Introducing the NEW Blurred Minds Academy
A curriculum mapped alcohol and drug education program that uses online and in-classroom activities to engage students and includes time-saving planning, teaching and assessment resources for teachers.
An online education portal designed to make teachers’ lives easier
Blurred Minds Academy offers a range of evidence-based alcohol and drug education modules, curriculum aligned assessment options including marking rubrics, and built-in reporting tools to assess each student’s progress.
The Academy helps engage students with relevant and meaningful education to change their beliefs and behaviours for the better. Students who have completed the program showed:
Increased knowledge about alcohol and drugs
Increased self-efficacy to refuse drinking
Increased negative beliefs about binge drinking
How BLurred Mind Academy Works
1. Enrol
After a high school has registered to Blurred Minds Academy, the nominated teachers will receive an email invitation to set up their profile within the Academy.
Once created, teachers follow the ‘Start here’ guidelines that includes how to enrol their students. Students will receive an activation email to create their own profile within the Academy.
The ‘Teacher dashboard’ gives teachers access to all of the Academy’s alcohol and drug education modules, assessment options including marking rubrics, student reporting tools and technical support.
2. Plan
Following enrolment, teachers can plan their lessons. Whether you are teaching to students in Years 7, 8, 9 or 10, the Academy has you covered with a range of assessment options and teaching modules.
Assessment options
Choose from one of the Academy’s curriculum-mapped assessment options that include the recommended teaching modules and marking rubrics. Alternatively, teachers can create their own assessment and choose which teaching modules to use.
Teaching modules
The Academy currently features nine alcohol and drug education modules, each accompanied with a start-to-finish lesson-planned powerpoint slide deck. Three more modules will be added by the end of 2021.
3. Teach
The Academy modules are designed to make teachers’ lives easier. Each module features an online component and a subsequent classroom component.
Online component
Completed by students individually, the online component is designed to engage students through a suite of interactive games and videos. Students also complete a quick five-question quiz to assess their knowledge at the end of each online module.
Classroom component
Following the completion of the online component, students will participate in a mix of group activities and teacher-led discussions reflecting on the content they just learned.
4. Assess
The Academy features reporting tools to check in on students’ progress, quiz scores and a pre- and post-survey report measuring students’ beliefs and behaviours about alcohol and drugs.
Before starting any of the modules, students are prompted to complete a short Q&A. These questions are guided by evidence-based research and were tested with teachers and students. Teachers then instruct students to complete the wrap-up Q&A once all selected modules are completed.
The starting and wrap-up Q&A report will allow teachers to measure students’ changes to attitudes, self-efficacy, expectations and behaviours towards alcohol and drugs.
Find out more about the Blurred Minds Academy
If you want to speak with someone to discuss your options and how the Academy can serve your school, please click the Chat with us button below.