Feature article

A biology teacher standing next to a demo human body with its organs exposed

Banning AI won’t make students care about learning

When students don’t see the point of an activity, they often turn to AI for a shortcut. Here’s how to make learning meaningful and relevant

Mariana Elizondo, Nelly Ramirez Vásquez

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Interdisciplinary research cultures are inclusive, not competitive

Research that crosses disciplines strengthens networks, diversifies expertise and moves thinking beyond inherited boundaries, but effective interdisciplinarity takes time, curiosity and willingness to tackle cultural and structural obstacles

Valentina Cardo, Claire Clarkin , Ingrid Slade

University of Southampton

Let’s frame preparation as an academic skill

When students struggle to get started, the problem is rarely motivation. Teach them how to build the conditions for thinking by making preparation visible in the classroom

Meeyoung Kim

University of Sharjah

How we cut daily lab deliveries by 94 per cent

By cutting down deliveries, you can lower your lab’s carbon footprint, reduce clutter and admin and free up researchers to focus on discovering new cures and treatments. Learn how

Kully Sunner, Stephen Shine , Kelly Newman

UCL

What bush turkeys can teach us about adaptability at work

When ‘wildlife relocation’ became an unexpected part of her role, Liisa Partanen found the experience came with insight into workplace resilience and problem-solving

Liisa Partanen

The University of Queensland

A group of students writing and talking together

Writing workshops v algorithms: what we should be teaching in the age of AI

How a simple classroom writing exercise provided an avenue for sharing and connection that moved students beyond AI-style ‘content generation’ towards human understanding

Julia Bell

Birkbeck, University of London

Couscous, among other ingredients, in a marketplace

Less beer, more couscous: gamifying supply chain education

Using the Beer Game to teach business students about supply chains may have had its last orders. Switching to couscous changed how one educator’s class thought

Jawad Abrache

Al Akhawayn University

Two professionals using stick notes to plan

Building internal change management capability as a future-proofing strategy

University staff have institutional knowledge and understand the organisational practices and interpersonal dynamics that influence decision-making. So it makes sense to develop their change competence, writes Karen Mather

Karen Mather

University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha

A group of students sitting at a table having a discussion

What we learned from building a queer-straight university alliance

How an anonymous email sparked a growing understanding of what it means to be a queer ally in higher education

Bhawana Shrestha, Sushobhan Chimoriya

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

GrimmGPT? Use AI to rewrite fairy tales – and get your students thinking

A simple strategy to help your students question AI tools from a familiar starting point

India Lawton

Southampton Solent University

Transgender disabled woman talking to a researcher with a laptop

How intersectionality impacts research with LGBTQ+ communities

In designing and conducting studies that involve members of LGBTQ+ communities, researchers need to recognise the diversity and complexity of participants’ experiences. Here are seven ways to apply an intersectional approach for better research

Emerson Zerafa-Payne , Mackenzie Rubens, James A. Fowler

The University of Southern Queensland

Make laboratory teaching greener with VR

Virtual reality should not replace hands-on laboratory teaching. Used well, it can make practical science more sustainable by reducing avoidable waste and helping staff use real laboratory time more effectively

Stephen Hilton, Blanka Hilton

UCL, University of Kent

A graph is volleyed upwards by a tennis racquet-wielding figure

Commercialise research with lessons from the sporting playbook

Looking for investment to turn your research into a company? Don’t think it’s all over – here’s how to knock it out of the park

Paul Sailsbury

Arden University

A group of research participants sitting in a circle

A trauma-informed approach to research

Practical strategies for researchers engaging with trauma-related issues and participants with experience of trauma

Helen Anne Nolan, Vicky Panossian

The University of Warwick

How to build inclusion into a transnational campus from day one

While robust EDI policies are essential, equity, diversity and inclusion efforts become truly meaningful when visible representation and everyday interactions are prioritised across the institution

Anupama Saini

University of Southampton

How LinkedIn helped me create research collaborations

LinkedIn can help researchers build international collaborations, but only when it is treated as a professional community, not just a digital CV. Follow these tips to grow your profile

Julian C. Pena-Bermudez

Universidad del Caribe (UNICARIBE)

