Book Review: Nudge

Thaler, Richard H. and Cass R. Sunstein. Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth and Happiness. New York: Penguin Books (2009)

Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein’s Nudge provides amusing and often humorous insights into decision making in our increasingly fast-paced society. The context in which decisions are made, which Thaler and Sunstein call choice architecture, is rarely neutral, and humans are therefore constantly nudged, or influenced, in day to day decisions. As Thaler and Sunstein propose, health, wealth, and the happiness of human beings could be substantially improved if government and private institutions were to provide choice architecture systems that influenced consumers to make decisions that would improve their lives.

In the early chapters of the book, the author’s layout a framework for human decision making. They contrast decisions made by an Econ – a theoretical individual who makes all decisions using perfectly rational and logical thinking, and the Human – the more realistic individual who attempts to make rational decisions, but is often influenced by the biases and blunders of the human mind. These biases and blunders include a long list of tendencies and phenomenon’s that lead human beings to make choices that are not rational or in their best interest. The “availability” heuristic, for instance, developed in the 1970’s by psychologists Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman, says that the human mind will assess the danger of risks based on information that is vivid and accessible. The vivid images of plane crashes deter many from flying in airplanes, yet these same individuals have no problem getting in an automobile – an event that, probability-wise, is far more risky. An Econ would use perfect rationale to consider the risks of flying versus driving in a car, but a Human will fall victim to the flaws of the human mind.

In part II of the book, Thaler and Sunstein explore how nudges could improve retirement plans, credit markets, healthcare, the environment, and education. They “nudge” through a theory which they coin libertarian paternalism – libertarian, in the sense that they believe in preserving freedom of choice; paternalistic, in the sense that it is legitimate for choice architects to “influence choices in a way that will make choosers better off, as judged by themselves” (5). A nudge in education to encourage high schoolers toward college, for instance, is to bring in college admission teams to talk about the benefits of college, and give admissions exams. This nudge resulted in an 11 percentage point increase of high school students attending college at a Texas high school.

I thought the beginning half of this book, which focused on behavioral economics and the science that goes into daily decision making, was interesting, informative, and relevant. In a world where we are constantly faced with decisions that affect our well-being and happiness, the influences that drive decision making are a central and important topic. It is valuable to be aware of the biases and blunders that drive our decision making. Moreover, awareness of the phenomena that drive human decision making holds significant power, as you can drive others to make decisions. It is because of this last reason – the power to drive others to make certain decisions – that I thought this book would be relevant to the field of education.

As a teacher (and hence choice architect of my classroom), I will try to capitalize on the flaws of the human mind by implementing nudges in my classroom. For instance, the “bandwagon” theory suggests that individuals will be influenced to make decisions based on what other people are doing. If the general citizen is told that “86% of the population votes” (as opposed to “14% of the population doesn’t vote”), research shows that individuals will be more likely to vote (everyone else is doing it, so it must be the right thing to do...). Therefore, in nudging students to complete homework, I have been emphasizing how many students are completing homework rather than how many are not. Furthermore, I will use what Thaler and Sunstein call priming – a hint or idea of a concept that can stimulate action (71). For instance, according to Thaler and Sunstein, research shows that if I ask students if they are going to do their homework, when they are going to do their homework, and where they are going to do their homework, they will be more likely to actually complete their homework because they have the vague idea in their head that they will work on their homework.

As Thaler and Sunstein write, the human mind is powerful and talented, but it is not immune to flaws. Our minds have not yet evolved to function in our new, high-paced, high-technology world. Because of this, there are certain tendencies of the mind which choice architects can capitalize on to influence decision making. If done the correct way, in what Thaler and Sunstein would call libertarian paternalism, choice architects have the potential to improve the human condition. As a choice architect in my classroom, I will be mindful of these opportunities, and work to nudge my students in the correct direction whenever possible.

Gender Equity

Sadker, David. “Gender Equity: Still Knocking at the Classroom Door.” Educational Leadership, 56, (2009).

In this piece, Sadker presents his view that while we have made significant progress with gender equity, the job is not finished and subtle gender biases still exist. He develops his argument with ten “updates” on gender equity: #10 – segregation still thrives in American schools; #9 – public school are now creating single gender classes and schools; #8 – gender related safety and health concerns continue to plague females; #7 – the dropout rate is not what we think it is; #6 – for girls, gifted programs are often “early in and early out;” #5 – more needs to be done to understand and eliminate the gender bias that impacts males; #4 – classroom interactions between teachers and students put males in the spotlight, and relegate females to the sidelines; #3 – the math and science gender gap is getting smaller; #2 – don’t look now, but there is a new gender gap in technology; #1 – political forces are intent on reversing many of the gains in educational equity made during the past decade.

