Giving Compass' Take:

• The author provides an overview of how "nudging" in higher education can drive student success, through targeted digital text alerts that offer support services for students. 

• The author explains that the data shows this concept working when the systems are designed properly.  How can higher ed administrators help designers make the most useful tools?

• Read more about how the nudge theory is being tested in classrooms. 

Colleges have the ability to gather more student data than ever before, and with that information comes the pressure to put it to good use. Nudges, when done right, are proving up to that task.

Nudging is a concept that has gained traction in higher ed ever since the 2008 release of the book "Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness" brought the subject to the public's attention.

In higher ed, they take the form of messages delivered through texts, emails or the learning management system that warn a student if they've fallen off track, alert them to important deadlines and make them aware of campus resources. Student data comes into play by helping colleges figure out who needs what kind of information most.

College leaders are increasingly looking to nudges as a way to buoy student success. So far, the results are promising, with various studies finding they've helped to reduce summer melt, boost enrollment and increase retention. But experts on nudging warn it isn't a magic bullet — and can even push students out of college if the nudges aren't well-designed.

When nudges are targeted and executed properly, they can help colleges achieve progress on some their most hard-to-solve issues.

Read the full article about nudges in higher education by Natalie Schwartz at Education Dive