Using behavioural insights to improve student engagement Lucy

Using behavioural insights to improve student engagement Lucy Makinson Anne-Marie Canning The Behavioural Insights Team King’s College London © Behavioural Insights ltd 1

The King’s College / Behavioural Insights Team Project An introduction to behavioural insights through EAST Applying EAST to student engagement Tackling student belonging © Behavioural Insights ltd 2

Full lifecycle widening participation © Behavioural Insights ltd

“Disadvantage can follow you like a shadow down the years, affecting the degree you end up with and your ensuing postgraduate study or search for a job. ” - Professor Les Ebdon, Director, Office for Fair Access © Behavioural Insights ltd

“A choice architect has the responsibility for organizing the context in which people make decisions. ” © Behavioural Insights ltd

The King’s College / Behavioural Insights Team Project An introduction to behavioural insights through EAST Applying EAST to student engagement Tackling student belonging © Behavioural Insights ltd 6

EASY ATTRACTIVE TIMELY SOCIAL © Behavioural Insights ltd

Easy Defaults Simplification Remove friction © Behavioural Insights ltd

Participation in workplace pensions 90% 83% 70% 60% 50% Autoenrolment led to more than 1 million new savers in less than a year – and especially the young 61% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Before autoenrolment After autoenrolment © Behavioural Insights ltd

Attract Salience Messenger Personalisation Affect Incentive design © Behavioural Insights ltd

Encouraging applications to competitive universities “Back in 2009, I was in exactly the same position as you… I came to realise that people with grades like you and me are in high demand from very prestigious universities. ” Ben, University of Bristol © Behavioural Insights ltd

Encouraging applications to competitive universities © Behavioural Insights ltd

Social Norms Networks Reciprocity Active commitments Eyes & faces © Behavioural Insights ltd

Increasing attendance through social support © Behavioural Insights ltd

Timely Priming Framing Key moments © Behavioural Insights ltd

Police recruitment © Behavioural Insights ltd

Police recruitment Probability of Passing the Test 0. 7 0. 6 0. 5 0. 4 0. 3 0. 2 0. 1 0 Non-BME Control Treatment © Behavioural Insights ltd

EASY ATTRACTIVE TIMELY SOCIAL © Behavioural Insights ltd

The King’s College / Behavioural Insights Team Project An introduction to behavioural insights through EAST Applying EAST to student engagement Tackling student belonging © Behavioural Insights ltd 19

Applying EAST to student engagement Hi Kate, lots of students are concerned about making friends in their first few weeks at uni. Don’t worry! There is a society or club for everyone. Find yours at Welcome Fair @Barbican today & tomo: bit. ly/sdfjj 3 E A S T © Behavioural Insights ltd

Applying EAST to student engagement Hi Kate, lots of students are concerned about making friends in their first few weeks at uni. Don’t worry! There is a society or club for everyone. Find yours at Welcome E A S T • Providing a link to information about the societies fair • Providing directions to the venue Fair @Barbican today & tomo: Hi #name, it’s not too late to find your society or club! Welcome Fair runs today @ Barbican Centre - last bit. ly/sdfjj 3 entry 4 pm! P. S. Have you heard about the freebies? City. Mapper will get you there: [city mapper link]. © Behavioural Insights ltd

Applying EAST to student engagement Hi Kate, lots of students are concerned about making friends in their first few weeks at uni. Don’t worry! There is a society or club for everyone. Find yours at Welcome Fair @Barbican today & tomo: bit. ly/sdfjj 3 E A S T • Personalised to the student © Behavioural Insights ltd

Applying EAST to student engagement Hi Kate, lots of students are concerned about making friends in their first few weeks at uni. Don’t worry! There is a society or club for everyone. Find yours at Welcome Fair @Barbican today & tomo: bit. ly/sdfjj 3 E A S T • Use of microaffirmations to increase sense of belonging © Behavioural Insights ltd

Applying EAST to student engagement Hi Kate, lots of students are concerned about making friends in their first few weeks at uni. Don’t worry! There is a society or club for everyone. Find yours at Welcome Fair @Barbican today & tomo: bit. ly/sdfjj 3 E A S T • Messages timed to coincide with key planning moments © Behavioural Insights ltd

