Feature article

Microaggressions are often shrugged off due to lack of intent, but intent and impact are very different

So you don’t think microaggressions have an impact?

Microaggressions are often shrugged off by perpetrators because of a supposed lack of intent. But intent and impact are very different indeed, says rashné limki

rashné limki

The University of Edinburgh

Teaching visually impaired students – and making class materials more accessible for everyone at the same time

From stating names before speaking to using an accessibility checker and sharing class materials in advance, Hannah Thompson offers six tips for ensuring an inclusive learning environment

Hannah Thompson

Royal Holloway, University of London

Cybersecurity is getting better at universities but they all need to do more

Cybersecurity remains a critical issue that universities must face

Statistics show that universities are getting better at defending against and preparing for cyberattacks, but much more needs to be done, says Heidi Fraser-Krauss

Heidi Fraser-Krauss

Jisc

Advice on intentionally welcoming diverse students into the digital classroom

The educator’s imperative: creating intentional inclusivity in the digital classroom

Building an inclusive online learning environment requires more than just having the right technology – it’s about welcoming your students into the classroom, says Willie Wilborn

Willie Wilborn

DeVry University

Do EDI kitemarks provide any real protection for female academics subjected to online abuse?

Do EDI kitemarks help protect female researchers from online abuse?

While they allow institutions to claim commitment to gender equality, kitemarks do little to challenge them on their actual policies, say Andy Phippen and Emma Bond

Andy Phippen, Emma Bond

Bournemouth University, University of Suffolk

Advice on supporting students to manage and overcome culture shock after arriving at university

Taking the shock out of culture shock: helping international students navigate transitions, part two

Inga Ackermann shares advice on helping students manage and overcome culture shock after their arrival at a university overseas or far from home

Inga Ackermann

The University of Edinburgh

Watch parties are a variation on the flipped learning model used in universities

In praise of the ‘watch party’ – an update to the flipped learning model

Many new students struggle with the amount of self-directed learning at university. Perhaps it’s time to introduce watch parties, say Emily Nordmann and Carolina Kuepper-Tetzel

Emily Nordmann, Carolina Kuepper-Tetzel

University of Glasgow

Advice on using top-down and bottom-up approaches to create a collaborative staff training programme

Fostering collaboration in staff training through a top-down and bottom-up approach

Gustavo Espinoza-Ramos explains how pairing top-down and bottom-up approaches to staff development can promote collaborative learning among university staff at all levels

Gustavo Espinoza Ramos

University of Westminster

Making university campuses and courses more compassionate will lead to better student outcomes

How to make campuses and courses more compassionate

Telling students that you’ve considered their well-being in organisational culture and curriculum design can in itself bolster confidence, says Louise Lawrence

Louise Lawrence

The University of Exeter

Advice on university strategies for civic engagement

How to be a civic university: lessons in collaborating with local communities

Deborah Bull outlines how institutions can make their civic duties a strategic priority, developing mutually beneficial partnerships with local communities and organisations

Deborah Bull

King’s College London

Should universities follow the lead of business and think about demolishing hierarchy

Should we do away with hierarchy in higher education?

I’ve found myself questioning whether a holacratic system, in which there are no managers or leaders, would work in universities, says Aspasia Eleni Paltoglou

Aspasia Eleni Paltoglou

Manchester Metropolitan University

Higher education must face up to and answer some difficult questions over how it deals with mental health

Three big mental health questions that academia must talk about

A reckoning with how we handle mental health in higher education is long overdue, says June Gruber

June Gruber

The University of Colorado Boulder

Advice on delivering engaging and interactive tutorials

A guide to running engaging and interactive tutorials

Adrian Lam shares useful tips for how tutors can create engaging and interactive tutorials for students that maximise learning outcomes

Adrian Man-Ho Lam

The University of Hong Kong

Empty desks and chairs in classroom illustrating classroom design

Returning to on-campus classrooms – are they fit for purpose?

Gunter Saunders explains why classroom design must take technology into account in facilitating active, student-centred learning

Gunter Saunders

University of Westminster

Beware the academic undead this Halloween

Fear the zombie student apocalypse

Andy Farnell argues that non-assessed courses could free universities, and the academic undead, from increasing spiritual depletion and a lifeless pursuit of certificates

Andy Farnell

Visiting professor

Online and blended learning must be stepped up to deliver equitable learning as part of the new "metaverse" that university students will come to expect

The educational ‘metaverse’ is coming

The universities best equipped with digital infrastructure and savvy human resources will emerge as the new leaders − no matter where they are, says Kwang Hyung Lee

Kwang Hyung Lee

Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)

Advice on supporting innovation in teaching practices among faculty

How can we support innovation in teaching practices within universities?

