Feature article

Distorted reflection of a man walking in the street

How AI is quietly distorting academic enquiry – and what to do about it

If students rely on AI summaries as starting points – or, worse, as substitutes for enquiry – they risk bypassing the processes higher education is designed to cultivate: comparison, evaluation and critical analysis. Cayce Myers offers solutions

Cayce Myers

Virginia Tech

How can we embed students’ ‘cultural wealth’ in STEM teaching?

How can educators build on the knowledge, skills and personal assets students bring to the classroom? Sarah Rodriguez offers practical, adaptable strategies

Sarah L. Rodriguez

Virginia Tech

Close-up of hands flicking through flashcards

Flash cards work, but only when we teach students how to use them

Based on research comparing paper-based and digital tools, William J. Owen and Leah Chambers explain how flash cards can support learning and study skills development

William J. Owen , Leah Chambers

University of Northern British Columbia

GenAI has destroyed grading – and it’s made me a better instructor

Instead of a six-page research paper turned in at the end of a course, here’s how to focus on the real-time learning that happens between leaps of understanding and moments of doubt

Dan Sarofian-Butin

Merrimack College

Developing more nuanced research on and for LGBTQ+ staff

Strengthening data collection on LGBTQ+ staff supports fairer, more responsive equality policies. Emma Jones and Simon Lock outline strategies

Emma Jones, Simon Lock

UCL

Young black woman looking at screen with help from older black woman, job shadow concept

Five steps to prepare neurodivergent students for the world of work

Students with neuro-cognitive conditions often face significant challenges when making the transition into the workplace. So, how can higher education institutions ensure these students are ready to launch their professional lives?

Sophie Hennekam, Barbara Haddou

Audencia

A group of international students smiling to camera

How to confront bias about international students

Diversity in higher education does not automatically lead to inclusion. Read about how subtle biases shape multicultural classrooms and how to address them

Aybike Serttaş

Istanbul Aydin University

Hand stopping a line of dominoes falling

When the business plan becomes a performance

Under conventional assessment models in entrepreneurship, continuation of a venture is rewarded and optimism reads as competence, write Ian Solway and Jolyon Nott. But students should be required to demonstrate judgement, not projected success

Ian Solway, Jolyon Nott

University of Southampton

The power of the nudge to move EDI from strategy to practice

Nudges make the inclusive option easier for staff to take. Find five tips to embed them here

Teslim O. Bukoye

University of Bath

A university professor smiling to camera

You can’t teach ‘affective’ empathy from a case study

If business schools want to produce socially responsible graduates, they must centre lived experience of social disadvantage in their teaching and learning, say Kathy Walsh and Mihajla Gavin

Kathy Walsh, Mihajla Gavin

University of Technology Sydney

Cricket player tossing ball in hand on pitch

Test match or T20? Helping PhD students navigate the multi-format reality of PhD research

Doctoral supervision involves helping students read the changing nature of the game, providing practice nets and empowering them to build the versatility needed for a sustained research career, writes Aastha Malhotra

Aastha Malhotra

The University of Southern Queensland

A pair of scales showing a balance between a pile of books and an AI bot

GenAI has not broken assessment. It has exposed it

An assessment system that rewards polished work above judgement can’t function in an GenAI-enabled world. Here’s how to build one that can

Lucy Gill-Simmen

Royal Holloway, University of London

A smiling university professor in a campus hallway

Look for research opportunities in everyday teaching

Low-effort ways to conduct pedagogical research that can transform teaching work from routine into discovery, inviting us to question longstanding assumptions, experiment with innovative approaches and contribute meaningful insights

Adrian Man-Ho Lam

The University of Hong Kong

Man's hands over laptop keyboard with figures and speech bubbles

GenAI has turned teachers into auditors

When educators have to police how students use AI, and gatekeeping adds to the workload and emotional toll, teaching loses its joy, write Meena Jha and Amara Atif. Here are ways to reclaim the role of educator

Meena Jha, Amara Atif

Central Queensland University, University of Technology Sydney

Academics discuss around a meeting table

Build a teaching and learning research network from the ground up

Early career educators can find support in teaching and learning scholarship through a community of practice. Here’s how

Paul Chesterton

Teesside University

A team of professionals brainstorming in an office

Making a university people strategy real

A university-wide plan to improve working culture works best when team leaders take ownership of it. Donna Dalrymple offers guidance on translating strategy into meaningful change

