Why we start undergraduate transdisciplinary research from day one
Hands-on knowledge discovery can give students the chance to put learning into action from the beginning of their studies, write Gray Kochhar-Lindgren and Julian Tanner
Why it is time to start co-creating professional development with employees
Steps to working with employees to shape and improve professional development programmes
Failing your way to academic success
Failure offers students and educators a chance to explore their shortcomings and come to greater self-awareness. In fact, it can be seen as growth in disguise, write Kelvin …
Spruce up lectures to capture the interest of all students
A guide to making lectures more interactive learning experiences that keep students interested
Develop the skills of the future through challenge-based learning
Modern employers require a broad suite of skills from graduates; Jorge Membrillo-Hernández outlines how challenge-based learning can help, and how to get started
Raising aspirations: lessons in running a young scholars programme
Widening access to higher education for children from disadvantaged backgrounds is a priority for UK universities. Here, Valsa Koshy outlines lessons from a successful…
How immediate feedback motivates both students and educators
Digital tools can give teachers on-the-spot feedback from students and students access to their results and progress in real time. László Tornóci looks at a changing landscape …
Actions to help your university stand out in a crowd
With competition for students fiercer than ever in the higher education sector, Ayten Ordu outlines some of the ways universities can achieve higher visibility
Restructuring a university, part one
When Bill Flanagan took the helm, the University of Alberta was facing a $222 million funding cut – 20 per cent of the university’s operating budget. In this two-part …
Restructuring a university, part two
When funding pressures made it clear that the University of Alberta had to change, it overhauled its entire way of working. Here, president Bill Flanagan explains how they…
How to write better awards entries
From conducting in-depth interviews to telling the whole story, Sam Russell provides top tips for crafting a compelling narrative that will appeal to awards panels
What should be inside a teaching toolkit?
Teaching practices and student support are highly contextual so how can academic developers create institutional ‘toolkits’ that meet the needs of staff across different…
I’m finally ready to admit that I’m an academic who suffers from depression
I’m opening up because those of us hounded by mental health issues should not have to add fear of job loss and stigmatisation to our list of concerns, says James…
Generation Z presents new challenges for medical education
Digitally savvy and adapted to rapid change, this cohort of future doctors needs emotional support and help managing expectations and setbacks
Steps to building a winning online presence for your university
The majority of students now research universities online, so this is a vital component of marketing. David Riley lays out the foundations of building a strong online presence
The four-day week in higher education: can we make it work?
With a culture of overwork eroding well-being among UK university staff, could a four-day working week be part of the solution? Rushana Khusainova looks at whether…
Don’t forget online learning in your university marketing
University marketing often focuses on the campus experience, so what should institutions do to make prospective students aware of their online course offering?
You’re not alone: tips to help academics avoid social isolation
Connections with colleagues matter – without them, support during periods of reappointment, promotion or tenure can feel tenuous. And those unwritten expectations…
How to succeed at policy engagement, part two: mapping the landscape
In the second part of her series on policy engagement, Jo Clift advises how to build a picture of the policy landscape in your area of interest and establish who to engage with
How to run a marketing campaign in a devolved university
Advice on co-ordinating a university-wide marketing campaign in a large, devolved organisation
Scales, stars and numbers: the question of evaluation
Marking schemes are a recurring source of contention in academic discussions, where the key word is evaluation. Daniel Jutras offers a brief reflection on the art …
University brand communities: building reputation among different audiences
Universities are complex organisations with multiple audiences and stakeholders. How can fostering a strong brand community help their reputations to stand out …
Tactics for leading and engaging students in research competitions
Research competitions can motivate, encourage and inspire students, but we must align their expectations and encourage teamwork throughout the project
Three features that will make your Mooc stand out
Learning designers and educators should focus on creating value for learners that goes beyond Mooc content. In this article, Temesgen Kifle and Ben…
Bingo! Try bringing games into your staff training
To engage professional service staff with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, a team at the University of Exeter took a novel approach, creating SDG Bingo. Here’s how they did it
How to get students to play their part in the flipped classroom
The flipped classroom is the perfect pedagogy for the information age – but our classes must not punish students who struggle to engage when learning…
Small talk: love it or leave it, but teach it to your TAs
Casual conversation fosters a sense of belonging, but it’s not a universal skill. Sarah Kegley details a short workshop that helps international teaching assistants feel at ease …
AI text detectors: a stairway to heaven or hell?
