Feature article

Students using card and paper to create models in class

Software engineers with people skills grow from cardboard cities

Sometimes the best way to teach software engineering is to step away from the computer. Learn how to deliver a cardboard building activity that replicates a software development lifecycle

Nanlin Jin

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

A young Asian man in a wheelchair uses a phone and a laptop

Help South Asian disabled students navigate higher education

Disabled international students need cultural awareness alongside support. Here’s how to provide it

Nirma Jayawardena, Isuru Koswatte, Christian Harrison

University of the West of Scotland, University of Bradford, University of Bolton

A student and their lecturer in conversation.

Stop investigating, start teaching

Trying to detect whether a student has misused AI in their work is a wasted effort, from which no one benefits, writes B. Jean Mandernach. She proposes a different approach focused on finding out what students truly understand

B. Jean Mandernach

Grand Canyon University

Students are not just future graduates – they can serve society now

If universities want student service to mean more than an extracurricular activity, they have to care about design, preparation, partnerships, continuity and the institutional scaffolding that supports long-term impact

Chew Han Ei, Mark Chong

Singapore Management University

A young woman waves goodbye to family at an airport

Can we work with students to ‘co-create’ international study experiences?

Students tend towards safer, more familiar overseas study destinations so how can educators encourage them to make bolder, more adventurous choices? Lucas Lixinski explores this question

Lucas Lixinski

UNSW Sydney

A phone interface with a chatbot conversation open

How to let students fail – so they can bounce back

If we’re preparing students for the outside world, they need to be resilient and agile. Here’s how AI avatars could help

Yvonne Kong-Ho

Singapore Institute of Technology

Students in class watching a teacher, among them one raises her hand to answer a question

Impactful lessons begin and end with clarity

Common in primary and secondary teaching, starter and plenary activities can get students interested and build knowledge. Paul Demetriou explains how to use them in university teaching

Paul Demetriou

New City College

How to divorce your academic discipline

When you fall out of love with your scholarly subject, leaving the silo can mean a painful separation. But with a break-up can also come a chance to rekindle academic passion. Here’s how to get out and move on

Darshan Vigneswaran

University of Amsterdam

A student and teacher sitting at a desk discussing an assignment

Simple ways to support students with ADHD

What you should know about how students with ADHD learn and how to take a strengths-based approach

Karen Costa

Lesley University

Female lecturer addresses a group of students

Why universities need shared conversations about ‘good’ teaching

Good teaching cannot be owned or defined by any one person or group, writes David Mather. He calls for more open discussion and exploration of what constitutes quality teaching

David Mather

The University of Portsmouth

Female high school student in lab wearing a white coat

From outreach to infrastructure: how academics can support a lasting STEM pipeline

Inspiring future generations of STEM scholars demands more than just a one-time introduction to science or engineering. Lasting impact comes from ongoing learning experiences, mentorship and institutional support, writes Keisha Simmons

Keisha Simmons

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

The case for the omnichannel AI assistant

A virtual assistant can make learning seamless, ubiquitous and scalable while addressing common faculty concerns regarding AI integration. Here’s how

Wai Chi Rodney Chu, Charles Woo

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

How experiential learning can build sustainability skills and spark change

Experiential learning projects that push students outside their disciplinary comfort zones can prompt real-world change. Learn why co-creation, interdisciplinarity and real-world relevance are key

Lory Barile, Bo Kelestyn, Bret Willers

The University of Warwick

How agentic AI brings interactivity to STEM learning

When applied thoughtfully, agentic AI has the potential to turn classrooms into environments where students actively explore complex systems rather than passively absorb information

Gerard Joseph Lim

Nanyang Technological University

A vial of green liquid sits on a sheet of reaction formulas

Tips to integrate sustainability into day-to-day university lab practice

Sustainability doesn’t have to be a big project. Instead, make it a part of what science departments do daily, writes Deirdre Black

Deirdre Black

Royal Society of Chemistry

Group of multiracial university students in a tutorial

A million more teachers: building human-centric skills in small-group teaching

Small-group discussions and one-to-ones can expand students’ capacity to act, think and communicate, writes Alastair Bonnett. Here, he offers a model for shifting university teaching from macro to micro

Alastair Bonnett

Newcastle University

Move beyond one-size-fits-all education for international students

Build a more inclusive and linguistically sensitive learning environment for global students with these tips

Anthony Manning

Arden University

A robot uses a microscope in a laboratory

A surprising ally in the fight to make chemistry greener – AI

While making chemistry more sustainable is paramount, tiny changes to lab materials and conditions can have significant effects. Can AI’s data-crunching abilities help?