I found some of Sadker’s assertions to be nitpicky, and would need to see his arguments backed by hard evidence. For instance, the fact that females and males tend to major in different areas doesn’t necessarily suggest that there is bias occurring. Males and females could likely have different interests, which poses no problem. I believe that females and males should have equal opportunities, but I don’t think that females and males should become one homogenous breed. Females and males inherently have differences. The different energies are what create a balance.

Cold....Hard....Facts....That Contribute to the Positive Collection of Literature on the Harlem Children's Zone

Dobbie, Will and Roland G. Fryer, Jr. “Are High-Quality Schools Enough to Close the Achievement Gap? Evidence from a Bold Social Experiment in Harlem.” Harvard University, (2009).

This paper is an econometric analysis of the Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ), a 97-block area in central Harlem, New York. The HCZ “combines reform-minded charter schools with a web of community services created for children from birth to college graduation that are designed to ensure the social environment outside of school is positive and supportive. Examples of these services are: Baby College, a parenting workshop for expecting parents and those raising infants; Harlem Gems, an all day pre-kindergarten program that, among other things, prepares children with social skills to make a smooth transition into kindergarten; Harlem Peacemakers, partially funded by AmeriCorps, this program “trains young people who are committed to making their neighborhoods safe for children families,” and a whole “web” of other programs meant to block all hardships that inner city, poverty children face. The evidence suggests the HCZ is “enormously successful at boosting achievement in math and ELA in elementary school and math in middle school.” Students in middle school did not report a significant gain in ELA achievement, possibly because “language and vocabulary skills may develop early in life…” The study concludes that “high-quality schools or community investments coupled with high-quality schools drive these results, but community investments alone cannot.”

The Harlem Children’s Zone continues to fascinate and impress me, and this paper only supports my interest. Geoffrey Canada’s creation managed to catch President Obama’s attention as well, as he pledged to model 20 communities around the nation after the HCZ. As the paper concludes, it seems to be the blanket of resources Mr. Canada has created for children in Harlem that explains the success. It takes a full-fledged approach to break the effects of poverty, and Canada’s model is proving to be a successful answer. One would think that the results will only improve, as students grow older in the Zone and the Zone leverages more resources. The question becomes: how can we model this system in a cheaper, more cost-effective way? This is a challenge we can take on and attempt to implement on the Leeward Coast, in the beautiful city of Waianae.

No Child Left Behind

Gay, Geneva. “The Rhetoric and Reality of NCLB.” Race Ethnicity and Education, 10.3 (2007): 279 – 293.

In this article, Geneva Gay presents a multifaceted attack on No Child Left Behind. No Child Left Behind, considered the most significant educational policy ever implemented by federal government, was instituted with the purpose of ensuring excellent education regardless of race, ethnicity, or intellectual ability. However, as Gay lays out in this article, NCLB has failed to achieve what it set out to do. Diversity and the development of the well-rounded child is sacrificed, as teachers are forced to constrict lessons to the standardized tests. Teachers have less freedom to use imagination in the classroom, as “many feel too burdened down and consumed by the demands of NCLB to do anything but teach to the tests.” Lastly, studies by psychologists and psychiatrists have shown that high stakes testing induces stress among elementary-aged students, leading to psycho-emotional problems such as “anger, hostility, boredom, sadness and alienation.” So, as Gay puts it:

the rhetoric of NCLB is enticing but its realities are frightening. It is fueling that which it claims to be destroying—that is, disparities in high-quality educational opportunities and achievement outcomes for diverse students.

As a teacher at a charter school facing restructuring if we do not meet AYP, I feel the influences of NCLB on a daily basis. Our extended learning time (ELT) is filled with longer blocks for reading and math – the content that will be on the standardized tests this spring. A high level of pressure is placed upon everyone from administrators to students, as there is almost a “do or die” atmosphere that has been created. What disturbs me about the policy is that it plays such an extreme influence in our classrooms, yet there seem to be clear flaws. At a school such as mine that did not meet AYP last year, it is unrealistic to think that students can on average progress multiple grade levels in one year. It seems that a better measure of a school trajectory would be the overall progress students made in the past year, rather than a count of how many students met proficiency levels. As Gay lays out in this article, there clearly are many flaws in NCLB and in my opinion, such a flawed policy should not play such a large influence in the education of our nations children.