The emergence of GPTZero, OpenAI’s text classifier and Turnitin’s AI detector bring a risk of over-reliance on AI classifiers. Are they a solution or a further problem to be…
A 100-year-old principle for teaching students digital study skills
A guide to helping students improve their digital study skills through experiential learning
Is your university worth the investment for international students?
International student concerns have changed in recent years, and traditional study-abroad destinations need to keep up
Phenomenon-based learning: what, why and how
Phenomenon-based learning empowers students to apply disciplinary knowledge to real-world situations. Here, Sue Lee and Kate Cuthbert outline the principles of PhBL and how it…
Ten actions lecturers can take to boost black students’ belonging
A 10-step guide to how lecturers can improve the experience of black students studying in predominantly white institutions
Five steps for creating the ideal home office
With more and more academics and staff working from home, Pablo A. Torres outlines some of the areas to consider to make it a comfortable, productive…
How to manage assessment feedback in large classes? Get students involved
Delivering quality feedback for every individual student in a large class can be challenging. That is where peer feedback can help if structured and guided effectively, write four…
Want students back in the classroom? Don’t give everything away online
Empty classrooms are an unfortunate reality of post-pandemic universities. To stop this, we need to explain the fundamentals of learning and tempt students back
So you want to host an international online conference?
How hard can it be to stage an online conference? Don’t you just book a whole bunch of Zooms and send out invites? Well, yes and no. Here are five key takeaways from our…
The hows and whys of improved interactions with international students
Strategies for overcoming potential cultural differences and supporting better academic-international student relationships
We must reverse the rapid erosion of student oracy
The inexorable march of technology is leading to fewer direct conversations in universities – here’s how to help your students improve their oral skills
What LGBTQ+ allyship means in academia
Being a queer person who very much appreciates allyship and who tries to be a good ally to others has taught me a few things, says Lucas Lixinski
Reframing feedback as a valuable learning tool
How to help students appreciate feedback as a useful aid to learning so that they engage with it in a productive way
How can we encourage students to seek academic assistance ethically?
Following years researching paid academic support methods, Joel Heng Hartse suggests solutions that can help beat “academic help” companies at their own game
A play manual for academic development and skills
A three-pronged guide to introducing play into university teaching, based on its successful use in staff training at the University of Exeter
Towards 2035: a future view of university education
What will higher education be like by 2035? Four early-career academics at Australian universities, from different discipline areas, offer a vision of how universities might…
Five key competencies for successful digital teaching
From energising your class to encouraging collaboration, these tips from Carolina Lara Robles and Cynthia Enciso Centeno will help make your online classes a success
I moved to Sweden as an early career researcher – here’s what I learned
The pursuit of an academic career can mean moving to a different country. Here, Federica Di Biase shares lessons for early-career researchers who want to…
Students learn better on caring campuses – here’s how to create one
Teaching the whole student and promoting authenticity will instil belonging on your campus and combat the social isolation that so many students face, says Kim…
Building resilience in students: give them roots and wings
Teachers can act as their students’ strongest supporters and life coaches, assisting them in acquiring the knowledge, abilities and resilience they need to face…
Seven steps to make an effective course quality evaluation instrument
Tools such as rubrics and checklists are increasingly common for monitoring the quality of courses, so how do we choose the best one for our purposes?
On students’ terms: offering options in assessment to empower learning
By giving students some control over how they are assessed, educators are likely to see a marked increase in engagement and motivation, writes Paul McFarlane
Your starter for 10: how can a TV quiz format help courses avoid extinction?
With some courses struggling to recruit, John Warren explains how a University Challenge-style quiz can breathe new life into ailing degrees and empower the…
