Students at four U.S. community colleges are sticking with sometimes-demanding STEM courses with a little encouragement from personalized text messages that encourage them to complete classes.
The joint initiative from Jobs for the Future (JFF) and Persistence Plus sends students personalized text messages that “nudge” students to focus on college completion and STEM success.
This past summer, a randomized trial with close to 2,000 students showed that the STEM students who received the nudges returned for the 2017 fall semester at a rate 10 percentage points higher than a control group of students who did not receive nudges.
(Next page: How do the personalized text messages help students succeed?)
Laura Ascione is the Editorial Director at eSchool Media. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland's prestigious Philip Merrill College of Journalism. Latest posts by Laura Ascione (see all) - Weak tech could push students, faculty to other institutions - April 13, 2026
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Laura Ascione is the Editorial Director at eSchool Media. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland's prestigious Philip Merrill College of Journalism.
Latest posts by Laura Ascione (see all)
- Weak tech could push students, faculty to other institutions - April 13, 2026
- 13 predictions about edtech, innovation, and–yes–AI in 2026 - January 1, 2026
- 5 essential dimensions of AI literacy - December 12, 2025