Donna Dalrymple

UCL

Red-headed female student looking unhappy in an exam

How to redesign law exams for students with ADHD

Long closed-book examinations are at odds with how the brains of students with ADHD work, writes Malak Benslama-Dabdoub. Here, she explains how to create assessment that tests the target skills

Malak Benslama-Dabdoub

Royal Holloway, University of London

Being a beginner is hard. Let’s make it easier for our students

Tips and strategies for helping students move beyond the fear of making a mistake – and feel more willing to try

Kate Sansome

Adelaide University

From theory to judgement: using role play to assess students’ decision-making skills

Students can explain theories. But can they challenge them? A structured role-play approach helps assess critical thinking, professional judgement and decision-making – skills that traditional assessments often miss

Angela Christidis

The University of Exeter

How should universities define AI proficiency?

AI literacy is increasingly seen as fundamental knowledge for students. How can educators set the parameters that ensure proficient use of artificial intelligence across the institution, regardless of discipline? Junghwan Kim offers advice

Junghwan Kim

Virginia Tech

Outreach programmes that lay STEM pathways and strengthen research skills

Help local schools build the foundations for future STEM students, address regional issues and hone your students’ research management skills – all with outreach activities. Here’s how

Cristina Mihaela Nicolescu, Marius Bumbac

Valahia University of Târgoviște

When pedagogy meets extended reality: a quick guide

How to design extended reality experiences with clear pedagogical intent, immersing students in worlds that develop decision-making skills, deepen learning and prepare them for the workplace

Graciela González Valdepeña, Lorena Quilantán García

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Woman talking into smartphone, AI as student support

‘AI should support student services, not impersonate them’

Are universities ready for GenAI in student support? When chatbots seem to offer a scalable, cost-effective way to meet rising demand for student support, universities need to consider how to shape their use without outsourcing care or increasing risk

Michael Cowling, Joseph Crawford

RMIT University, University of Tasmania

A research supervisor sitting at her desk smiling to camera

Five things supervisors can do for struggling PhD students

Doctoral students can find the slow and often uncertain nature of research challenging. Supervisors can ease distress by rethinking how the doctorate is framed, structured and experienced

Peng Cheng, Jie Zhang

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

A woman works at a laptop in a library setting

Five steps to embed GenAI literacy for university librarians

The library can be the perfect place to promote GenAI literacy, not only for students but for academics too. These five steps can help

Liliana González

Universidad del Caribe (UNICARIBE)

Why business schools need to rethink how they teach law

In an age of lawfare and regulatory complexity, legal literacy has become a core managerial skill. Yet most law professors teaching in business schools receive no preparation for the job. It is time to change that, writes Maximiliano Marzetti

Maximiliano Marzetti

IÉSEG School of Management

A struggling student works late at her desk

Are your students disengaging – or is it their personality type?

Students who seem lazy or like late starters may simply be wired differently. Find out how to meet them where they are

Chathura Sooriya-Arachchi

University of Westminster

A female student on her laptop smiling to camera

Students are asking for AI guidance, not just policy

The defining educational challenge of this decade is to equip students to use AI ethically, critically and efficiently, write Mahmoud Elkhodr and Ergun Gide. Here, they offer a way forward

Mahmoud Elkhodr, Ergun Gide

Central Queensland University

Blocks showing man making path between bombs to idea

How to support students to learn from, with, about and beyond AI

Educators should not be competing with chatbots and large language models. Instead, a continuum can help them guide students from passive learning from AI to synthesising information alongside it

Tan Seng Chee

Nanyang Technological University

Educators must model inclusive pedagogy

Belonging is not a by-product of good teaching but an intentional outcome of inclusive practices. These include healthy dialogue, co-creation and reflective practice, says Patrice Seuwou

Patrice Seuwou

University of Northampton

Help students make the leap from classroom to clinic

How to bridge the gap between classroom-based practical learning and the realities of clinical practice for physiotherapy students? Here’s how to prepare students for unpredictability

Shirley Ngai, David Yu, Raymond Tsang, Nerita Chan

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

One mountain climber helps another over a ridge

Find the courage to teach collaboratively

Teaching has never been a solitary endeavour, but it can be lonely. Here’s how to nurture collaborations with your fellow educators that will help everyone grow

Mark Young, Melissa Jane Megan

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

A researcher being interviewed for a podcast

From research to reach: working with marketing and comms teams

If research is to shape public debate, support students and inform society, academics must learn how to collaborate with marketing and communications teams to extend its reach beyond the journal page, says Bertha Martínez

