Curricula development

Advice on shaping the focus and content of programmes – looking at co-creation, future skills, decolonisation, embedding SDGs, inclusive learning, virtual and large-scale programmes

An educator comforts a distressed student

Let’s embrace compassionate pedagogy for a more humane academy

How can we bridge the compassion gaps in the day-to-day experiences of students and staff in higher education? Kathryn Waddington and Bryan Bonaparte offer their solutions – and warn of the challenges we’re still facing

Kathryn Waddington, Bryan Bonaparte

University of Westminster

Students work round a laptop together

Create an online learning environment international students feel comfortable in

For international students, navigating online learning is just another challenge among the many they’re already facing. Rajeev Kamineni offers advice based on his own learning journey

Rajeev Kamineni

The University of Adelaide

Causeway of Williston Lake in British Columbia

Truth is necessary for reconciliation

Good intentions and generalisations can harm reconciliation in the classroom and academy, writes Daniel Sims

Daniel Sims

University of Northern British Columbia

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

University of East Anglia, Technical University of Munich

podcast graphic

THE podcast: educating our way out of the climate crisis

Two academics share strategies for advancing climate action and boosting sustainability at an institutional and individual level

Liz Price , Tripp Shealy

Manchester Metropolitan University, Virginia Tech

An illustration of tiny figures in white coats examining a cartoon brain

Three tips when creating a one-of-a-kind undergraduate degree

Building an integrated undergraduate degree in clinical neurology offered Tim Young a blank slate to work with. Here is how he made it unique

Tim Young

University College London

A group of students arm in arm

How to embed inclusion into the curriculum

From getting buy-in at the highest level within an institution to clearly communicating inclusivity goals, Liz Jones outlines the foundations for putting inclusion at the heart of the curriculum

Liz Jones

University of Leicester

Group of students working on a modern urban architecture project with renewable green energy sources

How to embed sustainability into different curricula

A framework to support sustainability education that works within different courses, with discipline-specific examples

Chris Preist

University of Bristol

Latin woman looking thoughtful with book

How to bring Indigenous knowledge into classrooms and curricula

Academic institutions have a mandate to engage and serve the Indigenous communities whose land they occupy, writes Edward Polanco. Here, he offers tangible techniques for amplifying these voices on campus

Edward Polanco

Virginia Tech

A schoo lof fish swimming in the ocean

Embedding the SDGs into curricula via an interdisciplinary approach

Incorporating the SDGs into teaching involves facilitating project collaboration among students from different disciplines. Here are examples of how this can work in practice

Sambit Dash, Guruprasad Rao, Preetham Kumar

Manipal Academy of Higher Education

A running track

Four tips for setting up a fast-track accountancy degree programme

The Flying Start programme helps students from lower socio-economic backgrounds get started on their accounting careers. Here’s four things to remember when setting up your own alternative degree pathway

Ishani Chandrasekara

Queen Mary University of London

A group of people work around a laptop

A five-step framework to integrate sustainability into higher education

To integrate the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals into curricula, students need to be truly engaged. The five-step SCORE framework could be the answer

Mariam Shadan, Yusra Idrees

Dubai Medical College for Girls

Student speaking to a teacher in front of laptop

Using philosophy to enhance online students’ critical thinking skills

Online courses often lack the kind of spontaneity that builds critical thinking skills. So how can we make up for this?

Garth Elzerman

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Book with symbols

Philosophy graduates are extremely employable – but they need degree programmes that show them why

Many students interested in studying philosophy at university will be concerned about its job prospects, so they require courses that demonstrate how to translate its skills into a career, writes Jonathan Webber

Jonathan Webber

Cardiff University

Small online learning group

Beyond borders: how to make online global collaborative learning work

As higher education strives to ‘reset’ in the age of AI to become more flexible, interdisciplinary, open, focused on real-world learning and with authentic assessment, curriculum-embedded OGCL is a key path to future-ready graduates

Julie Lindsay

University of Southern Queensland

Student testing out a wind turbine model

Critical approaches to incorporating the SDGs into curricula

Mapping curricula against the SDGs has become a key objective for education institutions aiming to showcase their commitment to sustainability. But we must do this through a critical lens

Sean Porter

University of Exeter

SDG concept, sustainability

Teaming up with students to design sustainability education

Involving students as co-creators and mentors in sustainability courses can help address differences in their understanding as well as issues such as eco-anxiety

