Feature article

Awaken your students’ interest in your online course

Are you struggling to motivate students in your online class? Angeles Carolina Aguirre-Acosta provides strategies to generate greater motivation and participation

Angeles Carolina Aguirre-Acosta

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Image depicting the need for the public to understand evidence and fact

How to improve the public understanding of evidence

The ability to critically analyse information and differentiate fact from fiction is a skill needed far beyond higher education. So how can academics trained in evaluating evidence engage the wider public in this important process?

Rebecca Dewey

University of Nottingham, Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN)

How universities should tackle EDI and anti-racism work

How to support EDI work at departmental and institutional level

Yaz Osho explains how universities can translate a stated commitment to EDI and anti-racist work into practical, operational delivery

Yaz Osho

University of Westminster

Image representing critical analysis of research

Great citations: how to avoid referencing questionable evidence

Researchers don’t always stick to careful citation practices and occasionally cite evidence that has been questioned or even retracted. Find practical tips on how to avoid citing faulty evidence and maintain good citation hygiene

Dmitry Malkov

Elsevier

Anxious students can be helped in the university classroom by using tech and empathy

Using tech (and a little empathy) to help anxious students

Amber Phillips shares some high- and low-tech tips for supporting anxious students and improving inclusivity in the post-pandemic physical classroom

Amber Phillips

University of the West of England Bristol

Image depicting barriers to digital access

How to improve digital accessibility at your institution

Actions institutions can take to improve the digital accessibility of their websites and online materials and comply with relevant legislation, by Baba Sheba

Baba Sheba

St George’s, University of London

The rise and rise of the lecture-tainer

Falling class attendance and shorter student attention spans present challenges for university teachers. Sandi Mann offers advice for tackling the boredom conundrum

Sandi Mann

University of Central Lancashire

Academics and students should not require rhino-thick skin to succeed

Being inclusive also means remembering not everyone has rhino-thick skin

The way we give feedback, from the undergraduate essay right through to peer review, provides opportunities to unconsciously exclude people, says Hugh Kearns

Hugh Kearns

Flinders University

The evolving meaning of ‘corresponding authorship’ in research

How the role of the corresponding author is changing in terms of research team dynamics and the perception of its meaning, and the implications for assuming the role

Rachel Herbert, Alison McIntosh

Elsevier, University of St Andrews

Outside in: use your students’ curiosity to invigorate your teaching

Breaking up the classroom routine with field trips and visiting experts is an essential teaching tool. Here’s how university educators can use physical and virtual resources to make lessons more engaging

M. C. Zhang, Aliana Leong

Macau University of Science and Technology

An exciting project to guide students to cultural self-definition

Everyone, at some point, experiences conflicting representations of their culture. Stone Meredith explains how to explore those conflicts in your classroom

Stone Meredith

Colorado State University Global

Animation showing students working together to answer a question

Tech tools that boost student engagement through competition and interaction

Digital tools that promote interaction and competition in class can have notable benefits to learning, as Yuyang Zhao explains, based on her use of quizzes

Yuyang Zhao

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Using comic books can be a great way to teach complex topics to university students

Picture this! Teaching difficult concepts through comics

David Brown and Mark Giancaspro explain how they use visualisation to maximise engagement and student success when teaching complex topics

Mark Giancaspro , David Brown

Adelaide University

The role of peer mentoring in the design and development of online learning

Peer mentoring is an effective way to support faculty in the development and delivery of quality online courses. Jonathan Muir explains when and how best to use it

Jonathan Muir

University of Leeds

Yes, online learning can teach you to think

The idea that online learning ‘doesn’t teach people to think’, which was suggested by one of our peers recently, is short-sighted and false

Valerie Wood, Laura Shannon

Queen's University

Image showing one person striding off with a crowd following

Build your teaching presence to better engage students

A strong ‘presence’ in the classroom can help imbue students with a passion for your subject and willingness to learn. Catherine Wehlburg explores simple ways to enhance teaching presence

Catherine Wehlburg

Athens State University

Peer review is frustrating and flawed – here’s how we can fix it

What would peer review 2.0 look like? Mark Humphries offers ways to optimise the process for better efficiency and research outcomes

Mark Humphries

University of Nottingham

Academic research and publishing can be difficult to navigate for early career researchers

Are you ready to publish? Top tips on how to prepare your manuscript

From explaining the publishing cycle to outlining what makes a strong manuscript, Jing Tang walks ECRs through key steps when preparing to publish for the first time

