EDCI 335- Assignment 1 Blueprint

Instructional approaches that align with our Blueprint: Direct Instruction and Experiential Learning, because students need explicit teaching on syllabus expectations, and then hands-on practice applying it through a syllabus scavenger hunt and making a weekly study plan.

Group Members:

Emily, Alexis, Bree, Naimo

Chosen Topic / Concept:

Learning tool to help guide High School and 1st Year University students through vast amount of changes they will experience
- Focusing on understanding expectations, communication and ensuring they know about resources that may be available for help.

Target Learners (who is this for?)

Grade 12 students and First year University students are the target audience

Estimated Time to Complete Module:
The estimated time to complete this module will be about two hours.

1) Topic Overview

A) Topic Description

Draft description:

Demonstrate comparison between High School Expectations vs University, go over due dates, study schedules, reviewing the syllabus, professional communication to instructors, and mention common supports that a majority of universities have that students may not know about
Ensure there is a smooth transition for students so they can try to mitigate the culture shock and potential decline in mental health during this hard transition period (go over different support systems within the university)

B) Academic Sources

Source 1:

APA:

Joyce Exusper Nemes. (2025). Supporting First-Year Students on Their Transition Journey Through the University. Journal of Ethics in Higher Education, 6.2. https://doi.org/10.26034/fr.jehe.2025.8431

Key idea from it: Schlossberg’s transition theory (Situation, Self, Support, Strategies)

Source 2:

APA:

Thompson, M., Pawson, C., & Evans, B. (2021). Navigating entry into higher education: the transition to independent learning and living. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 45(10), 1398–1410. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2021.1933400

Key idea from it: Strengthening support systems and independent learning – part of dual challenges faced with the transition – may help institutions better support first-year students

2) Misconceptions

Misconception 1:

Learners often think: If I found high school easy, I will find university easy without needing to alter any lifestyle changes in my life.
But actually: University learning is a major shift toward self-regulated learning. You have a lot more freedom, but also do not have anyone holding you accountable for your assignments anymore. If you choose not to submit an assignment, you will receive a zero without anyone offering you a second chance to hand it in again. You are responsible for managing deadlines, setting aside time to study, and seeking help all without any reminders. Success depends on time management, organization, and the ability to retain the information.

Misconception 2:

Learners often think: If I go to all of my classes, I will have enough time to keep up with my work
But actually: Most learning in university happens outside of class time. Students are expected to set aside time for readings, assignments, and tests outside of class. This is a significant shift compared to high school, as if you showed up to all of your classes, you could typically complete all of your class assignments, and on occasions, you would have to set aside 1- 4 hours on average to study for your tests.

3) Rationale

Rationale draft:

We chose this topic because many students struggle with the transition from High School to their first year university. We believe this matters because the drastic change can result in “culture” shock for students and have significant negative implications on their mental health. Learners struggle with this transition for several reasons.
- High School is a very controlled environment, whereas university learners are expected to police/moderate themselves,
- Loss of immediate support for some (New place to live, often first time on their own, often do not know anyone).
This module will help learners identify key differences to set them up for success, hopefully giving them a leg up prior to starting/at the beginning of the transition to University, by giving them resources and tips/tricks.

4) Learning Design Plan

A) Big Ideas / Core Concepts

Big Idea 1: Transitioning from high school to university requires students to develop self-regulated learning skills to independently plan, prioritize tasks, and manage deadlines without a teacher-led structure.

Big Idea 2: Understand how to read and use a syllabus to help students clarify expectations, reduce confusion, and build confidence in navigating university-level learning

B) Learning Outcomes

By the end of this module, learners will be able to…

Explains key differences between high school and university learning expectations (e.g, independence, workload, fewer reminders, and long term deadlines).
Identify and interpret essential information in a university syllabus (e.g, grading breakdown, due dates, instructor expectations, late policies, academic integrity, and exams).
Create a realistic weekly study schedule using course deadlines and time management strategies.
Apply self-regulated learning strategies (e.g., prioritizing tasks, breaking down assignments into steps, backward planning) to stay organized throughout the term.

