Improving information for prospective students
3 Apr 2014 02:24 PM
How to better understand decision-making
behaviour and thus support students making choices about whether, what and
where to study in higher education
A
report for the four UK Higher Education (HE) funding bodies, drawn from a
number of academic disciplines, has been published. The findings will
inform the funding bodies’ Review of the Provision of Information about
higher education for students.
The
UK HE funding bodies, working with universities and colleges, students and
related organisations, are reviewing the provision of information about higher
education. A key purpose of providing information about higher education is to
support prospective students when they make decisions about their future
studies.
The
report, which was produced by CFE Research and Professor Jennifer Roberts,
Professor of Economics, University of Sheffield, is intended to provide an
evidence base for future developments. It summarises existing research into
decision-making behaviour. Relevant research was identified across a wide range
of disciplines, including information science, cognitive and behavioural
psychology, behavioural economics and social theory. This research is likely to
be relevant to how prospective students make their higher education
choices.
The
research draws attention to the need to examine fundamental assumptions about
how people use information in decision-making.
Key
findings in the report include:
- The
decision-making process is complex, personal and nuanced, involving different
types of information, messengers and influences over a long time. This
challenges the common assumption that people primarily make objective choices
following a systematic analysis of all the information available to them at one
time.
- Greater amounts of information do not necessarily mean
that people will be better informed or be able to make better
decisions.
Professor Mary Stuart, Chair of the Provision of
Information Strategic Oversight Group, said:
‘We are fortunate to have a rigorous,
evidence-based piece of work from some of the leading researchers in the field,
to provide well-grounded guidance on the way people actually behave. Much of
this knowledge is already used by professionals in the field of student
information, advice and guidance. This understanding complements what we all
know intuitively. Through this work, I am convinced of the need to consider
decision-making behaviour more carefully when we provide information to help
prospective students and their advisers.’
Heather Fry, HEFCE Director of Education, Participation
and Students, said:
‘This report signals a way forward for
HEFCE’s approach to providing information to support students as they
move into HE. The principles it suggests lay down a solid foundation on which
to base our future work in this area.’
The
funding bodies have already found that this study aligns well with
fieldwork undertaken with prospective postgraduate students about the
information they think will be most helpful in supporting their
decision-making.
Read
the report
Notes
Details of HEFCE’s review of the provision of information about
higher education are available. The review is set to conclude in 2015 and
includes a review of current tools such as the National Student Survey and
Unistats, as well as students’ needs for information on how institutions
spend their income.
Contact: Helen Albon, Communications Manager,
HEFCE h.albon@hefce.ac.uk; tel. 0117
931 7076