Acceptability of Nudge in Digital Learning Environment

Digital nudging is gaining traction in the educational domain to guide students' decision-making processes and achieve desirable learning outcomes through subtle changes in the digital learning environment. From the information science perspective, these changes are realized through informational cues and human-computer interface design to affect the influences. Studies have shown nudge effectiveness in influencing students' behaviors, but the extent to which digital nudging affects them and who is susceptible to nudges remains unclear. Although progress has been made in understanding nudge acceptability, research in the context of learning and students' characteristics, such as procrastination behavior, remains limited. To fill this gap, this study surveyed 305 university students to assess their nudge acceptability on two types of nudges: System 1, which involves automatic and intuitive processes, and System 2, which engages deliberate and reflective thinking. The results show that students, regardless of their procrastination tendencies, were receptive to nudges in supporting their learning. System 1 nudge was preferred due to its simplistic and straightforward intervention approach. The insights gained from this study contributed to the advancement of nudge research by demonstrating that students with various procrastination tendencies were receptive to nudging and guiding researchers in designing tailored nudges to maximize effectiveness.