Insights from Behavioral Science

Can Behavioral Science teach us anything we can use to improve in our classes?

Let’s see what we can learn from  studies that the US Department of Labor undertook. Their conclusion:

Behavioral insights involve the application of behavioral sciences, or understanding how people make and act on decisions, to improve the design of public policies and programs in ways that better reflect human nature.

Teachers want to nudge student behaviors so that they learn more. Administrators want to nudge teacher behaviors so that they act in ways that help their students learn more. District and state administrators want to nudge teacher and school administrator behaviors toward more effective schools. And publishers want more districts, schools, teachers, and students using their products to learn more.

Some of the types of problems where behavioral science can improve effectiveness:

Low take-up: Fewer people than expected participate.

Poor follow-through: People do not take all the steps needed to be effective.

False beliefs: People misunderstand aspects of a program and base their choices and actions on incorrect assumptions, resulting in implementations without integrity.

High attrition: people start but they do not finish.

If you’ve experienced these issues with administrators, teachers, or students (or even family members), perhaps you can start making changes in four areas:

Motivate People by

1. Invoking social norms (like peer pressure). Give people information about what others like them are doing and encourage them to join in what their peers are dong.
2. Reminding them of their values before acting. Studies show that when people first think of the goals or values they would achieve by acting, they are more likely to act in a manner to achieve them.
3. Considering the timing. People are more likely to start new things after certain landmarks, like the beginning of school, the start of the year, or even the beginning of a month or week.

Address Limited Attention by

1. Simplifying option. While everyone wants voice and choice, too many options overload our decision making ability; limit options to the most relevant choices, often fewer than five.
2. Providing a clear call to action. Make it clear what the next step is along with any relevant instructions, milestones, and deadlines.
3. Providing reminders in a way that will be perceived as helpful.

Streamline Operations and remove barriers to action by

1. Being specific with simple information on the benefits, and do not require people to seek out additional details.
2. Reducing hassles. Make it easy for them to start; for example set a time for the next meeting instead of asking them to request a time; provide an easy way for them to access instructions whenever they need them and wherever they are.
3. Changing the default. Make it require more effort for them to opt out than to opt in.

Make Communications More Impactful by

1. Making them easy to understand. Can the reader immediately understand the key points and follow-up points? Is the font easy to read and the format clear? Is the language simple to a casual reader, avoiding jargon or technical information?
2. Putting the most important information first. People often only read the first two paragraphs, then skim headings and bullet points. Make sure there is a clear single step or action that is communicated, although there can be multiple follow-up steps after that.
3. Personalizing the communications. Convey that you know and understand the recipient. Avoid generic greetings like “Dear Sir/Madam” and impersonalized signatures (like Curriculum Department).

The Department of Labor conducted trials using behavioral science to see if they could improve results in increasing retirement savings, improving OSHA compliance, and increasing participation of reemployment programs. These checklists came out of their successes. To access the reports and full communications, including a 38 page practitioners playbook, go to https://www.dol.gov/asp/evaluation/bistudy/

Can Behavioral Science teach us anything we can use to improve in our classes?

Yes. As the Chief Evaluation Officer for the DOL stated:

Behavioral science has shown that small changes to the ways we structure programs can have a large effect on their impact.