Student engagement

Academics and university staff address what student engagement means to them and offer advice on boosting attendance, class participation and building a campus community.

Illustration of figures looking at barrier and arrow

The craft and politics of academic writing in the AI universe

Writing lecturers will not reach students by simply talking down artificial intelligence. A more effective approach involves embracing our expertise and engaging in the politics of resistance, says Jane Bottomley

Jane Bottomley

KTH Royal Institute of Technology

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

Blocks with heads and lightbulbs in an arc

What can the university sector learn from block teaching?

Once seen as a pedagogical experiment, the block plan is ready for its researchers and practitioners to move beyond self-examination and share their innovations with the wider higher education community, writes John Weldon

John Weldon

Victoria University

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

Monterrey Institute of Technology

Students working on a film treatment with a camera in hand

How an AI video competition can enhance student engagement

A competition tasking first-years with making explainer videos is boosting engagement, deepening understanding and giving students valuable hands-on AI experience. See how

Xi Chen

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Two people write on a whiteboard

Two heads are better than one: a practical guide to co-teaching

Co-teaching can benefit not only students and academics, but administrative staff as well. Here, Dinara Pisareva and Andrei Semenov explain how to find a compatible partner, plan and navigate when educators’ approaches diverge

Dinara Pisareva, Andrey Semenov

Nazarbayev University

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

A professor takes a question during a lecture

How to motivate students? The answer hasn’t changed

We all know how to motivate students – it’s putting theory into practice that’s the problem. Understanding how motivation works can help

Ian Taylor

Loughborough University

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

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

Multiracial group of students

Greeting first-year university students with ‘structured serendipity’

Students start university with a mix of excitement and uncertainty. Institutions should address that emotional landscape early – to help incoming cohorts adjust to newfound independence, discover what it takes to succeed academically and find their place to belong

Stephen Biscotte

Virginia Tech

A lecturer is illuminated by the stage lights

The lecture is dead – long live the performance

An electrifying lecture can still engage students and bring them together in a way ChatGPT can’t compete with. Discover the key elements of stagecraft and how to apply them to your lecture performances

Matthew Alford, Thommie Gillow

University of Bath

A student working on her laptop

Miro and GenAI as drivers of online student engagement

A set of practical strategies for transforming passive online student participation into visible, measurable and purposeful engagement through the use of Miro, enhanced by GenAI

Jaime Eduardo Moncada Garibay

CETYS Universidad

Students working on a COIL project in class

Five tips for running a successful COIL project

Discover ways to encourage collaboration, nurture curiosity and equip students with the skills they need to succeed in collaborative online learning projects

Gareth J. Williams, Glenn A. Williams

Nottingham Trent University

Students gather on campus for the first time

Connect new students through the three Ts: teams, talking and Telegram

Find out how to help new students build connections with their peers and communicate with their professors, using these three tips

Kenneth Wai-Ting Leung

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

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

A teacher engages with the class

Three strategies to get students back to the classroom

Students’ disengagement with in-person learning seems to be lingering far beyond the pandemic. Find out three ways to get them back to the classroom – physically, cognitively and emotionally

Henry T Y Fung

Hong Kong Baptist University

Group of Asian students looking at computer

Laying foundations: how to keep first-year students invested in their learning

The challenge for higher education foundation courses is to prepare students for university learning and build their confidence without overwhelming them with information. This guide explains how

Yeow Leong Lee

Singapore Management University

Deciding between AI and human intelligence

Managing student risk AI-version

Could a safe space to experiment with using artificial intelligence to complete an assessment offer students a path to both deeper learning and AI proficiency?

Chris Jones

Regent’s University London

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

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

A doorway with an "admissions" sign next to it

It starts with connection: rethinking the enrolment journey

The old enrolment model no longer fits today’s diverse student population. To truly support modern learners, universities must prioritise flexibility, empathy and trust over scripts and yield targets, writes Agnam Memeti

Agnam Memeti

DeVry University

Multiracial group of three university students

How student feedback and planning shape a high-impact orientation programme

Orientation week should not be about institutional formality but about human connection, writes Anusha Nataru. An engaging, effective programme requires careful pacing, warmth and inbuilt capacity to respond to student feedback

Anusha Nataru

Aditya University

A pair of hands scroll social media on a smartphone

Harness the powers of social media for learning

Replace mindless scrolling with little moments of learning by curating your social media feed. Here’s how

Norlin Nosbi, Nurul Azhani Yunus, Abdul Rahim Othman, Mazian Mohammad

Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP)

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

A video gamer with a headset on is seen from the back

A guide to embedding esports for employability

Competitive video gaming is growing – and its power could be harnessed in your classroom. Here’s how to integrate esports to foster transferable skills in students

Gavin Baxter

University of the West of Scotland

podcast graphic

Campus talks: using social media not as a tool but as a teacher in higher education

What can university educators learn about teaching and audience engagement from social media? Two experts – a psychologist and a professor of public relations – share strategies for connecting with students, finding wider audiences for niche research, and fighting misinformation

Peter Lovatt, Cayce Myers

Doctor Dance, Virginia Tech

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 headless person wearing a suit with a speech bubble for a head holding a phone

What can higher education learn from social media?

This collection explores how social media can be used to develop skills, shape pedagogy and foster online learning communities, as well as support academics in building their professional profiles and extending the reach of their research

Laura Duckett, Campus contributors

Campus

Diverse group of students on social media

Engaging and influencing learners in the digital age of higher education

Educators and influencers share a common goal: engagement. So, what strategies can university teachers take from social media platforms that have mastered the art of audience capture?

Riley A. Scott, Jaimee Stuart

The University of Southern Queensland , United Nations University Institute in Macau

Students using their phones

What social media can teach lecturers about student engagement

Apply insights from how social media captures attention to help students stay focused in class and motivated to learn

Natalie K. D. Seedan

The University of the West Indies

Young male student looking perplexed with mobile phone

Fighting falsehoods at the speed of the scroll

With students subjected to a steady stream of memes and manipulated narratives, teaching media literacy isn’t something university educators should do; it’s something they must. Cayce Myers offers advice for a misinformation age

Cayce Myers

Virginia Tech

Spotlight guide: Back to the basics of pedagogy

Back to the basics of pedagogy

Techniques and methods to enrich your teaching - and your students’ learning outcomes

Campus contributors

Campus

Four jigsaw puzzle pieces display a mortarbord

Five tips when embedding gamification in the classroom

Gamification and game-based learning can centre students in the learning experience and improve university enrolment rates. Here’s how to get started

Gustavo Espinoza Ramos , Gunter Saunders

University of Westminster

An abseiler catching a falling colleague

A proactive approach to retaining nursing students

Read about a multi-dimensional retention strategy designed to reduce nursing student attrition by combining data, feedback and early intervention

Rebekah Hill, Lorraine Randlesome, Rachel Lewis

The University of East Anglia

A collection of games

Go beyond play and engage students with game-based learning

Use the power of games and game elements to engage students in learning and deepen their understanding. Here’s how

Kenneth Wai-Ting Leung

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

A student zombie scrolling social media on his mobile phone

To combat ‘zombie scrolling’, integrate social media into your teaching

Transform Gen Z students from mindless scrollers to mindful scholars with this guide to maximising the features of each social media platform in university teaching and learning

Daniella Sieukaran

Dalhousie University

Young person using social media

Using social media to connect cohorts

A digital poster competition that encouraged comments on social media can spark conversations between under- and postgraduate students. Here’s how it works

Sam Perry , Robert Clarke, Lucy Mannie

University of Southampton

A science student struggles in a lab

The tough lessons that build resilience in forensic science students

To avoid causing students unnecessary harm when teaching sensitive topics, consider a trauma-informed approach. Carrie Mullen outlines how

Carrie Mullen

University of the West of Scotland

Young female student at laptop

Empowering academics for greater student success

Student success initiatives traditionally focus just on the students. Empowering academics with effective engagement tools opens another pathway for scaling up success

Kaylene Sampson

University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha

Two scholars discussing over laptop

Glad you asked: how feedback turns a library into a community of scholarship

Through active and passive efforts to obtain and respond to feedback, academic library professionals can optimise their services while maintaining a lean team

Leslie Sharp, Jason Wright

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

Illustration of bird released from cage

Get yourself unstuck: overthinking is boring and perfectionism is a trap

The work looks flawless, the student seems fine. But underneath, perfectionism is doing damage. David Thompson unpacks what educators can do to help high-performing students navigate the pressure to succeed and move from stuck to started

David Thompson

University of Lincoln

Black female student using tablet

The scroll, the soundbite and the seminar: where media habits meet teaching

Students are raised in a world of algorithms, scrolls and screens. This means educators have to meet them on their terms: visually, aurally and interactively. Cayce Myers explains

Cayce Myers

Virginia Tech

Students sit an exam in a classroom

Test students’ understanding, not their memory

Exams have become more about students’ ability to recall answers to questions asked in past papers rather than testing their understanding of the knowledge they gained. Here’s how to challenge their cognitive ability instead

Apurav Krishna Koyande

Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP)

Two women laugh together over a notebook

Business schools should go beyond the classroom for social impact

To meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals, business schools should consider hands-on community projects which also boost students' employability and give them a sense of purpose

Sobia Razzaq , Kumari Juddoo , Sheeja Sivaprasad , Sudha Mathew

University of Westminster

A teacher at the front of a class full of students

Just call me Alex! Why dropping the ‘professor’ could boost students’ confidence

When students are allowed to address teachers by their first name, it can calm nerves and encourage even the quietest voices to join the conversation

Multiple authors

The University of Edinburgh

Arms wave international flags

A practical guide to creating a linguistically inclusive classroom

Here’s how to embrace the cultural and linguistic perspectives of your students and prepare them to thrive in an interconnected world

Eilidh Singh, Amanda Wallace

Simon Fraser University

A group of students having a discussion in class

How to use think-pair-share to improve classroom discussions

Educators can modify the think-pair-share strategy to help students craft more detailed responses and take greater ownership of discussions. Learn how

Xingyi Ouyang

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

A student filming herself on her phone

The dos and don’ts of bite-sized social media content

Learn how to create honest and authentic content that showcases community and creates a sense of belonging – invaluable for both prospective and current students

Amy Edwards, Sarah Markillie

University of Chester

Students respectfully debate an issue in the classroom

Don’t fear conflict in the classroom: foster respectful discussion instead

How do we have meaningful conversations about divisive topics, while dealing with the emotions these debates may spark? Lea Sitkin outlines several strategies to give students the space to explore issues they care about

Lea Sitkin

University of Westminster