Press Release
CONTACT:Linda Bussell, Kinder Magic Software, 760 632 6693
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ENCINITAS, CA--September 27, 1999--Kinder Magic Software announced today that it has been awarded Phase I funding in the amount of $100,000 under the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.
Objectives of the SBIR program include stimulating technological innovation in the private sector, strengthening the role of small business in meeting Federal research and development needs, increasing the commercial application of the NIH supported research results, and improving the return on investment from Federally funded research for economic and social benefits to the nation.
The purpose of Kinder Magic Software's project is to develop a multimedia simulation, entitled Backyard Bugs.The project proposal was submitted in response to a solicitation from the National Center for Research Resources.
The aim of the Phase I project of Backyard Bugs is to prove the feasibility of producing innovative software that will promote science literacy in young children (grades K-4). Backyard Bugs discovery-based software is correlated to the National Science Education Standards and features virtual "live" insects.
According to Linda Bussell, Director of Research and Development, the proposed software will fill a gap in currently available science education offerings. Established educational multimedia production techniques will be used in order to concentrate on creating a powerful, dynamic learning environment. The final software will incorporate investigative science tools, explorations, force feedback, and video clips, all in a virtual environment. Criterion-referenced pre- and posttests will be used to assess and evaluate the effectiveness of the software design as conceptualized and the data analysis will yield a measure of feasibility during Phase I of the project.
Dr. David F. Marriott, Jr., Executive Director, The Monarch Program has agreed to function as consultant on this project. The Monarch Program in Encinitas is a research and education organization that uses the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) as an educational model for learning more about plant and animal relationships. The Monarch Program was established in 1990 as an educational public benefit organization. The program is supported by grants, donations, educational institutions, membership dues, and sales of butterfly livestock and plants. Each year, thousands of children from local schools visit the butterfly vivarium and participate the educational programs offered there. The Monarch Program provides information and guidance to teachers and students, both locally and nationwide. Dr. Marriott's contribution to the Backyard Bugs project will be to facilitate Kinder Magic Software's liaison with school test sites and to provide his expertise and facilities for the production of the insect video clips.
According to Dr. Ilse Ortabasi, Owner of Kinder Magic Software and Principal Investigator on the project, science software is the fastest growing category of children's software titles. Currently, science software offerings for children numbers over 500 titles, representing 15% of children's software titles in the United States. The module developed during the first phase of the project will serve as a template for the further development of the full software product in Phase II. The potential commercial applications of this software will support a wide distribution in public, private, and home schools. The audience for the proposed software includes the 20,000,000 US school children enrolled in grades K-4. The software will be marketed as a consumer application as well.
Kinder Magic Software was founded in 1990 and is engaged in designing interactive software titles that enrich and instruct children and adults through engaging multimedia simulations and creativity/productivity tools. Previous products designed, developed or contributed to include:
Mosaic Magic (Developed by Kinder Magic Software, published and distributed by William K. Bradford Publishing), At Work!; Budgeting; Auto Loans (developed, published and distributed by Kinder Magic Software), Life and Earth Science Explorations (Glencoe/McGraw-Hill), Exploration: Mosquito Island (Glencoe/McGraw-Hill), The Quaddle Family Mysteries (The Lightspan Partnership), Metrognomes (The Learning Company.)
Contact Information
Phone: 760 632 6693
Fax: 760 632 9995
