Teaching and learning

Campuses see economic woes mounting, but full assault on Covid-19 more urgent

Study is first to survey students’ views on how they are judged in the classroom 

Many universities have begun to teach online amid concerns that traditional classes could spread the coronavirus. Yale-NUS lecturer Catherine Shea Sanger explains how it can be done quickly and effectively

The sudden closure of university campuses across China and elsewhere has necessitated the virtual delivery of vast numbers of courses. And while there have been inevitable teething problems, observers are wondering whether the future might just have become the present. Joyce Lau reports

Academics report being heckled, undermined and interrupted in book that questions association of loutish conduct exclusively with alcohol and sports teams

Academic argues that learning about subcultures through music can be more useful than studying abroad

Universities are wrong to assume that they are entitled to use recordings of lecturers however they please, says Robert Cluley

Douglas Dowland considers the damage inflicted by the control freaks of the academy – and some of the ways he has found to keep his own inner control freak in line

Robert Zaretsky is troubled by his students’ refusal to see any nuance in a historical text that contains racial slurs  

Use of flipped classroom model in STEM courses narrows gap on exam scores and course pass rates, study finds 

As Ireland reports success from ban on advertising, campaigners say UK risks reputation of its degrees by not following suit

The Middle East and North Africa have large youth populations and growing university participation. But with high unemployment, low female workplace participation and universities focused on STEM and the public sector, is all this human capital being wasted? Simon Baker reports 

Use of word angers students, who say it was pedagogically unnecessary and hurtful

Tutors at the University of Reading give advice on capturing and developing students’ understanding of assessment criteria

Australian study warns against jettisoning essays in favour of invigilated assessments

Study of module offered at US university suggests it substantially cut graduates’ emissions compared with those of average citizen

Analysis of National Student Survey results also reveals black students’ doubts about lecturers’ attempts to make subject matter interesting

Analysis of responses to major experience survey suggests teaching factors have bigger influence on mental health than student background

Institutional, pedagogical and workload issues more problematic than technological impediments, experts say

Olga Burlyuk explores the different conceptions, challenges and possibilities within the practice

Transition away from end-of-course exams may also increase staff workloads, says report

A feudal approach to intellectual property has turned the academy into a modern police state, says Steve Fuller

With student debt escalating and concerns persisting that college graduates are not job-ready, increasing numbers of companies are taking the training of their workers in-house. But where does that leave the higher education sector, asks Paul Basken 

Questioning the BBC’s agenda in highlighting the problem in Ghana and Nigeria does not make it any less serious, says Eric Fredua-Kwarteng

Academics estimate that 32 language degree programmes have closed in the past five years

Information collected from educational tools can be highly sensitive, and very valuable – triggering calls for learners to have more say in what happens to it

Country hopes move will improve skills of local students and attract more overseas learners

Hepi paper calls for broad range of measures to boost ailing subject in UK higher education

Latest Innovating Pedagogy report suggests way gamers learn from each other online could be adopted by universities

Western universities receive strong scores on student-staff interaction, while those in Japan are rated highly on applying students’ learning to the ‘real world’

Scottish university piloted accelerated degrees, but challenges highlighted in review raises broader questions over such courses

Chinese students flock to universities in the West, but they often struggle to adjust to a very different academic, cultural and social environment, and leave disappointed. Here, three experts set out what institutions can do to give Chinese students better value for the high fees they typically pay

Guardian editor-at-large turned Manchester sociology professor discusses how UK universities are in an ‘analogous crisis’ to journalism on race

The plan promises big leaps in innovation, quality assurance and lecturer training, say Youmin Xi and Xiaojun Zhang  

Malaysian historian spies signs that liberal arts’ 200-year ebb may be ending as unpredictability of employment puts paid to utilitarian education

Asking BAME students to spend significant amounts of time helping universities decolonise the curriculum is far from the ideal solution, says Daniel Akinbosede

Draft bill ‘clarified’ to prevent inadvertent targeting of family and friends

Impact of higher education study on reoffending rates emphasised

Prominence of gratis services causes ‘uneasiness’ among researchers, as Australia eyes law against contract cheating

Most of what affects a student’s engagement happens outside the classroom, including for the lecturer, according to one expert

International students and staff should be expected to speak the national language of the host institution, says study

Universities are rapidly expanding their student rolls, using their increased scale to invest, compete and insulate themselves against economic uncertainty. But at what cost, asks Ellie Bothwell

Queensland institution plots ‘visible and confident presence’ in business district as it flags ‘alternative use’ for campus in the suburbs

Findings highlight need for ‘carefully considered’ use of platform as an educational tool

New study shows reading lists are still overwhelmingly ‘male and pale’

Such skills can be learned relatively easily and cheaply. Universities should develop expertise in fields essential to human flourishing, says Andrew Moore 

Management academics need to be supported to bring teaching and research on global warming into the mainstream, say Amanda Goodall and Susan Hill

The Australian National University’s rejection of massification will reap rich rewards for its students, says Brian Schmidt

Less than half of undergraduates now spend 11 or more hours a week in classes, according to Advance HE study

AQF review also recommends smoother pathways between vocational and higher education

Schaffhausen Institute of Technology will work closely with industry and focus on interdisciplinary research and education

Canadian cooperative approach seen as a model for finding students looking to start careers in technology sector

New research finds students paying low prices to cheat on introductory courses

Staff must address power differential and ensure feedback is a two-way dialogue, or risk alienating students, writes Anne Wilson 

A recent study suggested the approach had no impact on student achievement, but many academics believe the move away from lectures can improve learning – if it is done well

Stronger ties between educators and companies will be essential if humans are to thrive in the fourth industrial revolution, says Adenekan Dedeke

Tan Eng Chye reflects on how pioneering lifelong learning programme has fared in its first year

Turnitin tool offers limited improvement in detection rate

Universities rightly make every effort to protect learners’ feelings. But what about teachers’ feelings, asks Alice Wickenden 

Results of early assignments can make or break students’ determination to continue their studies, Australian research suggests