STEM
Resources and advice for academics and students in the fields of science, technology, engineering and maths
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…
Authentic assessment design for computer programming master’s courses
A four-step plan for more meaningful assessment that incorporates AI-assisted evaluation, group discussions and presentations
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
Lessons from an interdisciplinary community engagement course for engineers
STEM curricula in the US don’t often expose students to perspectives on culture, history and power nor equip them with effective community engagement …
Scholarly publishers’ role in fostering collaboration in academia
With the infrastructure in place to exchange ideas and information, journals can enable scholars to build on their research and accelerate discovery and quality of…
Beyond the classroom: from PhD preparation to leadership
A foundational pathway that nurtures future leaders in healthcare and scientific innovation produces students who are not only ready for their PhD journey but …
Evaluating the impact of patient and public involvement in health research
Measuring the impact of involving patients and the public in healthcare research is less about proving that the practice is a ‘good thing’ and more about finding ways to …
Integrating sustainability into a financial and actuarial mathematics course
Advice on delivering sustainability-focused guest lectures in collaboration with industry experts and reinforcing learning with project-based assessments
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…
‘Uncertainty is part of co-production’
Flexibility and an open mindset can help health researchers work with healthcare professionals and patients to create better adapted services. Here, Gary Hickey…
‘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
Opening doors to computer science education
Ways to get more students from under-represented backgrounds into computer science, including offering joint undergraduate degrees and master’s degrees that …
For truly practical learning, embrace an interdisciplinary approach
Bringing different fields of study together into one practical assignment, focused on a real-world problem, proved to be a game-changer in a sector shifting towards…
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 …
These AI tools can help prepare future programmers for the workplace
How educators can teach programming students to use AI tools to enhance productivity
It’s time to turn the tide on our clean energy ambitions
Universities have a pivotal role to play in inspiring the next generation to find sustainable energy solutions, from uniting researchers with business to translating innovation into…
Citizen science in biomedical engineering: rewards and challenges
Harnessing citizen science to progress research enriches our findings and leads to innovative solutions to real-world problems. Addressing the potential challenges of…
‘Changing the culture from academic-owned equipment to shared ownership is not easy’
With dedicated research technical professionals alongside equipment investments, universities can foster a culture of equipment sharing. Here, Sarah …
Encouragement and talent development for future scientists
Secondary students need access to practical laboratory experience and career guidance. Mamta Sharma explores ways to introduce budding researchers to the …
How to succeed as an early career researcher? Be motivated and inspire others
Pursuing a research career, especially in a competitive field such as neuroscience, requires commitment, early action, long-term goals and, above all, ongoing passion …
Equipping university students to be leaders in addressing climate change
The world is hotter today than at any time in the past 100,000 years. Tripp Shealy offers educational strategies for universities to develop the leaders needed in the critical…
Eight innovative ways to teach coding online
Advice on how to create dynamic, engaging and supportive online learning environments that cater to the diverse needs of today’s coding students
Leveraging international collaborations to tackle global health challenges
Global health challenges such as cancer demand collective efforts that transcend national boundaries. Eli Vlaisavljevich shares how he leverages international collaborations …
Donors want to see real-world impact. What does that mean for higher education in the sciences?
Amid academia’s challenges related to talent retention and fundraising, universities can use translational research programmes to enhance scientific edge and real-…
Learning translational medicine can make doctors more effective
As doctors must apply the latest scientific results in daily practice as soon as possible, it follows that translation methodologies should be taught to medical students
Using Sustainable Development Goals to foster innovation
The SDGs offer both a universal framework and a way to incorporate global perspectives into curricula. Here are strategies for integrating their outward…
‘Doing human’: ways for researchers to make patients feel comfortable to express themselves
When patient and public involvement is done in an inclusive, safe environment, it results in more relevant, higher-quality health and social care research
A blueprint for programmatic assessment in healthcare courses
A shift from traditional to outcome- or competency-based programmatic assessment began before the pandemic and has gained momentum since. Here are…
Lessons in chemistry: widening university students’ participation through storytelling
Storytelling can bridge the gap between complex STEM content and student engagement – it gives learners a discovery-based approach and educators an inclusive…
Embracing disagreement in research co-production
Co-producing a research project is not all consensus and harmony, so these four tips will guide research collaborators in how to allow and enable disagreements …
How student learning communities support professional development
An effective way to nurture talent is to enable not only individual but also community learning. Here’s how the Hungarian system of colleges for advanced studies helps …
Streamlining a move from a faculty position to a leadership role
Moving into a leadership role at an academic institution includes setting ambitious goals around collaboration and finding solutions to worldwide challenges. These …
School visits are a triple-win for academics, schools and society
For researchers, taking science into the community is an opportunity to hone communication skills, increase impact and enthuse children to pursue their own …
Harness pedagogy and technology to engage students in auditing
Creating interactive auditing videos helped students contextualise a complex topic and provided feedback on their progress. Chu Mui Kim outlines how to do it
Let’s play! Using games to teach statistics and economics
Incorporating games into economics classes can enrich the learning experience. Here are some of the factors to consider when designing them
An inter-university and interdisciplinary approach to dental education
A degree course that blends engineering and dentistry prepares students for their future practice. Here, Szandra Kormendi and Peter Hermann explain how it works
Addressing the leaky pipeline in academia: strategies to attract and retain women scientists
Attracting more female researchers is one part of the work towards gender equity in science. Here, Anna Ginès i Fabrellas offers four actions to support women pursuing…
Using reflective practice to support postgraduate studies in the biosciences
Small-group workshops create space for postgraduate researchers to share ways to manage stress, impostor syndrome, feelings of isolation and student-supervisor…
How to train world-champion cardiologists
Competition, cooperation and continuity in talent support play integral roles in training and preparing medical professionals, and improving patient care, write three…
Give educators the skills to bring assessment into the future
How can academics get to grips with the most cutting-edge of assessment tools? Matthew Courtney details how to educate STEM experts on modern assessment systems
How to manage parental leave for university staff
Parental leave presents challenges for the parent and the workplace, writes Judith Lock. Here are some dos and don’ts for before, during and after the leave period that …
Steps to adapt engineering education to changing skills demands
Context-based learning, teamwork and creativity are all elements that could help engineering training respond more effectively to the needs of complex workplaces, …
Pledges and charters in medical schools: catalysts for change or performative promises?
Pledges demonstrating support in addressing issues such as racism and misogyny will often garner interest and may even attract pockets of funding. But they also risk…
How to help young women see themselves as coders, inventors and engineers
Female students can be overlooked in STEM fields. Janille Smith-Colin shares four ways to empower tomorrow’s engineering leaders to find their voice and the…
What underpins effective patient and public involvement in health and social care research?
Is it rules or values? The two key ways to approach the art of PPI in healthcare research should come together in process, procedures and culture, writes Gary Hickey
Film storytelling can enhance learning in STEM subjects
In the era of social technologies, authentic storytelling becomes a powerful tool for cultural and social change, a fundamental role of higher education,…
How practical education and talent management support medical students
A practice-oriented focus together with personalised talent support lead to success in medical education for local and international students. Here, Alán Alpár explains …
Campus interview: Mike Ibba of Chapman University on mentorship and the future of US…
In this video podcast Mike Ibba, dean of Schmid College of Science and Technology at Chapman University, talks about undergraduate research, what philosophers…
THE podcast: how to do public engagement
What is best practice for universities’ public engagement? How do you enlist the public in your research? And how do you keep them interested in the…
Nurturing advanced problem-solving skills with integrated projects
Integrated projects can be a powerful tool for bolstering problem-solving capabilities and encouraging students to integrate knowledge from various courses
