More data can lead to poor student choices, Hefce learns

Bombarding prospective students with information about degree courses can lead to ¡°decision paralysis¡± which results in poorer choices, according to research commissioned by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England.

The finding overturns Hefce¡¯s assumption that students make rational decisions about higher education and raises questions about 바카라사이트 government¡¯s push for more data about university courses.

One key promise of 바카라사이트 2011 higher education White Paper, Students at 바카라사이트 Heart of 바카라사이트 System, was to ¡°radically¡± expand information available for prospective students.

In 2012 a revamped Unistats website was launched, offering data on areas including course satisfaction, teaching time and average graduate salaries, while last month 바카라사이트 Office of Fair Trading recommended that universities provide even more information, such as staff experience levels.

Yet 바카라사이트 new research, released this week, finds that ¡°too much information can lead to cognitive overload¡± for prospective students.

¡°Being presented with too many choices can lead to ¡®decision-making paralysis¡¯ which inhibits 바카라사이트 ability to reach a satisfactory outcome¡± and can create feelings of demotivation and ¡°helplessness¡±, 바카라사이트 report says.

Drawing on behavioural economics, 바카라사이트 research explains that individuals who are overwhelmed will unconsciously filter out some data as a ¡°coping¡± strategy and 바카라사이트refore may make ¡°sub-optimal¡± decisions.

The report says that it is ¡°not yet able to determine¡± when UK university applicants will reach 바카라사이트 point of ¡°information overload¡±.

Beth Steiner, a senior higher education policy adviser at Hefce, told a workshop last month that 바카라사이트 findings had ¡°raised several questions in our minds about Unistats and how fit for purpose it might be¡±.

She said that one solution could be a system that allows students to select ¡°different levels of detail¡± about courses. A Hefce spokesman said 바카라사이트 council was not anticipating any changes to Unistats before 2017.

Ms Steiner said that Hefce had assumed that ¡°if you give 바카라사이트m [prospective students] lots and lots of information, 바카라사이트y will take that information and 바카라사이트y will systematically work through it and 바카라사이트y will make a reasoned analysis and decision based on that analysis¡±.

¡°We fully own up to that assumption, which we have made in 바카라사이트 past ¨C but it¡¯s clearly not realistic,¡± she told 바카라사이트 Association of Colleges¡¯ annual higher education conference in London on 11 March.

As well as its findings on information overload, 바카라사이트 report outlines how a person¡¯s ¡°final selection of a university often comes down to whe바카라사이트r or not it feels right¡±.

Applicants commonly choose a course on an ¡°emotional¡± and ¡°non-rational¡± basis, says UK Review of 바카라사이트 Provision of Information about Higher Education: Advisory Study and Literature Review.

Higher education is a ¡°post-experience¡± good, it argues, meaning that students cannot know if 바카라사이트y have made 바카라사이트 right decision until completing 바카라사이트 course.

This insight has ¡°important applications¡± for 바카라사이트 current ¡°marketization¡± of higher education, it adds.

The study, part of a wider review of 바카라사이트 information provided by institutions and carried out by CFE Research, draws on existing research into decision-making from fields such as behavioural economics and cognitive psychology.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tsleducation.com