Instructional design

How to design online, flipped and in-person courses – from lesson planning and technology use to assessment – that maximise student engagement, inclusivity and learning outcomes

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THE podcast: the tricky relationship between assessment and learning

Hear three US academic experts discuss what role assessment should play in higher education and how it can be improved

Susan D. Blum, Catherine Wehlburg, Josh Eyler

University of Notre Dame, Athens State University, University of Mississippi

Hands type on a laptop with "AI" on the screen

Let’s look at AI as a reasoning partner, not a shortcut

The latest reasoning AI models, such as DeepSeek, offer an opportunity for universities to strengthen critical thinking in the next generation of workers

Xiangen Hu

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

A group of people listen to a lanyard-wearing speaker

A comprehensive model for interdisciplinary teaching

Interdisciplinarity is crucial for preparing students for a complicated world. Adopting a dual focus on both faculty development and student engagement could be the way forward

Ana Corbacho

Universidad de la República

Young black student in headphones at laptop

Tips for successful asynchronous teaching: creating engaging content, part one

Despite its flexibility and ability to reach across distance and time zones, asynchronous teaching is still seen as subpar when compared with in-person or even synchronous online courses. However, done well, it offers surprising advantages, as Figen Mekik explains

Figen Mekik

Grand Valley State University

A happy group of students pose for a photo

Diversity isn’t a one-off task, it’s a learning journey

With diversity practices under threat, where can universities go from here? Ibiyemi Omeihe and Kingsley O. Omeihe outline the path to truly inclusive learning

Ibiyemi Omeihe , Kingsley Omeihe

University of the West of Scotland

Students fist bump across a table

Equip students with interdisciplinary skills for the future with the Inner Development Goals

To navigate today’s complex challenges, students need more than just knowledge – they need transformative skills. Here’s how to embed the Inner Development Goals into your teaching

Debby Gerritsen, Rosanne van Wieringen , Belle Jansen, Jasper ter Schegget, Linda de Greef, Katusha Sol

University of Amsterdam

A lecturer explains a concept to students using a whiteboard

Connect with your students inside and outside the classroom

Empathy is essential for creating a supportive learning environment. Here’s how to cultivate compassion in your teaching and address common challenges faced by students

Philip Y Lam

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

A robot hand using a calculator

How we reassure accounting students that AI won’t take their jobs

Hearing first-hand from industry professionals about AI’s impact on workplaces can alleviate career anxiety. Here is how to organise firm visits and prompt post-activity reflection

Multiple authors

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University , Mila University

An illustration of a university

How to reimagine an existing subject

Immersive technology and student co-creation allowed educators to revamp a general education course. Here’s how they did it

Kai Pan Mark, Wai Chi Rodney Chu

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

A lecturer leads a seminar

Kickstart your educational research journey

Educational research can help elevate your teaching to the next level. Here’s how to get started

Oran Devilly, Kenan Kok Xiao-Feng , Ching Yee Pua, Shermain Puah

Singapore Institute of Technology

A teacher giving a PowerPoint presentation

Say goodbye to boring presentations

GenAI can supercharge your PowerPoint presentations to offer students interactive opportunities that increase participation and deepen learning. Here’s how

Chaonan Xu

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Multiracial group sitting around housing plans

Navigating uncertainty with interdisciplinary teaching

The siloed approach to education – where students in technical, business, humanities and arts disciplines learn separately – is no longer adequate, writes Lisa McNair

Lisa McNair

Virginia Tech

A tense rope in a tug of war

How to balance tension in interdisciplinary teaching and learning

An interdisciplinary approach to programme development comes with inherent tensions, which need to be balanced and worked through. Here are our tips

Adam Matthews

University of Birmingham

A cheerful student waves hello on a Zoom call

What’s the crucial element for interdisciplinary teamwork? Psychological safety

Foster a sense of radical openness in your interdisciplinary online learning environment by establishing psychological safety – here’s how

Helena Robinson, Fabian Held

University of Technology Sydney, University of Sydney

Students work together in an outdoor setting

Give students the skills to communicate across disciplines

In sustainability education, inter- and transdisciplinary teaching alone is not enough – students need to develop the skills to learn in a cross-disciplinary way. Co-creation could be the answer.

Julia Myatt

University of Birmingham

Students talk with their lecturer

Four things to consider to create a safe and inspiring interdisciplinary learning environment

With interdisciplinary teaching, we need to focus on the ‘how’ as well as the ‘what’. Focus on these four elements of your course design to create a space where integration and interdisciplinarity can flourish

Jessica Oudenampsen

Utrecht University

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THE podcast: the pros and cons of AI in higher education

How should universities manage the rapid uptake of artificial intelligence across all aspects of higher education? We talk to three experts about AI’s impact on teaching, governance and the environment

Shaolei Ren, José Antonio Bowen, Shushma Patel

University of California, Riverside, Bowen Innovation Group, De Montfort University

Students working on an interdisciplinary project

Can you teach interdisciplinarity in 10 weeks?

