Project | Randomised controlled trials to evaluate wellbeing interventions prompted by analytics

TASO has selected and funded three universities to participate in a project that will evaluate their student mental health and wellbeing interventions (prompted by analytics).

TASO has also commissioned the Policy Institute at King’s College London to independently evaluate the project, working with the universities to evaluate their interventions using randomised controlled trials.

The aim of the project is to provide evidence on the effectiveness of these interventions in higher education, and whether or not they have a positive impact on students’ engagement with wellbeing services and, subsequently, their wellbeing, compared to students who do not receive the interventions. TASO will share these findings more widely with the sector, to encourage other providers to undertake similar evaluations, and to provide evidence-based support for student wellbeing.

TASO was awarded funding for this project from the Evaluation Accelerator Fund (EAF). The EAF is administered by the Cabinet Office Evaluation Task Force.

The interventions

Northumbria University – Northumbria will compare two methods for identifying students in need of wellbeing support: analytics data or a validated wellbeing scale. Students identified as having low wellbeing will receive nudges directing them to support services.

https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/KJ4SB

University of Staffordshire – Staffordshire’s student app ‘Beacon’ will nudge students towards accessing support services via push notifications. These notifications will signpost to wellbeing and careers support, and will be prompted when students dip below an engagement threshold calculated by learning analytics.

https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/ND2HB

University of East Anglia –  The intervention for this project involves two types of emails, prompted by learning analytics, directing students with low engagement to support services. The evaluation will compare a brief, informal email prompting students to complete a support service form, with a more detailed, academic-style email providing extensive information on available support options that students with low engagement can access.

https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/9ZGXA

Where possible, within the timescale of the evaluation, we will use direct measures of wellbeing, and additionally, proxy outcomes such as attendance, engagement, and take-up of the support offered.

The final reports will be published in spring/summer 2025.