Jing Tang

Elsevier

A student watching a lecture online at home

Strategies to motivate students in asynchronous learning

The self-directed nature of asynchronous learning makes it easy for students to disengage. Guhuai Jiang and Jiayu Zhou offer strategies that boost students’ motivation when working on their own

Guhuai Jiang , Jiayu Zhou

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

What is tenure in higher education – and how to get it

For many scholars, permanent employment is the light at the end of a years-long tunnel. Here, Henry Reichman explains the US tenure system and why it is key to protecting academic freedom

Henry Reichman

California State University, East Bay

Russia’s intellectual isolation presents opportunities for Central Asian HE

Major universities in this region are now uniquely positioned to build new international partnerships with academic institutions that have lost access to Russia

Daniel Scarborough

Nazarbayev University

Image of medical students being taught using a mannequin patient

Assessing science students’ practical skills – can we learn from healthcare education?

Healthcare educators have developed effective ways to assess a range of practical skills in their learners. What can other science educators learn from their example?

Derek Scott

University of Aberdeen

The US should admit Ukrainian medical students to help them rebuild their country

A caveat for recipients of such aid would be committing to moving back to Ukraine to practise after they have completed their studies

David Lenihan

Ponce Health Sciences University

Young woman pushing an older woman along in a wheelchair

An invisible minority: what is needed to support students with caring responsibilities

Students with caring responsibilities in the UK have no joined-up support. Jessica Iyamu and Ellie Brown make a call for policies to provide consistent help across all universities for this overlooked group

Jessica Iyamu, Ellie Brown

University Campus North Lincolnshire (UCNL)

socio-emotional learning, juggling emotions

Make social-emotional learning part of teaching: it’s easier than you think

These practical, achievable tips show how to incorporate social-emotional learning into everyday educational practices

Sasha Lynn, Alexandra Osika, Annemaree Carroll

The University of Queensland

Leverage students' eco-anxiety to drive change

Embrace students’ eco-anxiety to spur critical and systemic climate action

Luis Gerardo Rojas Solorio gives tips on how to leverage and assuage your students’ eco-anxiety, using fun games and discussions, in order to drive change

Luis Gerardo Rojas Solorio

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Image depicting the use of technology to support teaching strategies

Use technology to hook students’ interest when teaching online

Used strategically, technology can be employed to make teaching more entertaining and engaging. Luqian Huang shares examples of how to use digital tools to support effective pedagogies

Luqian Huang

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

A human paper chain representing how university leaders must come together to tackle inequity

How leaders can and must work together to address inequity

Leading by example and striking the right balance between competition and collaboration are crucial points for those hoping to lead HE to a more equitable future

Charles Egbu

Leeds Trinity University

Image showing data processing and analytics

Foundations to lay when teaching computational and data skills

Traditional teaching in data analysis focuses on statistics and visualisation but an emphasis on foundational data and computational skills is needed to prepare students to work with real data, explains Philip Leftwich

Philip Leftwich

The University of East Anglia

Business schools must play a part in helping solve the world's most pressing issues

Business schools must play their part in supporting those fleeing Ukraine

As providers of education that sits at the interface of industry and academia, the onus is on business schools to step up during times of crisis

Mary Meaney , Celia Moore , Marina Moncayola Lobato

Imperial College London

Decolonising your learning resources: representation matters

Find out what steps can be taken to review your learning resources from an anti-racism lens and why this is important for both ethnic minority and white students

Musarrat Maisha Reza, Amy McEwan, Emily Calvo-Hobbs

The University of Exeter

Learning can be an emotional roller coaster: how can we help our students (and ourselves) enjoy the ride?

Emotions can help and hinder learning. These practical, evidence-based strategies can help teachers understand and engage student emotions for better outcomes

Stephanie MacMahon, Alexandra Osika, Annemaree Carroll

The University of Queensland

Say goodbye to bored students

Boredom is the enemy of learning. Educators can minimise it, increase student engagement and allow deep learning to take place with these practical tips

Amanda Bourgeois, Alexandra Osika, Annemaree Carroll

The University of Queensland

Image showing a woman sitting alone surrounded by chatting groups

What can your university do to combat student loneliness?

