When Studying and Nudging Don’t Go as Planned: Unsuccessful Attempts to Help Traditional and Online College Students

Philip Oreopoulos, Richard Patterson, Uros Petronijevic and Nolan Pope

No 25036, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: We evaluate two low-cost college support programs designed to target insufficient study time, a common occurrence among many undergraduates. We experimentally evaluate the programs across three distinct colleges, randomly assigning more than 9,000 students to construct a weekly schedule in an online planning module and to receive weekly study reminders or coach consultation via text message. Despite high participation and engagement, and treated students at two sites marginally increasing study time, we estimate precise null effects on student credit accumulation, course grades, and retention at each site for the full sample and for multiple subgroups. The results and other supplemental evidence suggest that low-touch programs that offer scheduling assistance, encouragement, and reminders for studying lack the required scope to significantly affect academic outcomes.

JEL-codes: I2 J24 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018-09
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ict
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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