Applying EAST to student engagement Hi Kate, lots of students are concerned about making friends in their first few weeks at uni. Don’t worry! There is a society or club for everyone. Find yours at Welcome Fair @Barbican today & tomo: bit. ly/sdfjj 3 E A S T • Providing a link to information about the societies fair • Providing directions to the venue • Personalised to the student • Use of micro-affirmations to increase sense of belonging • Messages timed to coincide with key planning moments © Behavioural Insights ltd

Which was most effective? Time to vote… Control Employability “Build your skills & networks by [No messages] joining a society or club. Employers value these experiences. ” Belongingness “Lots of students are concerned about making friends in their first few weeks at uni. Don’t worry! There is a society or club for everyone. ” © Behavioural Insights ltd 26

Results Subgroup analysis Control Employability Belonging 61. 8% + 65. 0% 65. 4%* 69. 9%* 64. 2% 66. 3% 60. 7% 63. 6% 55. 6% le p o e p t n e r e f if d r o f e v i t c e ff e e r a s e g a s es m t n e r e f f i D All *: p < 0. 05 +: p < 0. 1 Non-WP WP © Behavioural Insights ltd 27

Over to you… During the coming university year, how difficult do you expect the following to be? Learning course material Getting help with academic work Managing your time Making new friends Paying uni fees & expenses Interacting with faculty “Few of the students I know would be willing to help me if I had a personal problem” % “agree” or “strongly agree” 36% 26% WP Non-WP © Behavioural Insights ltd

Over to you… How can we encourage students from widening participation backgrounds to join societies? • Discuss your ideas with those around you (roughly groups of 6) • If you need inspiration, take a look at the EAST cards for more ideas on how these insights can be applied • Note down your best ideas on the paper © Behavioural Insights ltd

The King’s College / Behavioural Insights Team Project An introduction to behavioural insights through EAST Applying EAST to student engagement Tackling student belonging © Behavioural Insights ltd 30

Trials to increase belonging King’s Community Ambassadors • Nov 2016 – Apr 2017 • Catch-up calls from student ambassadors • Students from A&H, NMS and LSM faculties involved • Total 1000 students included • Dec 2016 – June 2017 • Programme for first year King’s Living Bursary recipients • Branded diary • Special social events • Information about useful events and services at King’s • 472 students involved © Behavioural Insights ltd 31

Study skills support Control King's Tips: Sign up on KLa. SS for study skills support and more! Hi Joe, King’s Learning and Skills Service (KLa. SS) offers lots of activities and information to help you get to grips with the study skills you need at university. Sign up here [No messages] Planning + Social Belonging Planning Want to boost your exam revision? Want to improve your essays? Need a hand with referencing or resources? Want tips on note taking? KLa. SS can help you with all this and more - see what it has to offer now. Tip: Research has shown you’re more likely to do something when you plan when you’ll do it. Pick a day to log on to KLa. SS and spend some time boosting your skills. There are lots of study skills that might be new to you at university so if you’re feeling a bit uncertain about a few things, don’t worry, you’re not the only one! To help you out, King’s has set up the KLa. SS service. 4 out of 5 first year students are currently using King’s online learning resources. King’s Learning and Skills Service (KLa. SS) offers lots of activities and information to help you get to grips with the study skills you need at university. Sign up here Want to boost your exam revision? Want to improve your essays? Need a hand with referencing or resources? Want tips on note taking? KLa. SS can help you with all this and more - see what it has to offer now. Tip: Research has shown you’re more likely to do something when you plan when you’ll do it. Pick a day to log on to KLa. SS and spend some time boosting your skills. © Behavioural Insights ltd 34

Study skills support Control Subgroup analysis Planning + Social Belonging 20. 0% 15. 1% 12. 5% 10. 1% 6. 2% 9. 4% 10. 7% 8. 9% 6. 0% All Non-WP WP *: p < 0. 05 , **: p < 0. 01, ***: p < 0. 001 ^: These are students for whom no Acorn status is recorded, likely because they © Behavioural Insights ltd are international students. 35

• Behavioural insights can provide effective and cheap ways to encourage student engagement • Testing is essential to establish what works, and for who • Deeper problems may require more in-depth interventions • Keep an eye out for more results at the end of the year! Lucy Makinson The Behavioural Insights Team lucy. makinson@bi. team Anne-Marie Canning King’s College London anne-marie. canning@kcl. ac. uk @amcanning @kclwp 36