Unlocking the Secrets of College Rankings

The "Unlocking the Secrets of College Rankings" course was designed to address confusion and misinformation about college rankings among high school students and their families, which often leads to poor decision-making regarding college. Designed to be an engaging, one-hour interactive lesson, the course utilized multimedia presentations, case studies, examples, interactive quizzes, and a game. The goal was to build a foundational understanding of college rankings, then progress to various ranking systems, their criteria, and a general understanding of colleges. Principles of adult learning theory guided the design to ensure content was relevant, engaging, and tailored to adult learners' needs.

To measure the course’s usability and learning effectiveness, as well as participants’ attitudes regarding the course, a detailed evaluation was conducted with 18 participants, including 10 English-speaking and 8 Chinese-speaking individuals. The evaluation incorporated pre- and post-course surveys and usability testing to gather both quantitative and qualitative data. The results showed an improvement in participants' understanding of college rankings. Feedback suggested the course's interactive elements significantly contributed to this enhanced understanding, though there was a desire for more content tailored to specific study fields. The results suggest that future course iterations could benefit from integrating adaptive learning paths, increased incorporation of adult learning strategies and personalization of the learning experience to meet individual needs and backgrounds.