March 17, 2016
Nudge Nation: A New Way to Prod Students Into and Through College
Personalized prompts facilitated by technology are quietly transforming college persistence.
5 min read
Text-based interventions reduced “summer melt” among low-income students, demonstrating that simple, personalized reminders can significantly boost college enrollment.
Platforms such as Purdue’s Signals and Austin Peay’s Degree Compass use predictive analytics to provide early alerts and course recommendations, helping students make informed decisions and improve retention.
Persistence Plus exemplifies how technology can humanize digital tools by offering ongoing, adaptive nudges that address academic, emotional, and behavioral challenges—personalizing student support at scale.
Behavioral science and technology are merging to transform how students access, persist, and succeed in college. Data-informed prompts—such as personalized texts, predictive algorithms, and adaptive engagement apps—help learners navigate enrollment, course selection, and academic life. From tools like Purdue’s Signals and Austin Peay’s Degree Compass to behaviorally driven startups like Persistence Plus, these interventions reveal how digital nudges can make higher education more human, responsive, and equitable.
Read how technology-powered nudges are redefining student motivation, decision-making, and success in higher education.
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