Automated Educative Nudges to Reduce Missed Assignments in College

As institutions of higher education increasingly utilize online learning management systems, college students are asked to submit more assignments online. Under this regime, when most posted and submitted online, it is possible know if a student missing submission for an imminent deadline, intervene proactively reduce missed improve outcomes. Toward goal, we designed evaluated scalable targeted intervention: mobile app that would deploy push notifications were submissions with deadlines. Results from two experimental pilots demonstrate intervention system significantly decreased compared control about instructor announcements the class (in Experiment 1), improved assignment adherence course grades courses not using 2). In article, discuss benefits theoretical implications behavioral guide rail, purely informative proactive mitigate risk in advance negative outcome.