ERIC Number: EJ1174423
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1539-1523
EISSN: N/A
Can Personalized Nudges Improve Learning in Hybrid Classes? Experimental Evidence from an Introductory Undergraduate Course
O'Connell, Stephen D.; Lang, Guido
Journal of Research on Technology in Education, v50 n2 p105-119 2018
A field experiment was conducted to investigate whether personalized e-mail reminders can improve study consistency and learning outcomes in an introductory-level undergraduate course. By randomly assigning whether nearly 300 students would receive occasional e-mail messages encouraging out-of-class study, we find that these reminders increased exam performance by 0.2 standard deviations. Using detailed information on the timing and duration of study effort, we find two distinct patterns explaining this increase. Reminders increased weekend study time slightly, and weekday studying remained constant although it was shifted approximately 2 to 3 hours earlier for those who received reminders. A follow-up survey corroborates these channels, and suggests a third mechanism: increased cognitive effort during study. These findings highlight the potential for low-cost behavioral interventions to improve student performance.
Descriptors: Undergraduate Students, Introductory Courses, Prompting, Electronic Mail, Student Improvement, Blended Learning, Interpersonal Communication, Teacher Student Relationship, Study Habits, Tests, Performance, Computer Mediated Communication, Intervention, Outcomes of Education, Statistical Analysis, Least Squares Statistics, Regression (Statistics)
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A