Bertha Martínez

CETYS Universidad

Four ways to strengthen the PGR community and sense of belonging

The doctoral experience doesn’t have to be isolated. Here, Maisha Islam and Natasha Palmer share four recommendations to enable an inclusive, collaborative research culture and communities for postgraduate researchers

Maisha Islam , Natasha Palmer

University of Southampton

Young black man working at a computer terminal

Why digital stability has become a governance imperative

Technological resilience is not just a systems problem when failure can impact operations, academic credibility, public trust and equitable education. Here, Fulufhelo Nemavhola expands the considerations for universities

Fulufhelo Nemavhola

Durban University of Technology

The questions publishing students need to be asking about GenAI

As creative industries grapple with the prospect of AI-generated content, how can educators hone critical thinking skills in the book publishers of the future? Find advice here

Miriam Johnson

Oxford Brookes University

A businessman in a warehouse speaks to a business partner.

Put quality before quantity when building university-industry partnerships

University-industry partnerships must be based on long-term commitment, clear governance and proper resourcing and investment, if they are to have a transformative impact, write Soheil Davari and Vasile Strat

Soheil Davari , Vasile Alecsandru Strat

University of Bath, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Bucharest Business School

Two Chinese students working together on a latop

‘Chinese students have plenty to say – when the conditions are right’

Silence in the classroom does not always signal disengagement. Learn about cultural and linguistic reasons behind low participation and strategies to better support multilingual learners

Rui He, Alex Baratta

The University of Manchester

Encourage, don’t shame: rethinking writing feedback

Shame around writing ability can be a real problem for new students, so let’s make sure feedback encourages their development. Find out how here

Isabelle Parkinson

Royal Holloway, University of London

A PhD supervisor speaking to her student in her office

Recognise the human side of doctoral study

By listening with compassion, normalising uncertainty and helping students break down large tasks into small steps, supervisors can support PhD students with both the academic and emotional demands of their studies, says Bhawana Shrestha

Bhawana Shrestha

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Young female student wearing safety glasses in an organic chemistry lab

Questions that support reflection and sense-making in STEM education

Focusing on the thinking that a lab-class prompt invites – rather than the answer it elicits – allows instructors to create learning experiences that are both rigorous and inclusive

Karen Ho, Douglas B. Clark

Mount Royal University, University of Calgary

Assessment isn’t a finish line, it’s a learning process

Many assessments only measure what students already know. Here’s how to structure feedback-rich, iterative tasks to help students develop the skills to improve

Philip Y. Lam

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

A female academic at her desk with her head in her hand

Start with men: universities must do more on menopause education

Universities have the research capacity, the educational mission and the moral obligation to lead on menopause education. It is time for men in academia to step up, drive the conversation and share the burden, writes Mark Butterick

Mark Butterick

Independent academic

Good looking male student in a university class

Using universal design for learning to alleviate disclosure reluctance

Designing courses accessibly from the ground up reduces the pressure on neurodivergent students to disclose in order to succeed, writes Luis Paterson

Luis Paterson

University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha

GenAI practice blossoms through the open exchange of insights

How a structured GenAI professional development series, built around practice, peer voices and multiple entry points, fosters open exchange among colleagues, universities and industry

Samuel Doherty

The University of Newcastle, Australia

How a science communication competition changed my career path

To connect with scientists all over the world, hone your public speaking skills and improve public trust in science, a science communication competition could be the answer. Find out more here

Anna Christodoulou

University of Westminster

Man falling into laptop screen with numbers in cords in background

‘If you like, I can….?’ Why GenAI needs to come with a health warning

Warnings about the dependency-forming dynamics of GenAI are unlikely to change student behaviour, even as they fear its effects on their learning. So, educators need to help students recognise the engagement loops for themselves, writes Adrian Wallbank

Adrian J. Wallbank

Oxford Brookes University

Let’s build a higher education system that works for first-generation students

Higher education expects first-gen students to conform to a rigid structure that doesn’t suit their lives. Here’s how to offer flexibility instead

Jerid Counterman

Colorado State University Global

A mother on her laptop while her son plays next to her

Why flexibility is essential for accessible teaching

Rigid course structures can shut students out. Designing for flexibility helps ensure that those juggling work, care and study have a fair chance to succeed

Rocío Elizabeth Cortez Márquez

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Learner heterogeneity is now the norm in higher education

In an era of lifelong learning and reskilling, undergraduate cohorts include students balancing work, caregiving and studies across life stages. Flexibility should be a foundational design principle rather than an accommodation

Ivy Seow, Tamas Makany

Singapore Management University

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