Five practical steps universities can take to reduce student loneliness and provide better mental health support

Georgia Wheadon

Umii

Designing activities for hybrid learning can be difficult without following the correct steps

The 7 steps for designing activities in hybrid courses

When planning a hybrid course, a main concern is how to design the activities in this still relatively unfamiliar format

Laura Patricia Zepeda Orantes

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Illustration of heads with lightbulb and leaves, mentorship

Ten platinum rules for PhD supervisors

Is it time to add PhD supervision to your skill set? Tara Brabazon explains the pitfalls, challenges and rewards of this key academic role for the rookie mentor

Tara Brabazon

Flinders University

Original essays written in seconds: how ‘transformers’ will change assessment

Artificial intelligence that generates original text will be both empowering and disruptive for students and higher education at large, say Mike Sharples and Rafael Pérez y Pérez

Mike Sharples , Rafael Pérez y Pérez

The Open University, Metropolitan Autonomous University

Image of teaching staff enjoying a chat over a coffee

How to cultivate learning communities among university teaching staff

Creating a professional learning community among front-line teaching staff can be a big help when implementing new curricula. Adrian Lam presents some ways to do so

Adrian Man-Ho Lam

The University of Hong Kong

Image of students arm in arm forming a united front

Six steps to improve access to UK higher education for displaced students

People who have fled war and persecution often face barriers to continuing their studies in the UK. Here are six ways universities can help to improve access

Siobhán Coskeran

Student Action for Refugees (STAR)

Living an interesting life over the summer can help teachers be creative in the classroom

The summer life of a teacher can be a boon for creativity in the classroom

For me, what makes a teacher interesting in the classroom is proportional to what interests them outside it, says Zachary Michael Jack

Zachary Michael Jack

North Central College

Woman at a laptop holding temples with stress

Women in academia are doing too much non-promotable work – and that has to stop

The No Club shares advice for women about how to spend their time at work, how to change the environment to stop saddling women with unrewarded work, and prioritise the tasks that get noticed

Linda Babcock, Brenda Peyser, Lise Vesterlund, Laurie Weingart

Carnegie Mellon University , University of Pittsburgh

A formula one team represents university collaboration to support refugee students

Simple ways universities can collaborate to bring more refugees into higher education

There’s strength in numbers when it comes to meeting the unique learning and support needs of refugee students

Rebecca Granato

Bard College

Helping quiet students find their voice will benefit the entre university class

Getting the quiet students to talk helps everyone

Often the quiet students have the most insightful ideas but won’t share them for fear of speaking in public. Here are some tips on building their confidence and voice

David Cheng

Australian National University

A remote student working in a group with other students via an online meeting

Lessons in helping remote students obtain practical work experience

Universities face obstacles in helping distance learners access practical work experience. Ewout van der Schaft and Alex Mackrell share insight from initiatives at their business school

Ewout van der Schaft, Alex Mackrell

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

The role of complementary higher education pathways for refugees

Education has emerged as a pathway to sustainable resettlement for displaced people but establishing programmes requires leaders to overcome considerable challenges

Manal Stulgaitis , Gül İnanç

UNHCR, The University of Auckland

Running a diverse team is harder work but the rewards are immense

Running a diverse team is harder work – but the rewards are immense

John Womersley managed more than 50 nationalities on a €3 billion science project. Here, he reflects on the experience and gives tips on getting the most out of a diverse team

John Womersley

University of Oxford

Image of two people at a refugee volunteer centre working online

Education for humanity: designing learner-centric solutions for refugee students

Key tenets to successfully, and sustainably, designing university initiatives that support refugee learners around the globe using digital resources, based on five years of running the Education for Humanity initiative at Arizona State University

Nicholas Sabato, Joanna Zimmerman

Arizona State University

Academics must take personal responsibility for closing the awarding gap

Three immediate changes academics can make to close awarding gaps

Tutors have a responsibility to identify and bridge attainment gaps in their programmes and must work proactively to bring about positive impact for their students

Dean Fido, Louise Wallace

University of Derby

Image showing two academics working together on a grant proposal

A guide to writing grant proposals

To write a successful grant proposal, academics need to focus on the relevant details that will help sell their research idea to the reviewer and this requires a shift of mindset, as Kaycie Butler explains

Kaycie Butler

Butler Science Communications

Illustration of online and blended learning

A course design method to aid the transition to quality blended learning

To adapt traditional teaching techniques to a blended learning model educators must apply effective instructional design processes that harness technology to support the pedagogy and access to teaching materials, as Nelcy Natalia Atehortua Sanchez and Juan Sebastian Blandon Luengas explain

Nelcy Natalia Atehortua Sanchez, Juan Sebastian Blandon Luengas

Technological University of Uruguay (UTEC)

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