO DESIGN AND DEVELOPAN INTERACTIVE-LEARNING DEVICE TO EDUCATE AND ENTERTAIN WHILE PROVIDING INFORMATION ON DRUG TYPES, DRUG EFFECTS ON THE BODY, PHYSICAL APPEARANCE OF STREET DRUGS, AND SIMULATEDPEER-PRESSURE ACTIONS COMBINED WITH POSITIVE REACTIONS, FOR COMBATTING DRUG USE AND ADDICTION. THE COMPUTER AIDED INTERACTIVE-SIMULATION WILL INCLUDE LEARNER OPTIONS DEPENDANT UPON AGE, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND MOTIVATION. EACHSIMULATION WILL COMBINE ANIMATION, GRAPHICS, DECISION-MAKINGOPTIONS, RESPONSE EVALUATIONS, FEEDBACK, AND ALTERNATIVE CHOICES, PROMPTING INTERACTION TO POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE SITUATIONS. A DATABASE, INCLUDING A GUIDE TO THE IDENTIFICATION OF ILLEGAL DRUGS, SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF DRUG ABUSE, NAMES AND USES OF LEGAL DRUGS WITH ILLEGAL USES, WILL BE AVAILABLE FORREADY ACCESS TO THE INFORMATION REQUIRED TO ALLOW THE USER TO RESPOND CORRECTLY TO THE SIMULATED ACTIONS. UPDATES TO THE DATABASE INTERFACE WILL ALLOW THE SYSTEM TO KEEP PACE WITH THE AVAILABILITY OF MIND-ALTERING DRUGS INTRODUCED ON THE STREET. A SERIES OF "GET ACQUAINTED" QUESTIONS WILL PERSONALIZE THE LEARNING SESSION AND DIRECT THE USER TO COURSEWARE SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR HIS/HER AGE GROUP. BY USING THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY AVAILABLE FOR PERSONAL COMPUTERS, VRI WILL DEVELOP AN INTERACTIVE-LEARNING TOOL THAT WILL HELP YOUNG PEOPLE FORM A BASIC AWARENESS OF THE EFFECTS OF DRUGS ON PEOPLE OF ALL AGES, THE VARIOUS TYPE OF DRUGS AND THEIR PHYSICAL APPEARANCE, THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF DRUG ABUSE, AND NEW WAYS TO RESIST PEER-PRESSURE AND BE PROUD TO BE DRUG FREE. THIS INTERACTIVE-LEARNING EXPERIENCE, STRUCTURED IN A COMPETITIVE, GAME-LIKE ENVIRONMENT, WILL SERVE AS A DRUG PREVENTION PROGRAM. BECAUSE OF THE COMPETITIVE AND ENTERTAINING ASPECTS OF THIS EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE, PARTICIPATION WILL BE REQUESTED RATHER THAN REQUIRED. THE PROGRAM WILL HELP THE LEARNER TO UNDERSTAND THE CAUSES OF DRUG USE AND THE "HOW" AND "WHY" PEOPLE START USING DRUGS. AT THE SAME TIME, IT WILL HELP THE LEARNER BUILD SELF-ESTEEM AND CREATE A POSITIVE PEER-PRESSURE NOT TO USE DRUGS. CONDITIONS DEFINED IN A PRELIMINARY ON-LINE QUESTIONNAIRE (E.G., NAME, GRADE, OR EXPRESSED LEARNING OBJECTIVE (SELECTED FROM LIST SUPPLIED ON-SCREEN)) WILL IMPLEMENT CONDITIONAL LEARNING PATHS. THE FINAL PRODUCT WILL BE AN AGE-DEPENDENT SERIES OF COMPUTER INTERACTIVE TRAINING PROGRAMS, UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF ONE EXPERT SYSTEM, THAT IS EDUCATIONALLY SOUND, HIGHLY INDIVIDUALIZED, ENTERTAINING, EASILY UPDATED, AND VERY AFFORDABLE. WITH MINIMAL MODIFICATION, THIS SYSTEM WILL EASILY BE ADAPTED TO OTHER DISCIPLINES OR, IN PARTICULAR, OTHER AREAS OF DRUG EDUCATION.