EDCI 355- Learning Design Blueprint

Group 1 Members:

 Amira Davey, Riley Brooks, Danae Bennett, Sophie Murphy, Taiya Scorey

Topic:

Understanding Anxiety in Teens: Evaluating Key Factors Increasing Anxiety in Today’s Youth

Part One: Introduction

Description: 

Adolescence is a critical life stage during which individuals experience significant psychological, emotional, and social changes. This period is characterized by identity formation, increased independence, and heightened emotional sensitivity (Van Der Graaff et al., 2014). From a psychological perspective, understanding the cognitive and emotional processes that transpire during adolescence is crucial for promoting positive mental health outcomes. Academic research emphasizes the importance of supportive environments and effective coping strategies in enhancing adolescent well-being (Keijsers & Poulin, 2013)

Misconceptions:

There are many common misconceptions regarding adolescent development. For example, adolescents are often viewed as inherently rebellious and problematic. This overlooks the fact that adolescence involves natural developmental struggles and that most adolescents navigate these challenges successfully with appropriate support (Keijsers & Poulin, 2013). Additionally, there is a common misbelief that mental health issues in adolescence are merely a phase and will resolve on their own. In reality, early intervention and support are crucial for managing mental health concerns effectively (Simmons et al., 2023). By focusing on psychological perspectives, this learning resource aims to provide valuable insights and practical strategies for supporting adolescent development and mental health.

Rationale 

This course will effectively teach learners about various factors contributing to anxiety and mental health challenges in today’s youth.  This course will also implement the principles of cognitivism as the main learning design.  

References:

Keijsers, L., & Poulin, F. (2013). Developmental changes in parent-child communication throughout adolescence. Developmental Psychology, 49(12), 2301–2308. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0032217

Simmons, M. B., Cartner, S., MacDonald, R., Whitson, S., Bailey, A., & Brown, E. (2023). The effectiveness of peer support from a person with lived experience of mental health challenges for young people with anxiety and depression: a systematic review. BMC Psychiatry, 23(1), 194–20. https://doi.org/10.1186s12888-023-04578-2

Van der Graaff, J., Branje, S., De Wied, M., Hawk, S., Van Lier, P., & Meeus, W. (2014). Perspective taking and empathic concern in adolescence: Gender differences in developmental changes. Developmental Psychology, 50(3), 881–888. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0034325

Part Two: Learning Design Plan

Audience:

The targeted audience for this course is 15 to 18-year-old secondary students. The purpose of this is that the content directly impacts this age range. Our goal is to help prepare these adolescents for post-secondary and everyday stress by teaching them to understand their mental health.

Big Ideas: 

  1. Understanding the psychological processes and challenges of adolescence is crucial for fostering healthy development and mental well-being.
  2. Effective support and intervention strategies can significantly improve adolescent mental health outcomes

Learning Outcomes:

  1. Learners will be able to explain the key psychological processes that influence adolescent anxiety.
  2. Learners will be able to  identify common contributors to anxiety in adolescents
  3. Learners will be able discuss effective intervention strategies.

Learning Activities:

  1. Interactive Lecture: Presentation on adolescent psychological development and mental health challenges, supplemented by discussions and Q&A sessions.
  2. Group Discussions: Small group discussions on misconceptions and real-life applications of intervention strategies.

Assessments:

  1. Quizzes: Learners will take a short quiz to test their understanding of psychological processes and common challenges in adolescence.
  2. Critical Thinking Topic: Students will choose an article that summarizes the course content. Afterwards, students will choose to agree or disagree with this topic
  3. Tests: Following the quizzes, learners will take a test to demonstrate their understanding of the course.

Evaluating Learner’s Comprehension: 

Individuals’ learning outcomes will be evaluated by their ability to accurately describe psychological processes and challenges that may contribute to adolescent anxiety. Individuals will also be evaluated by their ability to apply appropriate intervention strategies to hypothetical scenarios. 

Part Three: Resources

  1. Textbooks:
    • Steinberg, L. D., & Lerner, R. M. (2009). Handbook of adolescent psychology. John Wiley & Sons.
    • Cummings, J. A. and Sanders, L. (2019). Introduction to Psychology.Saskatoon, SK: University of Saskatchewan Open Press. https://openpress.usask.ca/introductiontopsychology/
  2. Scholarly Articles:
    • Blöte, A. W., Miers, A. C., & Westenberg, P. M. (2022). Concurrent and prospective associations between social anxiety and responses to stress in adolescence. Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology, 50(5), 659–668. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-021-00880-3
    • Connor-Smith, J. K., Compas, B. E., Wadsworth, M. E., Harding Thomsen, A., & Saltzman, H. (2000). Responses to stress in adolescence: Measurement of coping and involuntary stress responses. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 68(6), 976–992. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.68.6.97
    • Mancini, G. F., Meijer, O. C., & Campolongo, P. (2023). Stress in adolescence as a first hit in stress-related disease development: Timing and context are crucial. Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology, 69, 101065–101065. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101065
    • Henker, B., Whalen, C. K., Jamner, L. D., & Delfino, R. J. (2002). Anxiety, Affect, and Activity in Teenagers: Monitoring Daily Life With Electronic Diaries. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 41(6), 660–670. https://doi.org/10.1097/00004583-200206000-00005
  3. Grey Literature
  1. Technology Tools:
    • Microsoft 365
      1. Teams Chat 
      2. Outlook 
      3. Word
      4. PowerPoint
    • Quizlet 
    • Google Forms

Part Four: Project Plan Proposal

  1. Topic Research and Content Development: Riley (compete by Oct 13)
    • Sources (text, academic literature)
    • Divide info into modules
    • Learning objectives
    • Finding videos/grey literature 
    • Intro/overview, chapter 1, chapter 2
  2. Designing Learning Activities, Assessments, and Interactive Materials: Sophie and Taiya (complete by Oct 27) 
    • Sophie
      1. Critical Thinking Topic 
      2. Quizzes and tests (1 quiz per chapter and then 1 test)  
    • Taiya
      1. Group Discussions 
      2. Interactive lectures 
  3. Developing Technology Tools and Platforms: Amira (complete by Nov 10)
    • Use current Microsoft Teams Group for the module
      1. People in Teams can be the 5 group members and the professor
      2. A link/ code to the Teams Group will be included in the assignment document
    • Introduction to the technology that will be used in the class
      1. Overview of what technology will be used and how to access it 
    • Create a channel for each chapter and input all learning resources (made by other team members)
  4. Compiling the Final Project: Danae (complete by Nov 24 → hand in)
    • Edit all sections throughout (and help with research/any questions throughout project)
    • Create final doc (compiling all parts into one)
      1. Make lesson plans 
      2. Create syllabus 
    • Submit blueprint on WordPress and Brightspace

Proposed meeting days:

  • Thursday October 10th, 2:30pm (discuss Riley’s part/progress) 
  • Saturday October 19, 2:00pm (discuss Sophie and Taiya’s part/progress)
  • Tuesday October 29, 6:45pm (discuss Amira’s part/progress)
  • Thursday November 7, 6:45pm (discuss Danae’s part/progress) (Sophie and Taiya may not make it)
  • Saturday November 23, 2:00pm (final touches)