My
5th grade math/science teacher used to quiz us about colleges
and universities using info gathered from a college basketball reference
guide. That activity sparked my interest and motivated me to learn more
about higher education opportunities.
Now
is the time of year that many of us are feverishly filling out our basketball
tournament brackets. One of the benefits of following the brackets is the
opportunity to learn more about the various participating colleges and
universities from across the United States. The NCAA Division I
Men’s Basketball Tournament features 68 teams, and the NCAA Division I Women’s
Basketball Tournament features 64 teams: That’s a great opportunity to
research 132 colleges and universities! If you choose, you could expand
your research to include brackets from different NCAA divisions or NAIA
divisions.
It
is very easy to take info from a tournament bracket and create a learning
activity for individuals or groups by researching the websites of
participating institutions. There is a mountain of info that could be
researched; however, for the purpose of this activity, your goal is to gather 5
facts about each institution. Here are some ideas for the 5 facts:
- General info, location, and contact info including: website, phone, e-mail, and social media
- Visit Days: how to set up a college or university campus visit
- Academic programs, majors, areas of study
- Academic program specific websites
- Yearly undergraduate and graduate enrollment stats
- Admission process and requirements
- Student orientation information
- Tuition, fees, and estimated student expenses
- Net price
- Financial Aid: scholarships, grants, loans, work study
- Student life, student housing, student dining services
- Student employment opportunities, community engagement, service learning
- Student services, academic services, counseling services, health services, special accommodations
- Student services for service members and veterans
- Athletics and athletics specific website information
- Activities, clubs, organizations, intramurals, recreational facilities
- Retention and graduation rates
- Career services
- College/ University accreditation
- Campus security
- Campus and community outreach events
- Traditions and alumni events
- Community information for visitors, students, parents, and alumni
Research
the selected institutions individually or in groups/ teams. Document your
research and share your findings with others. Presenting what you have
learned and listening while others present are both engaging ways to share
information. Want to add even more engagement to your project?
Create posters using school colors, mascots, mottoes, or other well-known
facts, and display the posters for colleagues to view and reference.
Hopefully, you’ll find that the basketball bracket activity is a fun way to
follow the tournaments and research higher education institutions. Enjoy
the tournaments, and happy researching!
Thank
you,
Troy
Troy Andersen - ICAN Ankeny Center