As the inaugural director of her university’s ‘education incubator’, Sarah Dyer shares insight on supporting teaching innovation among your faculty

Sarah Dyer

The University of Exeter

Universities are creating pre-prepared, fully complete courses called shells

How I stopped worrying and learned to embrace pre-prepared courses

I was shocked when first told I had to teach a ‘shell’ prepared by a colleague a few years ago, but I’m actually growing from the experience, says George Justice

George Justice

Arizona State University

Megaphone shouting. Researchers at universities must overcome the struggle with self-promotion

Researchers: fight back against your struggle with self-promotion

Postdoc or professor, the self-promotion struggle is real. So, how can we promote ourselves without sounding too ‘sales-y’? Emma Williams has the answers

Emma Williams

EJW Solutions

Advice on getting students thinking about and preparing for their future careers

Preparing students for an uncertain future through career planning

Lessons in engaging students in future career planning and preparation as part of their university studies, shared by Stephen Warrington, Katherine Cameron and Matt Vickers

Stephen Warrington, Katherine Cameron , Matt Vickers

The University of Edinburgh

After spending my entire career climbing the university career ladder, I'm now wondering what's next

I’ve successfully climbed the academic career ladder − now what?

Having spent my entire career trying to get to where I am now, I’m working out how to slow down and seize the opportunities ahead, says Lucas Lixinski

Lucas Lixinski

UNSW Sydney

Advice on teaching trends sparked by the growth of ed-tech

Two ed-tech trends that educators should watch for

The growth of ed-tech has sparked fresh approaches to teaching. Here, Vikas Nand Kumar Batheja shares two teaching trends worthy of educators’ attention

Vikas Nand Kumar Batheja

Capital University College

Tempting back adults who left college early without a degree could be key to higher education's recovery

Re-engaging adult learners is key to a sustainable HE recovery

Winning back those who left college without a degree will be key in reversing the declines of the past year, say Kai Drekmeier and Amanda Winters

Kai Drekmeier, Amanda Winters

InsideTrack, National Governors Association

Advice on how to effectively bring co-creation with students into your teaching practices

Co-creating with students: practical considerations and approaches

Stacy Katz explains how to develop meaningful learning experiences by collaborating with students, rather than determining for them

Stacy Katz

Lehman College CUNY

Mindfulness education at university goes beyond pedagogy

It’s past time for a serious appraisal of mindfulness education

True mindfulness education goes beyond pedagogy and improving learning outcomes – it is a holistic approach for developing students and staff, says Christine Rivers

Christine Rivers

University of Surrey

Sustainability modules can be crucial for universities

The dos and don’ts of creating a large-scale sustainability module

Rachel Lander, Sylvia Snijders and Gustavo Espinoza Ramos discuss lessons learned from creating a sustainability module that’s taken by 600-plus students per year

Rachel Lander, Sylvia Snijders , Gustavo Espinoza Ramos

University of Westminster

Advice on creating short online courses that help drive progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals

Three steps to designing online learning that supports a sustainable future

Lizzy Garner-Foy offers practical guidance on how to plan, design and develop open, accessible online learning materials that support work towards the SDGs

Lizzy Garner-Foy

The University of Edinburgh

Students are demanding action from higher education universities on climate change now

Students demand action on the climate crisis now – not later

COP26 is the world’s best – and perhaps last – chance to get runaway climate change under control, and to reach net zero HE needs to act swiftly, says Manveer Gill

Manveer Gill

Climate Commission for UK Higher and Further Education

Advice on developing advice resources in the form of short videos for students

Creating advice videos to help students and support your teaching

Nicholas Morton tackles five basic questions about creating advice videos designed to help students easily source guidance and information when they need it

Nicholas Morton

It is incumbent upon university leaders to create diverse and inclusive communities and curricula

Fellow vice-chancellors, we must lead the charge on equality

It’s incumbent on us all to ensure our universities offer inclusive and diverse settings in which anyone, regardless of their background, can flourish, says Craig Mahoney

Craig Mahoney

University of the West of Scotland

Advice on using online tools to teach students about sustainability

Supporting student action on sustainability

Students want opportunities to develop skills and knowledge to address sustainability issues. Matthew Lawson describes how sustainability can be embedded into the student experience

Matthew Lawson

The University of Edinburgh

Lighthouse illustrating thought leadership

How thought leadership can build your institution’s reputation online

Will Harvey explains how institutions can use research proactively to enhance the perception of their capabilities and character

Will Harvey

The University of Exeter

Sustainability needs to be taught but also embraced by universities as students become ever more concerned

Prepare for student sustainability demands to go through the roof

Students will be the driving force behind universities finally being held accountable and made to practise what they preach on climate change, says Andreas Kaplan

Andreas Kaplan

ESCP Business School

Race tends to come behind gender when it comes to university work on equality

Competing hierarchies of oppression: why is race a lower priority?