Anne Le Goff , Yacine Baouch , Frédéric Huet , Pierre Feissel

Université de Technologie de Compiègne

A group of people work around an office table

The benefits of engaging third space practitioners in curriculum development

Third space practitioners are often overlooked in the curriculum development process, to everyone’s detriment. Here’s a look at the viewpoints they can offer and how to engage them better

Steve Briggs

University of Bedfordshire

Globe surrounded by SDG icons

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-focused, innovative mindset into everyday learning

Tripp Shealy

Virginia Tech

Dentistry students

How to capture the attention of new generations of dentistry students

From traditional lectures to seminar-based group work, the evolution over 20 years of a dentistry course shows how course design and pedagogy can adapt to students’ expectations and learning styles

Máté Jász, Szilvia Ambrus , Péter Schmidt , Péter Hermann, Szandra Körmendi

Semmelweis University

Students researching in a lab

Strategies to help students conceptualise their research projects

Effective conceptualisation is key when beginning any research project. Help students get off to a good start using these strategies

Adrian Man-Ho Lam

The University of Hong Kong

angel fish jumping from small to bigger bowl

Why university-wide curriculum transformation is a leap of faith

Overhauling an institution’s entire education curriculum is a silo-busting undertaking. Here’s what one university, now in its second year of implementation, has learned

Marion Harney, Julian Chaudhuri

University of Bath

A group of students converse over a table

Interdisciplinarity makes us greater than the sum of our parts

The real world is complicated. Let’s give our students the tools to take it on with interdisciplinary education

Jillian Terry

The London School of Economics and Political Science

People walking in Brick Lane

The transformative power of immersive field studies

Embracing experience in teaching can bring the curriculum to life and help students forge their own learning journey. Here are five benefits it offers

Myria Georgiou, Afroditi Koulaxi

The London School of Economics and Political Science

A teacher writing in her journal

Reflective practice 101

Why and how to incorporate reflective practice into your teaching and learning

Natalie K.D. Seedan

The University of the West Indies

Learning outcomes concept

Learning objectives as a tool to guide post-Covid learning

Instructors can use specific learning objectives to spark greater reflection and self-regulated learning in students. Here’s a step-by-step guide to aligning learning, course and curriculum outcomes

Jeremy Hsu

Chapman University

Old books in a library

To combat antisemitism in HE, teach students about Jewish history

Some guidance on a more nuanced approach to teaching Jewish history to university students

Hannah Ewence

University of Chester

A university student on her phone outside a campus building

Engage Gen Z students by integrating TikTok into your teaching

Four pointers for using this platform to enhance the learning process

Mariana del Sol González

Monterrey Institute of Technology

A group of people brainstorm around an office table

Ten tips when building a centralised evaluation unit

How can we establish and develop evaluation activities to show what support and interventions affect the student experience, as well as their learning, outcomes and destinations?

Steve Briggs, Diana Pritchard, Sibel Kaya

University of Bedfordshire

Business students discussing a case study in class

Eight fail-safe ways to build business students’ problem-solving skills

The volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) nature of business environments prompt employers to look for creative and agile graduates

Manju Meenakshy

Manipal Academy of Higher Education

A business student taking optional courses to enhance her employability

Optional extracurricular modules can enhance business students’ employability

This resource offers guidance on how to design and promote extracurricular courses that you can offer alongside academic ones to boost employability

Yue Jiang, Nimesh Salike, Eddy Fang

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Buisiness woman using a tablet at her desk

Using knowledge graphs to integrate social media into curricula

Knowledge graph-based tools can support group learning online and help educators bring useful links with social media into their courses

Fouad Zablith

American University of Beirut

The dark side of the moon

Moving over to the dark side: academic or academic administrator?

