Neue Methoden zur Eignungsberatung an Hochschulen – Eine experimentelle Analyse eines webbasierten Self-Assessments[New Methods to Advise Students - A Field Experimental Approach to Test an Online Self-Assessment]

Depending on the field of major, between a quarter and half of German students in higher education quit prematurely. As a means to reduce the drop-out rate many universities have launched online self-assessments to provide guidance when applicants choose among different subjects. However, so far very little is known about how self-assessments impact the applicants’ choice. We use the pilot-phase of a self-assessment to conduct a field experiment which allows us to analyse students’ behaviour. Our results show that self-assessments causally influence the enrolment decisions of the candidates. Good grades in lower education and general qualifications for university entrance (as opposed to lower entrance degrees) increase the probability to attend (voluntary) self-assessments. Furthermore, assessments may change the expectations of participants with respect to their future academic success. However, so far the probability to participate in the self-assessment is relatively low.