C) Learning Activities (Interactive learning sequence)

Activity 1: Hook / Activate Prior Knowledge

Learners will complete a short interactive self-check quiz (Google Form) about how they currently manage school work in high school, such as:
- How do you usually find out about due dates? (teacher reminders/agenda/online classroom)
- How often do you leave assignments until the last minute?
- What helps you study before tests? (Quizlet/cuecards/hand-written notes/studying with a peer)
- What do you do if you don’t understand an assignment?
- How do you communicate with your teachers right now?

The purpose is to activate prior knowledge about current routines and highlight what will transfer VS what should maybe change.

Activity 2: Content Input

Learners will watch/read a short multimedia mini-lesson (video or slides with captions) that introduce key differences between high school and university learning expectations.
- Structure and reminders
- Deadlines
- Communication expectations
- Support systems
Key takeaway: University is not harder because you are less capable, it is different because it requires self-regulation, strong planning habits, and knowing how to use supports.

Activity 3: Main Interactive Task

Learners will complete a syllabus scavenger hunt using a sample first-year university syllabus. They will identify and record key information such as:
- Grading breakdown and evaluation
- Assignment due dates and weighing
- Late policy/extension expectations
- Participation expectations
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Instructor communication guidelines and office hours
- Required course materials
Tool used: Google Form Checklist embedded into WordPress module
Why this supports learning: This activity supports learning by helping learners actively develop syllabus literacy. Rather than passively reading, learners must allocate and interpret essential course expectations, which build confidence, reduce confusion, and prevent common mistakes such as missing deadlines or misunderstanding policies.

Activity 4: Application / Practice

Learners will create a personalized weekly study schedule and deadline tracker using the information they gathered from the syllabus scavenger hunt. Students have an option for how they want to organize their study schedule. Anyone who has access to the computer can use Google Calendar or access the university’s Academic Skills Centre. They also may use an agenda or whatever suits them best to organize their schedule.

Learners will:

Plan weekly study blocks around their schedule
Enter assignment due dates into the planning template
Choose and apply at least one strategy (eb. Chunking tasks, backward planning, prioritizing tasks by weight and deadline).
This activity allows learners to directly apply self-regulated learning and time management strategies, aligning with university expectations for independent planning.

Activity 5: Reflection / Wrap-up

Reflection prompt: What strategy did you learn about through this module that you would like to adapt moving forward into your first year of university?
Exit question: Have you looked into where to find your university student support resources?

5) Assessment Plan (Aligned to outcomes)

Formative Assessment (during learning)

Formative assessment:

Syllabus Check and Self-Reflection

What it checks for:

This assessment checks for understanding of university expectations, the ability to locate and interpret syllabus information, and early misconceptions before moving forward to the next piece.

Summative Assessment (end of module)

Weekly study schedule and deadline tracker

Learners will submit:

A completed weekly study schedule and deadline tracker that includes:
- All assignment due dates from the sample syllabus
- Scheduled study blocks
- Evidence of at least one planning strategy (eg. chunking tasks, backward planning, prioritizing by weight and deadline)
A short reflection prompt that includes:
- One strategy they will adopt for university
- Why it will be effective
An exit ticket
- Where to find academic or wellbeing support resources at university

6) Learner Resource List

Scholarly / Academic

OER / Textbooks

Grey Literature (videos, blogs, professional resources)

Tools / Platforms

WordPress (delivery)
Google Forms
Google Slides
University Specific Resources:
- Academic Skills Centre (Or Equivalent) – Coaching sessions
- Academic Calendar
- Centre for Accessible Learning (Or Equivalent)
- Student Wellness Resources (Or Equivalent – provided by the School in question)
- Student Clubs

7) Project Plan

Task	Assigned to	Due Date
Choose topic + learners	Everyone	N/A
Find 2 academic sources + APA	Bree and Naimo	N/A
Write misconceptions	Alexis	N/A
Write rationale	Bree	N/A
Big ideas + learning outcomes	Emily	N/A
Learning activities sequence	Alexis and Emily	N/A
Assessment plan	Naimo and Emily	N/A
Resources list	Bree	N/A
Final edit + post on WordPress	Alexis, Bree, and Emily	N/A
Submit Brightspace link	Alexis	N/A