Academics may view administrators with suspicion, but Elaine Sharplin recommends stepping over to the dark side – as long as you stay true to your roots

Elaine Sharplin

Nazarbayev University

Three business people consider a document

For learning design projects, build the time to reflect on the past into your future

Reflective practice is essential for continuous improvement in learning design. Paul John Gregory Moss, Richard McInnes and Simon Marek explain how to incorporate structured reflection into project scopes

Paul Moss, Richard McInnes, Simon Marek

The University of Adelaide

Students playing a board game

Use gamification to teach complex international relations concepts

Simulations and games can significantly enhance students’ understanding of complex topics and help them apply relevant theories in real-world contexts

Linjia Zhang, Yingchan Luo

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Students sitting on a patch of grass talking

The zone of proximal development: how the theory translates to the classroom

Theories of proximal development and social contagion suggest that group activities enhance knowledge-sharing and internalisation through feedback, discussion and the development of skills, writes Shwetha Mudabagilu Krishnappa

Shwetha Mudabagilu Krishnappa

Manipal Academy of Higher Education

In a group of wooden toy people, a red one stands out

Emerging leaders, your universities need you

When a university is undergoing transformational change, emerging leaders are crucial for translating strategy into action. Zoë Allman and Gary Souter share their experience of leading on curriculum change

Zoë Allman, Gary Souter

De Montfort University

motor racing pitstop crew

What block learning taught me about meeting diverse student needs

In block learning, where time is condensed, students are at a greater risk of falling behind. Here, Kevin Merry explains how formative assessment can drive targeted instruction and enable students to accelerate their learning

Kevin L. Merry

Global Banking School

Student in class smiling to camera

Four ways to integrate the SDGs into English language classes

Connecting the Sustainable Development Goals with language teaching and learning can provide meaningful learning experiences, writes Chaonan Xu

Chaonan Xu

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Student thinking at her desk

Metacognition in education: get students thinking about their thinking

Including metacognition in university courses offers students a range of strategies and approaches to evaluate and improve their thinking, wrties Charlie Reis

Charlie Reis

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Lawyers shaking hands

Seven structural changes to help bring Indigenous perspectives into curricula

Impermanence of resources, priorities and personnel makes curriculum reform a challenge. Here, Kirstie Smith and Simon Young offer strategies based on their experience in a regional law school

Kirstie Smith , Simon Young

University of Southern Queensland

Woman choosing between chocolate and apple

What does it take to encourage students to use their voice?

The National Student Survey tells us students want their voices heard, but what if they don’t take up opportunities for feedback? Sam Perry looks at challenges of integrating student input (and wonders if chocolate is the answer)

Sam Perry

University of Southampton

A student studying at a laptop

In an artificially intelligent age, frame higher education around a new kind of thinking

One of the helpful by-products emerging from the advent of AI is that we are beginning to reflect more critically on the way we think, writes David Holland

David Holland

University of East Anglia

Students discussing AI in the classroom

How to partner with AI and improve the learning experience

As generative AI permeates the classroom, educators are faced with a very important question: is it a friend or a foe?

K. V. Sriram

Manipal Academy of Higher Education

Students studying at individual desks

Crafting an inclusive curriculum: how to write programme learning outcomes

Crafting an inclusive curriculum involves aligning learning outcomes with graduate attributes and using inclusive design principles, active verbs and established frameworks

Lizzy Garner-Foy

The University of Edinburgh

Bitcoin

How to incorporate fintech and Web3 into university curricula

In bringing financial technology and cryptocurrency into university courses, educators must cover regulatory uncertainty, cybercrime risks and asset bubbles while keeping up with developments. Larisa Yarovaya provides insights

Larisa Yarovaya

University of Southampton

Hand holding three gold medals

Going for gold: how to craft a winning TEF submission

Teaching excellence rests on clear principles and agile strategy, collaboration with students and a frank approach to educational gain, write Emily Pollinger and Julian Chaudhuri. Here, they share tips for maintaining and evidencing success

Emily Pollinger , Julian Chaudhuri

University of Bath

Accounting student working on a laptop

How to unpick sustainability reporting in your business teaching

In this resource, Nick Rowbottom offers ways to help students distinguish and evaluate corporate sustainability within different international reporting standards

Nick Rowbottom

University of Birmingham

A group of students gather round a laptop

Make EDI in higher education a reality by building it into your course design

When designing a new course, equality, diversity and inclusion should be among the first things to consider. Gareth Morris and Joy Edmonson show how

Gareth Morris, Joy Edmonson

University of Nottingham Ningbo China

Student writing in a notepad

How to use student evaluation of teaching to improve learning

Effective SET is the start, not the end, of a conversation about student learning, writes Saranne Weller

Saranne Weller

St George’s, University of London