The Negotiated Project Approach

Mitchell, Sascha, Teresa Foulger, Keith Wetzel, and Chris Rathkey. "The Negotiated Project Approach: Project-Based Learning without Leaving the Standards Behind." Early Childhood Education (2009): 339-46. EbscoHost. Web. 4 Nov. 2008.

This is a case study conducted in a 1^st grade classroom exploring how a teacher can collaboratively plan a project with students while at the same time incorporating grade-level standards. The study focuses on the project approach to learning, which in this article is defined as “in-depth investigations that involve students in design and investigative activities and that culminate in a final product or debriefing event.” Research has shown that the benefits of this type of learning include higher order thinking skills, increased ownership and interest in learning, and increased self-esteem. Challenges with the project-based approach include lack of structure and difficulty incorporating grade-level standards into projects. In this study, the teacher is effectively able to allow students to select their own projects, while at the same time incorporating grade-level standards. This is what is referred to in the article as the “Negotiated Project Approach,” where the teacher “integrates the standards into the children’s interests, rather than vice versa.”

I’m quite fond of the teaching strategies Ms. Rathkey implemented in this study. As a student, I would enjoy being in this class because I would have so much say in what I was learning. I would be more invested in my learning. Ms. Rathkey clearly demonstrates why she is an “exemplar” teacher with her ability to “manipulate the standards, not he children.” This is a teaching strategy that I hope to improve on and be able to implement effectively in my classroom.

Curriculum Development

Liu, Woon C., C.K. J. Wang, Oon S. Tan, Caroline Koh, and Jessie EE. "A self-determination approach to understanding students' motivation in project work." Elsevier (2008): 139-45. EbscoHost. Web. 4 Nov. 2008

This study examines the effects of project work amongst students in Singapore. The purpose of the study is threefold: first, it examines student motivation in project work; second, it considers learned emotions and skills in project work; and lastly, it examines the change in student’s perceptions of project work over time. The study uses a sample of seven hundred sixty 7^th grade students from five different government schools in Singapore. Students are grouped into 4 clusters based on intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. In general, the findings show that the “high self-determined/low controlled” group had the most effective experience with project work, followed by the “high self-determined/high controlled,” “low self-determined/low controlled,” and “low self-determined/high controlled” groups, respectively. This suggests project work is most successful amongst students with intrinsic or autonomous motivation.

The findings in this study are consistent with what I have observed amongst my students. The students who come into my class motivated to learn clearly have a more meaningful experience in the classroom. The difficulty (and what this study does not address) is HOW to intrinsically motivate students successfully. One thing that could be interpreted from this study is that for project work, intrinsically motivated students are crucial for the success of the project. I tend to agree with this assertion, as the open-ended nature of project work requires a more motivated student. I’ve found in my remedial math class that highly structured activities are more successful that open-ended ones.

Unconscious Bias and Unintentional Racism

Moule, Jean. “Understanding Unconscious Bias and Unintentional Racism.” Phi Delta Kappan, 90.5 (2008): 320 – 326.

In this article, Moule discusses the effects of a term she coins “blink of the eye” racism. “Blink of the eye” racism, according to Moule, is the unconscious biases that are “usually invisible even and especially to those who perpetrate it.” While these thought processes may go unnoticed, they influence ones interactions with those groups who the stereotypes are held towards. One study showed that these unconscious biases affected the ability of individuals to work together. As Moule states, “if we mask our true attitudes, sometimes invisible to our own selves, we will continue to work slowly or unproductively.” For this reason, Moule suggests that it is important to first become aware of these biases, which will then allow for changing attitudes. To unpack these unconscious mindsets, Moule states that individuals need to “become less focused on feeling very tolerant and good about themselves and more focused on examining their own biases.”

An important point in this article is that because of human instinct, some of these personal biases are going to occur regardless of if we want them to or not. We are programmed to discern who is enemy and who is friend, for the ability to recognize friend or foe may be a matter of life or death (Begley 2004). Moreover, as Moule mentions, the societal norm is that good people are not biased or discriminatory. For these reasons, personal biases are often blocked out or left unspoken. The important take away for me from this article is that the way to overcome these biases is to acknowledge them openly and honestly. Therefore while it may be an uncomfortable issue for many, the most effective way to deal with these biases in the classroom is to find a way to safely address the issues and grow from them.