May 10, 2022
Nudging Students Toward Holistic Supports and Postsecondary Success
Research shows that behavioral science improved persistence in healthcare pathways.
Ross E O’Hara, Ph.D.
About
5 min read
Persistence Plus collaborated with Jobs for the Future to study the effectiveness of "nudges" or improving retention and equity
An RCT at Delaware Tech showed an increase in persistence among allied health students receiving nudges by text
Nudges focused on wellbeing and basic needs appeared particularly impactful for students
Over the past decade, nudging has gained traction in higher education as an effective, low-cost way to recruit new students and encourage current students to stay in school and complete their courses. But attempts to expand nudging programs have yielded mixed results, leaving some educators to wonder whether nudging is as effective as it once promised to be.
We look at it from a different perspective. Instead of trying to determine whether nudging works or not, we recently engaged in research to identify the conditions under which nudges work—or don’t work. That information could help schools design strategies for nudging students in a thoughtful, nuanced manner.
Read more about how nudges that support the whole student and emphasize equity are improving postsecondary success.
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Ross E O’Hara, Ph.D.
Chief Learning Officer
Dr. O'Hara is Chief Learning Officer at Persistence Plus, where he applies his expertise in behavioral science to develop scalable interventions that improve college student retention. He has developed motivational and empathetic messaging for college students for over 11 years, and he currently leads a Lumina Foundation-funded action research project on continuous enrollment in community colleges. Dr. O’Hara earned his Ph.D. in social psychology from Dartmouth College and completed post-doctoral fellowships at the University of Missouri and the University of Connecticut. His research has appeared in numerous peer-reviewed journals, including AERA Open and the Journal of Postsecondary Success, and he has contributed to Behavioral Scientist, the EvoLLLution, and EDUCAUSE Review, among others.
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