A nudge for positive behaviours: digital nudging in higher education

Abstract

In 2018, embarking upon my PhD in Education, I conducted a literature review. My preliminary findings came to a determination of three key points, as presented below. However, during the Covid-19 context, 2020-22, there was a rapid shift in the sector to teaching online and a consequent shift in the literature. I believe it noteworthy to present this piece to the academic community to highlight what I perceive as a move in the literature findings. Now, in 2023, there is clear evidence that Higher Education is moving towards digital nudging (Brown et al., 2023; Plak et al., 2023). It is important for Learning Development professionals to consider the ethical implications of this change and how nudging might be used in virtual learning environments, especially given the rapid rise of Artificial Intelligence, which is likely to be deployed alongside learning analytics to shape students' learning behaviours.