A university lecturer explaining a concept while sitting amongst students

Five words and a GenAI prompt to spark deeper online learning

A five-stage framework, enhanced by GenAI, can help educators create more interactive, inclusive and responsive online learning experiences that boost student engagement and learning online

María Robertha Leal Isida, Dania Arriola Arteaga

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Turning student data into student success

Data alone will not ensure effective student support. From careers to well-being and disability services, using it successfully requires collaboration between academic and professional services, training and shared accountability, writes Aleata Alstad-Calkins

Aleata Alstad-Calkins

University of Roehampton

When it comes to AI, faculty are from Mars and students are from Venus

Students and academics are on different planets in terms of AI use, creating a culture of distrust and secrecy. Dina Kamel offers three ways to close the gap

Dina Kamel

The University of Portsmouth

Building a consistent university voice

By combining a comprehensive style guide with practical workshops and continuous feedback, among other strategies, universities can ensure English communications are clear, professional and consistent

Xinmin Han

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Illustration of robot and man on either side of ball of scribble

Faculty must embrace the ‘messy middle’ to guide AI proficiency

The primary source of institutional AI proficiency must be universities themselves, not the technology companies who offer training for their platforms. Without that agency, we risk surrendering educational practice to commercial interests, write Amy Allen and David Hicks

Amy Allen, David Hicks

Virginia Tech

A student looks up from a book to check his smartphone

Equip students to champion human creativity over machine outputs

Publishing educators are ideally placed to encourage students to see through the GenAI hype and recognise the value of human creativity. Explore and reflect on the tools with these tips

Simon Rowberry

UCL

Man with child on his lap working at computer

It’s time to take the well-being of online postgraduate students seriously

As online taught postgraduate provision expands, programme teams need practical ways to support student well-being at a distance. Julien le Jeune d’Allegeershecque shares five ways educators can make a measurable difference

Julien le Jeune d’Allegeershecque

Imperial College London

A man reads a book between the aisles of a university library

Making public work count in academia

Practical advice for universities and departments that want to begin including public work meaningfully in hiring, tenure and promotion standards

David Perry

University of Minnesota Twin Cities

Combat sustainability burnout by giving students the tools to act

Students care deeply about climate change – here’s how to design teaching to prevent them feeling powerless as a result

Soheil Davari

University of Bath

A laptop with a padlocked chain around it

Why AI adoption in universities is really a question of trust

To encourage AI use that aligns with institutional policies, university governance must prioritise transparency, usability and academic autonomy. Learn how

Isabel Fischer , Susanne Beck, Joe Nandhakumar

The University of Warwick

‘Employability is more than getting a job’

Careers services go beyond preparing students for immediate graduate positions. They equip students to navigate their professional lives over time, to progress and adapt through change. Gemma Kenyon explains the nuances of delivering employability at scale

Gemma Kenyon

City St George’s, University of London

A student uses a laptop in a lecture hall

How do we teach AI literacy when students already think they’re experts?

Students don’t need help from their educators to keep up with AI. But what we can do is encourage them to question it more. Here’s how

Abderrahim Agnaou

Al Akhawayn University

Defining and developing students’ critical AI literacy

By the time they arrive at university, most students are using AI. So, with the lines between AI use and original work increasingly blurred, academia now needs to teach them how to use the tools critically

Amy Allen, David Hicks

Virginia Tech

Why faculty support should look more like a writing centre

Why do institutions invest in peer writing support for students but not for staff? Anne Brubaker makes the case for a more formalised approach to faculty writing support

Anne Brubaker

Wellesley College

A group of students sitting at a table in the library

Build AI and information literacy through targeted library support

How student-centred AI literacy programmmes can build confidence, critical thinking and playful learning

Amy McEwan, Isobel Eddyshaw, Jenny McGarvey

The University of Exeter

A doctor uses a chatbot on a desktop screen

In AI-enabled healthcare education, critical thinking comes first

As technology shapes the future of healthcare, how can we embed the skills tomorrow’s medical staff will need? Find out how here

Dara Cassidy

RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences

Loading illustration leading to lightbulb on yellow background

‘The first step is to understand what supervisors and students need’

Many academics have limited access to structured training in doctoral supervision. Here, Paul Clarkson and Tahrima Hossain offer takeaways from designing a supervisor development programme

Paul Clarkson, Tahrima Hossain

University of Southampton

Industrial engineer inspecting a residential construction project with a VR app with a virtualisation of the building's interior

Extend reality to make learning more meaningful

To meet the challenges of the modern workplace, students need to encounter environments that simulate professional scenarios during their studies. Read about how to design extended reality activities that boost a range of discipline-specific skills

Daniel Cantú, Claudia Hernández

Tecnológico de Monterrey

How to articulate a clear identity for university libraries – and why it matters

In the digital era, the identity of the library has become blurred. Here’s how to emphasise its distinctiveness, writes John Cox

John Cox

University of Galway

Students looking at various online devices

Why do university websites drive international students away?

