Education Sector’s newest ES Select, “Nudge Nation: A New Way to Prod Students Into and Through College,” explores how some colleges are using behavioral “nudges” to address concerns over low college persistence and graduation. From a text reminder that a poetry paper is due on Wednesday to a red light notice that it’s time to get help in history class, nudges are meant to get attention and prompt immediate action. There are even nudges to assess if a student needs counseling.
In “Nudge Nation,” Ben Wildavsky explains how data-driven nudges are helping colleges successfully tackle the major academic hurdles that students experience along the pipeline such as learning to navigate the logistics of starting college and staying organized while at college, choosing the right courses for an on-time graduation, and identifying the need for academic help. The article is excerpted below, and continued on our website.
ES Select is a collection of timely essays, reportage, analysis, and compilations of blog entries on topics ranging from early education through college and into the labor market. It is produced by Education Sector’s talented team of policy experts as well as other contributors.
By giving students information-driven suggestions that lead to smarter actions, technology nudges are intended to tackle a range of problems surrounding the process by which students begin college and make their way to graduation.
Read more from “Nudge Nation: A New Way to Prod Students Into and Through College.”
