Improved Grade Outcomes with an E-Mailed 'Grade Nudge'
Smith, Ben O. and White, Dustin R. and Kuzyk, Patricia and Tierney, James E. Improved Grade Outcomes with an E-mailed 'Grade Nudge.' The Journal of Economic Education, 2018 Forthcoming
Posted: 5 Feb 2016 Last revised: 29 Nov 2017
Date Written: July 1, 2017
Abstract
Information provided at the moment a person makes a decision can influence behavior in predictable ways. The United Kingdom's Behavioural Insights Team have used this idea to help improve the insulation of lofts, collect taxes, and even reduce litter. The authors of this article developed software that appends a personalized message to each assignment in the class regarding the student’s current grade. This "grade nudge" explains precisely how the assignment will impact the student’s final grade given their current standing in the class. Through a randomized trial, the authors show that the nudge improves student homework performance by about four percentage points.
Note: A later version of this paper was accepted for publication under a new title: Improved Grade Outcomes with an E-mailed 'Grade Nudge.'
Keywords: nudge, bounded rationality, selective transparency, grading outcomes
JEL Classification: A22, A23, A20
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation