Higher education pedagogy

Learn more about pedagogy and how different theories of teaching and learning work across higher education. Here, academics offer insights into a variety of pedagogies, drawing on their own teaching experience alongside research, to provide practical advice on what instructional methods work best for different university contexts, disciplines and classes.

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Campus talks: why teaching with artificial intelligence is ‘like a giant field experiment’

THE Award-winning educationalist Jenny Moffett talks about using AI so it supports learning rather than risks deskilling students, dealing with uncertainty in the classroom and the value of boredom

Jenny Moffett

RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences

A sound artist surrounded by equipment in a studio

Blend individual and group work to build creative confidence

Combining collaborative accountability with personal ownership helps students take risks, navigate challenges and reflect more deeply, writes Dane Taylor

Dane Taylor

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

A smiling woman holds a red, heart-shaped helium balloon

Higher education needs to hold students' hearts, not hands

During times of financial constraint, don’t rush to define kindness to students as an unaffordable luxury. Instead, let’s change the way we think

Rachelle McKay

Dalhousie University

A student leaping from the exam hall into the real world

The evolution of authentic assessment in higher education

Practical advice on assessing students’ skills and application of learning in real-world, professional contexts

Campus contributors

Campus

Employees sitting at a long table in a boardroom

Try a ‘not by the book’ teaching approach for student-centred, industry-focused learning

By replacing classroom work and exams with real-world projects, educators build soft skills and foster industry partnerships that prepare students for dynamic careers

Marie Taillard

ESCP Business School

A snail on a laptop keyboard

Use GenAI to slow down and reflect more deeply

University staff are under pressure to produce more with less. But what if, instead of using GenAI to save time, we took a slower approach?

Sam Illingworth

Edinburgh Napier University

Students playing a table-top game

Use games to get students back to class

Gamified learning can transform passive teaching into engaging, student-centred experiences. Matthew Jones offers practical advice on creative delivery and scaling up

Matthew Jones

University of Salford

Three Asian men working on a robot

‘Adults bring experience and cognitive strengths to lifelong learning’

The science of adult learning provides a road map for strengths-based, age-inclusive programme design and helps turn classrooms into vibrant hubs of intergenerational learning

Sally Ng Siew Hiang, Adam John Privitera, Annabel Chen Shen-Hsing

Nanyang Technological University

Someone standing at a crossroad, unable to make a decision

Top business graduates lack one key skill – execution

Top-performing graduates often struggle with execution in the workplace. Educators can change that by designing learning exercises that hone decision-making skills and resilience

José Ignacio Sordo Galarza

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Woman asleep on a snail

What happened to creativity in the classroom?

When generative AI leads 150 students to submit the same ‘creative’ work, something is afoot in arts and humanities education. Here, Leah Henrickson and Luke Zaphir turn insights from cognitive science into ways to use AI to boost students’ creativity

Leah Henrickson, Luke Zaphir

The University of Queensland

Group of happy multiracial university students

Five considerations for effective group work

Why struggle through setting and assessing group tasks when this teaching approach can present considerable challenges around communication and conflict? These insights offer ways to design tasks that will benefit both educators and students

Donna Hurford, Andrew Read

University of Southern Denmark, London South Bank University

A studnet presenting to class

Sharpen public administration students’ critical analysis skills with ‘case memos’

Bridge theory and practice while developing students’ critical thinking through structured ‘case memos’ that foster reflection, discussion and theory-informed evaluation of local governance challenges

Adrian Man-Ho Lam

The University of Hong Kong

A library with a group of students having a discussion at a table

How to design learning experiences to heal division

How inclusive, collaborative learning can turn classrooms into trusting communities that leverage tension to promote learning and growth

Chiedza Mutsaka Skyum

Independent academic

A team of medics working together on a project

Interprofessional simulation in HE: three tips to help you get it right

Interprofessional simulation enables educators to deliver healthcare teaching and learning in immersive settings beyond the traditional classroom. Here are three ways to make it a success

Jon Newton

University of the West of England Bristol

Woman doing online education

Can transferable skills be taught in distance learning?

As workplaces are increasingly AI-integrated and hybrid, can teaching transferable skills – including body language – in a virtual learning environment, in some cases, offer a more authentic education experience?

Emilie Rutledge, Jonquil Lowe

The Open University

Pedagogical innovation concept

Beyond learning design: supporting pedagogical innovation in response to AI

To avoid an unwinnable game of catch-up with technology, universities must rethink pedagogical improvement that goes beyond scaling online learning

Charlotte von Essen

Stockholm School of Economics

Students listen to a lecture

Five ways to embed anti-racist pedagogy

With the race awarding gap widening, facilitating conversations about race between staff and students is crucial. Embedding anti-racist pedagogy in your classroom can pave the way – here’s how

Yaz Osho, Danielle Chavrimootoo

University of Westminster

Students working on a project together in class

How to test GenAI’s impact on learning

Rather than speculate on GenAI’s promise or peril, Thibault Schrepel suggests simple teaching experiments to uncover its actual effects

Thibault Schrepel

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

An unseen driver at the wheel of a car

From ‘sage on the stage’ to ‘guide on the side’

With GenAI, changing job markets and overprotective parenting shaping today’s learners, higher education must balance knowledge with fostering autonomy – without letting independence go too far, says Daniella Sieukaran

Daniella Sieukaran

Dalhousie University

Head made of cogs and jigsaw puzzle piece

Assessment tasks that support human skills

Assignments that focus on exploration, analysis and authenticity offer a road map for university assessment that incorporates AI while retaining its rigour and human elements

Amir Ghapanchi, Afrooz Purarjomandlangrudi

Victoria University

Motivation spotlight image

How to motivate students and staff in higher education

Advice for faculty to find and maintain the motivation that they, and their students, need to progress in their work and learning

Campus contributors, Eliza Compton

Campus

Students having a debate in class

From clashing egos to compassionate debate in the classroom

By reframing debates as opportunities to build resilience, empathy and self-confidence, educators can help students strengthen relationships and develop lifelong skills for well-being and personal development

Elisa González

CETYS Universidad

Young male teaching assistant with two college students

Motivation by design: faculty-led strategies for learning that matters

Apps or algorithms alone won’t drive the students of the future to learn. Rather, it will be faculty domain expertise that aligns with how they think, work and learn. Margaret Ellis explains how to design learning for student motivation

Margaret Ellis

Virginia Tech

A lecturer speaks to a group wearing a microphone headset

Six thinkers and five tips to reimagine business education

Reach beyond traditional business models and take inspiration from sociology, philosophy and educational theory for a well-rounded, resilient approach to business education

Lakshmi Goel, Yassine El Bouchikhi

Al Akhawayn University

Female college students working together in class

Old-fashioned methods to circumvent student overuse of AI? Maybe

Higher education teaching faculty are exploring the use of old-school teaching and testing methods to prevent students from using artificial intelligence during exams and for homework. Is this a good idea? Cayce Myers takes a deep dive

Cayce Myers

Virginia Tech

A student on her laptop

How to boost student motivation and engagement in virtual classrooms

Practical strategies – from clear communication and visual resources to community building and inclusive pedagogy – to help educators foster participation and motivation in digital learning

Adela Vega Guerra, Angeles Carolina Aguirre-Acosta

Tecnológico de Monterrey

A class full of students from behind, with one raising their hand to answer a question

Beyond grades: rethinking student motivation in the GenAI era

Discover inclusive, creative and sustainable strategies, from playful learning and visual tools to culturally relevant teaching and co-created assessments, to better motivate today’s students

Yusra Siddiqui , Alison Hill

The University of Exeter

Teams that include AI agents and humans

How should universities teach leadership now that teams include humans and autonomous AI agents?

Trust and leadership style are emerging as key aspects of teambuilding in the age of AI. Here are ways to integrate these considerations with technology in teaching

Alex Zarifis

University of Southampton

University students working on a group project

Four simple steps to running a successful team task

In this video, Lauren Vicker and Tim Franz explain the key stages and considerations to help university educators run more effective group projects

Lauren Vicker, Tim Franz

St. John Fisher University

Illustration of groups of students

What comes next for the block model in university teaching?

Six critical challenges face higher education institutions that have adopted block planning for their teaching schedules as the approach matures and expands globally, writes John Weldon

John Weldon

Victoria University

Two students working on a laptop together

From static to dynamic: how a Moodle plugin makes tutorials more interactive

Transforming quizzes from static assessments into live learning tools, JazzQuiz enables real-time feedback, anonymous participation and adaptive teaching, fostering deeper engagement, dialogue and understanding

Ying Feng

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

A group of professionals shaking hands

How can we teach students about social value?

Students increasingly expect universities to reflect their social conscience. Business schools must go beyond profit-focused teaching, embedding social value, impact measurement and experiential learning, says Robert A. Phillips

Robert A. Phillips

The University of Manchester

Steps from teaching to leadership

Taking pedagogy to the provost’s office

The skills that make effective teachers – adaptability, empathy, presence and reflection – also shape impactful university leaders. Here, Bill Owen shares leadership lessons he learned in the classroom

William J. Owen

University of Northern British Columbia

Young male student looking thoughtfully at a laptop

Solving the soft skills crisis using artificial intelligence

Employers seek transferable skills such as communication and cultural awareness, but how can universities translate these aspirations into meaningful, scalable learning experiences for students? AI personas offer possibilities

Kieran Williamson

University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha

AI in education

Faced with GenAI, educators’ engagement capacity matters more than ever

As universities prepare students for a future shaped by GenAI, the challenge is to use technology as a co-pilot while fostering skills that AI cannot replace: critical thinking, creativity and ethical reasoning

Thomas Menkhoff

Singapore Management University

Students on laptops in a classroom

A scaffolded approach to teaching with GenAI

As GenAI continues to reshape higher education, this four-phase framework by Rena Beatrice Alcalay offers educators ways to guide students to use these tools critically and ethically, fostering agency, bias awareness and deeper engagement in philosophical writing assignments

Rena Beatrice Alcalay

Technical University of Munich

A teacher talks with students

Five ways to centre faculty development at your university

Teaching quality can be an institution’s biggest asset, improving student retention and boosting reputation. So why not move faculty development to the centre of institutional strategy?

Salah Al-Majeed, Hayat El Asri

Al Akhawayn University

UC Earth Science Garden at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand

How a campus garden is tackling declining 3D spatial skills in geoscience students

Making geology more tangible can spark curiosity in the field and help students learn the skills needed to address global issues such as climate change, resource management and natural hazards. Kate Pedley walks through an interactive garden

Katherine Pedley

University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha

Young Asian woman on a bike

Why slowness is a superpower in creative education

Good ideas often appear in the quiet moments we don’t count as work. David Thompson argues for protecting incubation time and for helping students rediscover the value of disconnection

David Thompson

University of Lincoln

Spotlight guide: Make mental health a university priority

Make good mental health a university priority

With poor mental health now rife across higher education, what can be done to create a supportive campus environment that strengthens well-being and resilience among university students and staff?

Laura Duckett, Campus contributors

Campus

Two language students reading a physical document

Content is king in EAP teaching

Content-based instruction is reshaping English for academic purposes teaching by making subject matter central to language learning. Garth Elzerman and Catherine Sari share four strategies for creating deeper, more purposeful engagement in the classroom

Garth Elzerman, Catherine Sari

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

An image representing the inner workings of the human brain

‘We must replace critical thinking with intuitive critical thinking’

Developing students’ basic critical thinking skills is not enough – intuitive critical thinking is needed in order to expand cognitive capabilities and understand real-world issues, explains Patrik K. Meyer

Patrik K. Meyer

University of Zurich

Critical thinking spotlight graphic

Critical thinking in teaching and research

Practical strategies and advice for university educators and researchers to develop and teach the skills to analyse, evaluate, understand and communicate knowledge in an information-saturated world

Eliza Compton, Campus contributors

Campus

Critical thinking concept

Teaching critical thinking is not enough – we must design for and assess it, too

Students are often told to think critically, but they need to be shown how – and evaluated on it. To truly embed critical thinking in higher education, educators must align teaching, assessment and expectations from the ground up

Nicole Pitterson

Virginia Tech

A university student standing outside a campus building

Four ways to help students develop critical thinking skills

Students’ success increasingly depends on their ability to demonstrate critical thinking and research skills. Here are four ways to help them develop these complex abilities through effective data analysis training and course design

Justin Fendos

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

A student raising his hand in class

How to get students asking better questions

Better questions can spark deeper discussions, boost engagement and develop critical thinking. These practical strategies – from questioning frameworks to encouraging peer review and self-directed assessment – can build a more curious, enquiry-driven classroom

Gareth Owen

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Black male student looking thoughtfully at laptop screen

When AI asks: ‘Why?’ and facilitates critical thinking

Chatbots can be used at scale to mimic the Socratic method in university assessment and guide students to reflect on their thinking and reasoning process

Meryem Yilmaz Soylu

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

The 741 op-amp, circa 1968

‘Design is what industry demands of our engineering graduates’

By shifting focus from analysis to design, educators not only better align electronics engineering education with industry needs but also ignite students’ creativity and problem-solving capabilities, writes Ji-Jon Sit

Ji-Jon Sit

Nanyang Technological University

Robot human hands in high five

Beyond the buzz: how AI can be a coach, not a competitor, in the university classroom

Placing teaching tasks along a spectrum between AI and human strengths can help university educators make use of the best of both worlds

Meena Jha, Michael Cowling, Josiah Koh, Kwong Nui Sim

Central Queensland University, RMIT University, Western Sydney University

A woman studying at her laptop

(Re)learning critical reading in the age of GenAI

Rather than pretending students can – or even should – avoid GenAI to become critical readers, we need to develop their critical reading skills so they can successfully interrogate AI-produced materials

Brendan Carey

The University of Exeter