Jonathan Hirst, Joe Heeley

University of Nottingham

Female student looking through a microscope

Europe invests in research but underinvests in forming researchers

Europe has built an admirable research support system but there is one crucial stage that is overlooked – the early formation of researchers, writes Adam Kola. He offers examples from his own institution on how to address this

Adam Kola

Nicolaus Copernicus University

Secondary students solving a maths problem on a whiteboard

Widen access to higher education by improving school attainment

With school attainment a key driver of progression to university, outreach must go beyond traditional interventions to widen access. Matthew Lucas offers five evidence-led ways to design educationally robust programmes

Matthew Lucas

UCL

The best way to teach students to think critically about AI? Make them argue with it

Educators might treat AI as an integrity problem, but employers don’t. They need graduates who can decide when to trust the machine – and when not to. And that’s why you should design assessment that forces students to argue against AI

Reihaneh Bidar

The University of Queensland

A scientist stands in a greenhouse with a tablet

Environmental researchers know the impact of AI – so why do they still use it?

Academics are increasingly using AI for research, despite being aware of its environmental footprint. But is it their fault – and what can be done?

Sarah Hartley, Emily Robinson, Mayra Rodriguez

The University of Exeter

Young woman wearing virtual reality headset

What virtual reality and AI can do for language learners

Virtual reality and artificial intelligence can support nervous students to progress from silence to speaking confidently in foreign language classes

Alícia Moreno Giménez

Lancaster University

A green liquid is dispensed into a petri dish

Take action to make sustainable labs a reality

Eliminate waste, reap the benefits of a circular economy and aim for ambitious targets for greener laboratories, with these tips

Jenna Lowe

University of Liverpool

Two masked scientists fillin test tubes in a lab

From experiment to impact: reducing waste in teaching labs, part 2

How to move beyond basic waste reduction to teaching students responsible decision-making in experimental work

Rebecca L. Jones, Sara Thayammal, Fatema Khatun, Roberta Stinga

Imperial College London

When students stop asking: ‘Is this on the exam?’

What happens when you trade exams for real clients, real problems and real deadlines? Dina Kamel outlines the benefits of unscripted problem-solving

Dina Kamel

The University of Portsmouth

Rethinking the process of patient and public involvement

To get a full picture of the impact of PPI, would it be better to focus on improving the process of involving people in health research as well as measuring outcomes?

Gary Hickey

University of Southampton

A group of students conducting an experiment in a lab

From experiment to impact: reducing waste in teaching labs, part 1

From cleaning glassware to choosing cooling systems, learn how small teaching interventions can help students experiment more sustainably

Rebecca L. Jones, Sara Thayammal, Fatema Khatun, Roberta Stinga

Imperial College London

The hidden environmental cost of cold storage in laboratories

Ultra-low-temperature freezers in laboratories can use as much energy as two UK households per year. Here’s how to make cold storage as efficient as possible

Marcelo Salierno

King’s College London

Greener labs don’t need bigger budgets – just better habits

When it comes to improving green practices across a university’s laboratories, meaningful change doesn’t always require major investment or new infrastructure. Small but intentional practices can yield substantial results

Autumn Timpano

Virginia Tech

‘AI literacy is everyone’s responsibility’

With higher education navigating rapid technological change, the key to embedding AI literacy in the workforce of tomorrow could be a focus on collaboration over competition

Hans van Oostrom

University of Florida

Asian students articipating in small-group discussion

Practicalities of co-creation: how to truly engage the student voice

When educators share the design and implementation of course material and assessment rubrics, they give students a stake in their own and their peers’ learning

Shuhui Yin

Macau University of Science and Technology

Students in a lecture hall working on essays

Feedback is a skill to be taught, not assumed

Comments such as ‘This is a good essay’ might reassure but won’t help a writer improve. Here’s how to show students what strong and weak peer feedback looks like

Jiashi Wang

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Young indian student using computer remote studying

‘We need to design lifelong learning for the students we will have, not the ones we imagine’