Interdisciplinarity is an ambitious and rewarding research process, but how realistic can we be in a 10-week module? Here is how to frame the task, structure the process and balance workloads

Simon Scott

University of Birmingham

Filing cabinet drawers open

Tap the mine of library data to help enhance your courses

University libraries offer a rich well of data for course enhancement teams, on everything from student engagement to which resources they’re using most. Here’s how to make the most of it

Steve Briggs, Carly Ramirez-Herelle , Jo Myhill

University of Bedfordshire

A professor writing on a whiteboard

What can module leaders learn from Toyota?

How to use the plan-do-check-act cycle to improve student success, satisfaction and grades

Sercan Demiralay

Nottingham Trent University

An illustration of a robot hand supporting a human brain

How to integrate AI into strategy and business education

Incorporate AI into your teaching or ignore it and hope it fades from view? Let’s balance these two attitudes by raising our expectations of students

Guillaume Carton , Julia Parigot

EMLyon Business School, Institut Supérieur de Gestion

Medical staff discuss information

Tips for designing interprofessional education courses in healthcare

Adapting to and collaborating with other professionals is essential in medicine. Here’s how to nurture an interdisciplinary mindset from the very start

Hajer N. Sheikh, Umamah Rehman

Dubai Medical College for Girls

Young people making a movie with phone

Active, flipped, micro, virtual learning: a toolbox for interdisciplinary teaching

Young engineers need interdisciplinary skills more than ever to communicate science clearly, both to inform the public and to protect shared resources such as the environment. Here are lessons from a cross-course project

Martin Morgeneyer, Esteban Zúñiga Domínguez

Université de Technologie de Compiègne

A group of students work round a table

Unlock the potential of internationalisation in higher education

Let’s smash through the barriers to effective internationalisation. Here’s a four-part framework to do so

Wafa El Garah

Al Akhawayn University

Students in a university lecture hall

Tackling declining attendance with the ‘show up’ mindset

A model that instils in students a commitment to ‘showing up’ from day one includes practical strategies for improving attendance and fostering long-term engagement

Maya Cara, Nina Seppala

University College London

Young woman in front of brain illustration, arts and sciences

What a transdisciplinary lens brings to university teaching

Why is it important to integrate knowledge and methodologies across disciplines? Catherine Amelink has recommendations to encourage the student engagement needed to address complex, weighty problems

Catherine Amelink

Virginia Tech

Female university student walking to class

‘Why do we still timetable classes as if students don’t have lives outside university?’

As the block model has evolved from educational outlier to established practice, the questions it raises about how higher education is delivered are increasingly difficult to ignore, writes John Weldon

John Weldon

Victoria University

Female students sitting along in lecture hall

Empty classrooms and disconnected students in the age of AI

Universities face an urgent need to accelerate change in how they teach – and think about teaching – to reconnect students’ digital lifestyles with the way they learn, write Nic Fair and Larisa Yarovaya

Nicholas Fair , Larisa Yarovaya

University of Southampton

A jumble of everyday objects, including a calculator

Use everyday objects to educate student teachers

By using simple, familiar items and fostering open dialogue, we can encourage critical reflection in our students, transforming traditional teaching models into more inclusive learning experiences

Daniel Gutiérrez-Ujaque

University of Lleida

Hands pointing to pie chart

Authentic assessment in postgraduate statistics courses

Using anonymous student data for assessment tasks enhances engagement with learning, fosters practical skill development and makes business and economics concepts more memorable

Temesgen Kifle

The University of Queensland

An illustration of a pile of books linking to a crowd of businesspeople

Career-connected learning is an investment in the future

A strong reputation for career-connected learning can create a seamless circle for universities, with graduates happy to pave the way for others via the alumni network. But how to get started?

