Venture Map: Developing the optimum design for use of Web-based simulations to engage students with ADHD and improve their educational outcomes

This SBIR Phase I proposal called VentureMap is a collaboration between MW Productions— producers of award-winning educational simulation software—and Dr. Sydney Zentall of Purdue University. Dr. Zentall will apply the results of her own research and that of her colleagues into effective interventions for students diagnosed with symptoms of ADHD toward improving and extending the design of MW Productions’ VentureMap simulation prototype to better serve ADHD students. The Phase I collaboration will focus on a specific VentureMap product aligned to the Algebra I curriculum developed by the educational non-profit College Preparatory Mathematics leading to development and testing of a fully developed software product in Phase II. Research in Phase I and Phase II will seek an optimum design for effective software interventions for ADHD students, and will determine the extent to which the results of the re-designed VentureMap product improves engagement and educational outcomes for ADHD students. The research proposed will also determine whether the re-designed product improves engagement and outcomes for all students compared to results achieved by students using comparable curriculum without VentureMap, and if the re-designed VentureMap product show differential improvement for ADHD students in comparison with students not diagnosed with ADHD.