Automated Nudge Feature Guide

Allison McComb Updated by Allison McComb

Automated Nudge Feature Guide

Why Automated Nudge messages?

Automated Nudge messages are designed to:

  1. Support students who may be falling behind by sending personalized outreach messages
  2. Reduce student message fatigue by replacing broad course-wide reminders with targeted communications
  3. Reduce facilitator workload by automating the identification and outreach process for students who may need support
How does the Automated Nudge feature identify students to nudge?  And how many messages does it send?

Based on student activity and communication history, up to two automated messages may be sent during a course.

Before sending messages, Automated Nudge evaluates two criteria:  (1) has the student submitted the required assignments, and (2) has the student communicated with the facilitator?

Checkpoint

Criteria

One Week In

(sent ~1 week after the course begins)

Messages will be sent to students who:

  • Have not yet submitted any due assignments (excluding 0- and 1-point attestation type assignments) and
  • Have not yet communicated with the facilitator via the Canvas Inbox

Almost There

(sent when the course reaches ~75% of its duration)

Messages will be sent to students who:

  • Have not yet submitted all due assignments and
  • Have not communicated with the facilitator via the Canvas Inbox in the last 72 hours
What is the text of the Automated Nudge messages?

There are 7 message variations for each checkpoint (14 total). Messages are personalized with the student's name, course dates, and facilitator signature. The system rotates message versions to avoid sending the same message repeatedly.

Example 1: “One Week In” message:

Hello [Student First Name],

I hope you're doing well! I noticed we haven't seen your assignment submissions yet, and since we're a week in, I wanted to reach out. There's still plenty of time to complete the coursework before [course_end_Date].

You can find all assignment deadlines and track your progress through the course home page or the Grades pages.

Please don't hesitate to let me know if you're facing any challenges or need guidance getting started – I'm here to support your success!

Example 2: “We’re Almost There” message:

Hello [Student First Name],

I hope you're having a good week! I wanted to remind you that your course completion deadline is approaching on [Course End Date and Time].

Please submit all remaining work before the deadline - I will be grading assignments in the order I receive them.

You may request a 48-hour extension before the course ends if you've completed 50% of the work. Without an extension, incomplete coursework may require a course retake (additional fees may apply).

Please reach out if you need any clarification or support in completing your assignments!

Future enhancements to the messages may include a list of assignments that are past due and their due dates.

Why are messages sent from the facilitator’s Canvas inbox?

Through experimentation, we have learned that students are more likely to read and act upon personalized messages coming from a facilitator than to generic messages sent by Canvas.

How can I see which students received nudges?

When the Automated Nudge feature has been activated, the Canvas gradebook will contain two new columns:  one for the “One Week In” message, and another for the “Almost There” message.  These columns will contain the following information:

Blank:  Automated Nudge has not yet run

Sent on (dd/mm/yy):  A nudge has been sent on a particular date

Skipped:  There has been recent communication between the facilitator and the student

Not needed:  Assignments are up to date; a nudge is not needed

Additionally, all messages are captured in the facilitator’s Canvas outbox; facilitators can access their sent messages from their inbox by selecting “Sent” from the drop-down menu at the top of the page.

Selecting a message from the left-hand column will open the message, where a facilitator can view the message text as well as the date and time the message was sent.

How do I activate the Automated Nudge feature?

During course setup, open the Facil tool and navigate to the “Automated Nudges” drop-down. After reading the text and reviewing the automated nudges feature guide, select the button labeled “Acknowledge and Enable Nudges”.

Can I change the text of the messages?

This capability currently is not available; it may be developed in a future release of the Automated Nudge feature. Please note that only plain text is available in the messages.

Will all courses I facilitate use the Automated Nudge feature?

Most 2- and 3-week courses will use the feature. Special courses, such as Dedicated Sections, Mentored Learning, Executive Masters, and select courses with uncommon features will be excluded from Automated Nudge messages.

To be certain, you should access the gradebook for your course and look for the two “Nudges” columns (see “How can I see which students received nudges” above). If the columns are present, the feature is enabled for your course.

How does this change my facilitation practices?

Once a facilitator verifies via the gradebook that the Automated Nudge feature is active for a course, they no longer need to manually identify students who are falling behind and send manual nudges.

If the Automated Nudge columns are not present in the gradebook, the facilitator should continue to send manual nudges.

Do Automated Nudge messages replace all facilitator outreach?

No. The Automated Nudge feature only addresses specific milestones and criteria. Facilitators should continue to provide personalized support and outreach when appropriate.

How did we do?

Course Set Up: When can I begin to edit my course?

​Course Set Up: Reviewing Due Dates​

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