Audra Spicer

Colorado State University Global

Young woman working at laptop

Beyond Chat: how AI teaching assistants are transforming student support

Pedagogically integrated AI is like having knowledgeable support that understands course materials and objectives and, most importantly, can guide students towards deeper learning, writes Thorsten Fröhlich

Thorsten Fröhlich

LIBF

Clapperboard in front of greenery

Changing the climate of teaching: embedding sustainability into film and media studies

Research-led teaching can bring educators’ work and passions into the classroom, making topics such as climate change less overwhelming for students and linking learning to future skills. Here are five key takeaways

Malcolm Cook

University of Southampton

An academic using AI tools in her research

Here are seven AI tools you should be using for your teaching and research

AI can assist with idea generation, data analysis and mind-mapping, among others. Here are some tools that should be on any academic’s radar

Natalie K. D. Seedan

The University of the West Indies

Male student concentrating at laptop

The case for rewarding hard work in higher education

Taking a cue from copyright’s ‘sweat of the brow’, Ian Solway and Shan Wang argue that recognition of effort and resilience should not be lost in a rush to maximise learning efficiency

Shan Wang, Ian Solway

University of Southampton

A man takes notes as he watches an online lecture on his laptop

Tips for fostering student engagement in blended learning

Students can often feel disengaged in a blended learning environment. Here’s how to spark their curiosity and give them ownership of their learning journey

Ching Yee Pua, Kenan Kok Xiao-Feng , Oran Devilly, Shermain Puah

Singapore Institute of Technology

Hong Kong at night

Teaching region-specific political science courses: Hong Kong as a case study

Strategies implemented in two Hong Kong-specific courses aim to ensure students unfamiliar with the region remain as engaged in the learning process as local students

Adrian Man-Ho Lam

The University of Hong Kong

Female engineer in industrial setting

How to humanise engineering education and why we must

Despite years of effort across the education sector, engineering sciences are still not gender equitable. Incorporating more social sciences into engineering education could help address the imbalance

Rich McIlroy

University of Southampton

People laugh round a boardroom table

Six tips when undertaking a curriculum framework review

For a curriculum framework to deliver for both students and educators, it must be regularly updated. Here are six things to remember when embarking on a framework review

Steve Briggs

University of Bedfordshire

Detective concept, escape rooms

Escape the class! Tips for creating virtual educational escape rooms

With games, tasks and a story, a virtual escape room can make ‘dry’ subjects more engaging for students working outside their majors, writes Cecilia Teng. Here, she gives educators steps for creating their own

Cecilia Teng

National University of Singapore

Question marks

‘Generic prompts give students autonomy and flexibility to expand their ideas’

Leaving space for students to bring their prior knowledge and experience to a question can help with comprehension in STEM courses

Karen Ho, Douglas B. Clark

Mount Royal University, University of Calgary

Students chat in a lecture hall

Four ways to use gamification to engage your students in learning

What if learning was as addictive as gaming? Motivate your students and engage them to learn with these four teaching innovations

Lim Keong Teoh

University of Winchester

Creative writing concept

‘Creativity is a practice, not an astonishing stroke of good luck’

Screenwriter and playwright Stephen Sewell shares practical insights into fostering students’ mental flexibility and resilience from research into unlocking creativity

Stephen Sewell

Australian National University

Jenga tower

How can Jenga build course co-creation?

Questions about accessibility led to events management students and educators using block towers to foster discussion of lived experiences and a sense of belonging. Here, Katy Proctor and Nick Davies offer their insights into co-creating module content

Katy Proctor, Nick Davies

Glasgow Caledonian University

Leadership concept

Preparing school leaders to solve problems and make a difference

Aspiring K-12 educational leaders need professional training that gives them flexibility, decision-making skills and cultural awareness. Here’s how a ‘problem of practice’ approach embeds real-world issues into assessment

Shana Matamala

University of La Verne

A group of students discussing a case

ChatGPT and other AI tools to use in the classroom

ChatGPT is a great starting point, but other tools can improve our students’ learning experiences. Read about a few here.

Gabriela Espínola Carballo, Nelly Ramirez Vásquez

Monterrey Institute of Technology

Two scientists working on a windfarm

Sustainability education needs to go beyond the SDGs

Aligning teaching with the Sustainable Development Goals can only go so far in preparing students for a climate change-affected world. This resource offers a framework for embedding sustainability more deeply into curricula

Multiple authors

The University of East Anglia, Technical University of Munich

Medical students

What skills does the 21st-century medical educator need?

A faculty development programme for instructors must facilitate more than efficient knowledge transfer. Incorporating pedagogical innovation, digital proficiency and emotional intelligence will ensure the well-being of educators and students

Miklós Kellermayer

Semmelweis University

Business students chatting in a classroom

Cultivating emotional intelligence in business education

Four strategies for fostering emotional intelligence in business students and preparing them for the workplace

Cecilia Primogerio , Camila del Carril

Universidad Austral

African American student studying online

Creating flexible learning pathways for business students

Digital transformation isn’t about technology – it’s about people, writes Steve Hill. Learning experiences must fit into students’ lives rather than forcing them to fit their lives around institutions

Steve Hill

LIBF