Gender is often given priority in HE because it’s seen as a universal concern that affects all women, but this ignores racism within gender equality work, says Kalwant Bhopal

Kalwant Bhopal

University of Birmingham

Advice on why and how teaching using your voice only can be effective to reach remote students

How to teach online with voice only

Yutthana Srisavat explains why and how he adapted his teaching to instruct using just his voice via a messenger app, as a way to keep classes accessible to remote students

Yutthana Srisavat

Siam University

International students needs careers advice too

Don’t forget that international students need careers support too

Just 2 per cent of international students find jobs through UK universities’ careers services – a big failure given their economic input, says Alexis Brown

Alexis Brown

Higher Education Policy Institute

Advice on using films to support your teaching

Using films to encourage reflection and critical thinking in your teaching

Noam Schimmel shares advice on how to leverage the pedagogical and emotive power of films to support your teaching

Noam Schimmel

University of California, Berkeley

Research backed advice on managing different national cultures to encourage engagement with learning technology

How does national culture affect the adoption of learning technology?

Na Li, Xiaojun Zhang and Maria Limniou offer tips to counter the hidden cultural and social factors that reduce acceptance of virtual learning environments, based on their research

Na Li, Xiaojun Zhang, Maria Limniou

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Universities should offer master's-level students the opportunity to gain research experience

So you want a novel way to support untapped research talent?

There’s great scope for the sector to offer research development opportunities to taught postgraduate students, says John McKendrick

John McKendrick

Glasgow Caledonian University

Advice on using productive failure to activate deeper learning

Using productive failure to activate deeper learning

Manu Kapur explains how using a flipped-classroom approach, setting students problems that they are unable to tackle properly until they have been taught the associated concepts, deepens their learning through ‘productive failure’

Manu Kapur

ETH Zurich

Community colleges are at the forefront of work-related study

Community colleges are the front line for workforce innovation

As bachelor’s-granting institutions grow ever more focused on employability, there’s much they can learn from community colleges, say Vicki Karolewics and Bharani Rajakumar

Vicki Karolewics , Bharani Rajakumar

Wallace State Community College, TRANSFR

Universities' conventional, top-down approach fails to recognise that working adults often already possess many critical work skills

Now is the time to design a system in which all learning counts

Our conventional, top-down approach fails to recognise that working adults often already possess many critical work skills, say Lisa McIntyre-Hite and Mackenzie Jackson

Lisa McIntyre-Hite, Mackenzie Jackson

Guild Education

Peer to peer feedback, as used by the Bronte Sisters, is a crucial tool for improving writing skills in university students

If peer feedback was good enough for the Brontë sisters, it’s good enough for us

The shift online provides new ways to harness the power of peer feedback to improve writing skills, say Sherry Wynn Perdue, Pam Bromley, Mark Limbach and Jonathan Olshock

Sherry Wynn Perdue, Pam Bromley, Mark Limbach, Jonathan Olshock

Oakland University, Scripps College, Peerceptiv

Stanford University illustrating article about terminology for teaching and research in the US

Coming to terms with terminology: the basics of university teaching and research in the US

Looking to teach or do research in America? Angela Douglas explains the basic terms, acronyms and structures of US academia to ensure everyone is speaking the same language

Angela Douglas

Cornell University

In the new normal we might forget the technology and focus on motivating human beings again

Forget the tech – in the new normal, let’s focus on human beings

The key to making learning effective, now and in the post-pandemic world, is focusing on motivation, says Grace McCarthy

Grace McCarthy

University of Wollongong

UK universities have their heads in the sand when it comes to student addiction and recovery

UK universities have their heads in the sand on student addiction

Isolation and shame pose big risks to recovery from addiction problems, yet on-campus support programmes are rare in the UK, say Suzi Gage and Shahroo Izadi

Suzi Gage, Shahroo Izadi

University of Liverpool

Microsoft Teams can be a useful tool for the modern university academic

Creating a virtual research centre ecosystem using Microsoft Teams

To the busy academic, it may seem like yet another system to learn. But Amy Conley Wright and Betty Luu explain how a team-working platform can aid communication long after the pandemic

Amy Conley Wright, Betty Luu

University of Sydney

The power divide between universities in the Global North and Global South makes equitable partnerships impossible

Equal research partnerships are a myth – but we can change that

The movement for decolonising universities should also be applied to research ‘partnerships’ and their unequal balance of power, say Faith Mkwananzi and Melis Cin

Faith Mkwananzi , Melis Cin

University of the Free State, Lancaster University

The secret to success as a researcher at universities is the ability to manage people

Want to get on in research? You need to manage people effectively

From supervisors to friends and family, the key to success is organising the people around you, says Ellie King

Ellie King

The University of Warwick

Universities and higher education need to do a better job of preparing students for the workplace

How higher education can do better at developing skills for the workplace

Universities must do more to nurture enduring skills that can be transferred across different contexts such as critical thinking, problem-solving and communication, says Ben Nelson

Ben Nelson

Zayed University

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