The effectiveness of nudging key learning resources to support online engagement in higher education courses

Abstract

Nudging has been used in a range of fields to shape citizens' behavior and promote public priorities. However, in educational contexts, nudges have only been explored relatively recently, with limited but promising evidence for the role of nudging used to increase engagement in online study, particularly in higher education. This paper reports on findings from a project that investigated the use of nudging in course-specific online learning contexts. The project evaluated the effectiveness of an intervention that combined course learning analytics data with a nudge strategy that encouraged students’ engagement with crucial course resources. When implemented in a planned and strategic manner in online courses, findings show that nudging offers a promising strategy for motivating students to access key online resources.