Flexible pathways and modular curricula will only fit into students’ real lives if courses are intentionally designed, co-created and evidence-informed, writes Harriet Dunbar-Morris. Here she shares a leadership toolkit for lifelong learning reform

Harriet Dunbar-Morris

University of Buckingham, University of Oxford

A teacher addresses a classroom informally

Teacher-directed instruction is dead – long live the future of education

Rather than react with fear to GenAI and attempt to ban it, let’s rethink traditional pedagogy instead, for more meaningful learning

Enrique Darwin Caraballo

Universidad del Caribe (UNICARIBE)

From polarisation to connection: counterspaces and reverse mentoring in higher education

It takes an intersectional approach, empathy and willingness to listen to cultivate affirming environments for marginalised groups, says Mazal Oaknín

Mazal Oaknín

UCL

Female designer working with AI chat bot and an editing software - stock photo

AI use tailored to creative-industry programmes requires institution-wide support

Students working towards creative careers have mixed feelings about AI and its potential effects on their job prospects. So education must consider the best practice in the application of tools but also teach students design fundamentals

Shushma Patel

De Montfort University

An illustration of a robot teaching a class about the human brain

Five tips for using AI in university assessment

Instead of trying to detect students using AI for their work, we need to think differently. Here’s where to start

Tom Oliver

University of Westminster

Three levels of AI proficiency for university educators

To become proficient in GenAI, educators must move beyond one-off interactions to create workflows that increase efficiency and deepen learning. Learn how

Patrice Seuwou

University of Northampton

Group of international students in a lecture all

Why ethical internationalisation starts with listening

If the UK higher education sector wants its transnational education partnerships to be socially responsible, academically rigorous and politically resilient, universities must prioritise co-creation and cultural literacy, writes Valentina Cardo

Valentina Cardo

University of Southampton

Building blocks with student, books and an AI chip

An augmented reality tool for accessible learning

Combining GenAI with simple augmented reality tools offers a practical way to support accessible, adaptable and interdisciplinary learning

Cindy Lam, Sai Kit Yeung, Kenichiro Takei

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

How useful are smart glasses in improving accessibility in higher education?

Smart glasses have the potential to support learning for disabled students, but this technology also comes with significant privacy concerns. Helen Nicholson-Benn looks at how to balance functional benefits with data security and safeguarding

Helen Nicholson-Benn

Jisc

Black man working at computer using AI chatbot

A framework for ensuring student AI proficiency

The question is no longer whether students will use AI after graduation but to what extent. So, how can universities best ensure that students are workforce-ready?

Margaret Ellis

Virginia Tech

A robot and a man in a business suit arm wrestle

‘If we make AI the enemy then surely it must become one’

How do we use GenAI without letting it use us? By mastering the tool, and helping students do so too, its much-feared effects on the humanities cannot come to pass, writes Stuart Christie

Stuart Christie

Hong Kong Baptist University

A group of students at a desk working on a project

A ‘smart’ way to get students working together

Reduce the tendency to ‘divide and write’ with a five-step process that draws on individual strengths, promotes constructive communication and ensures equal participation

Ya Zhang, Shuhao Zhang, Yu Liu

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Four steps to design the perfect business school alliance

Alliances offer business schools a resilient way to expand their global reach. By clarifying purpose, building governance structures and defining measurable outputs, leadership teams can turn collaboration into a strategic tool

Marion Debruyne

Vlerick Business School

Look beyond commercialisation to a wider landscape of impact

Instead of seeing commercialisation as an entrepreneurial activity, let’s look at it as part of a broader picture of the value research creates

Andy Phippen, Louise Rutt

Bournemouth University, University of Plymouth

Two happy young students hugging each other on graduation day

We need to teach ‘uncommon sense’

How playful exercises in an intersession course can improve judgement, foster probabilistic thinking and help students stand out in an uncertain job market

William R. Brody

Johns Hopkins University

Man sitting alone in a state of distress or worry

Understanding autistic grief to support staff and students through loss

Autistic grief can present differently from traditional understandings of bereavement. Imogen Varle explores how to better recognise and support autistic staff and students experiencing loss

Imogen Varle

De Montfort University

A woman stands at the crossroads of two diverging paths

Two ways to think about your promotion and tenure file

How to build evidence of your academic career successes when the expectations keep changing? Here are two approaches

Kate Vacek

Independent academic

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