For most international students, the university journey begins not on campus, but online. Nirma Jayawardena offers insights on how institutions can improve their websites for overseas students, based on a recent study

Nirma Jayawardena

University of Bradford

A woman opening a package with a surprised expression on her face

How to choose the right AI tools for teaching

Educators are not always aware of the implications of using the latest shiny AI tool. Laura Milne offers guidance on balancing educational value with institutional priorities

Laura Milne

University of Chester

Empower students in their practical learning

Help your students bridge the gap between classroom theory and real-world practice by giving them ownership of the experience

Connie Li

Hong Kong Baptist University

Concept of levelling up university assessment in response to GenAI

Assessing critical thinking in critical times

The advent of generative AI plus questions about the relevance of higher education call for a closer look at how critical thinking skills are taught and measured. Kate Williams offers ways to level up traditional assessment formats

Kate Williams

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

Students sitting at their desks in a classroom

Why universities must become flexible lifelong partners, not one-time providers

As careers become increasingly non-linear and shaped by rapid change, universities must evolve beyond traditional degree provision, says Sankar Sivarajah. Here, he outlines strategies

Sankar Sivarajah

Kingston University

AI literacy is the bridge between fear and the graduates we need

We need to meet the digital revolution with curiosity, rather than fear, and AI literacy is the way forward. Here’s how

Phil Laufenberg

La Trobe University

How to get your research found on Google Scholar

If people can’t find or access your work, they won’t cite it. Here, Darshan Vigneswaran explains how to ensure your academic articles surface in search and contribute to building your profile

Darshan Vigneswaran

University of Amsterdam

Two female scientists consulting a document in a lab

Routes to equity for mothers in STEM research

How institutions can help fix the STEM ‘leaky pipeline’ by addressing maternity bias, improving progression opportunities and equipping mothers with financial literacy

Rachel James

The University of Edinburgh

A supervisor and supervisee chat over a tablet

Research supervision is about more than imparting knowledge – it’s mentorship

Combining mentoring skills with structured guidance can help doctoral researchers build confidence and refine their focus. Here’s how

Shavonne M. Ekeledo

Colorado State University Global

What if the undergraduate journey were a four-year internship?

Treating work placements and co-curricular programmes as optional or supplementary misses deeper questions about whether traditional degrees prepare students for careers. Michelle Seref explains

Michelle Seref

Virginia Tech

Students and a professor in class discussing AI

Why AI literacy must be discipline specific

A one-size-fits-all approach to AI training risks leaving students unprepared for the discipline-specific demands of their future careers. Rose Luckin explores what field-specific AI literacy looks like in practice

Rose Luckin

UCL

Global classrooms, without the jet lag: a guide to transnational education

How transnational and translocal strategies can foster a global mindset and a sense of belonging in students

Jayakumar Chinnasamy

University of the West of Scotland

Opening doors: how to make work experience work for scientists and school students alike

Giving more secondary school students opportunities to experience working in a research lab means addressing faculty capacity

Kathryn Woods-Townsend, Kate Bartlett

University of Southampton

Two students sitting at a table discussing a GenAI prompt

A research-led approach to teaching GenAI prompt design

Strategies to transform student interactions with GenAI from one-line questions to robust prompts that yield reliable results and improve critical thinking skills

Mogeeb A. A. Mosleh

University of Science and Technology (Yemen)

A student sits an exam hall as her peers leave around her

The key to reducing exam anxiety? Better communication

Anxiety about assessment is leaving more students feeling overwhelmed. Ease the pressure with clarity, consistency and care

Apurav Krishna Koyande, Bhajan Lal Rahanu

Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP)

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