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Feature article

Magnifying-glass-over-scrambled-block-letters

Streamline your research using academic search engines

Specialist search engines can put the most relevant literature at your fingertips, but which is the best one for you, and how can you optimise your searches?

Jack Wang

The University of Queensland

Student motivation and engagement can be about helping university students to untangle difficulties in personal lives

A ‘motivation and engagement wheel’ to keep students on board

The wheel model was designed to help demystify student motivation and provide targeted help where and when necessary, explains Andrew J. Martin

Andrew J. Martin

UNSW Sydney

Image depicting effective teamwork

Training students in effective teamwork and collaboration

The ability to work effectively as part of a team is a vital life skill. Steven Bateman, Yan Jin and Jie Zhang explain how they support and train students in teamwork

Steven Bateman, Yan Jin, Jie Zhang

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Feet climbing hands acting as steps (illustration)

From conventional course to block scheduling: adapting resources for successful learning

Block teaching can seem like an impossible task – all the teaching in less than half the time. But with intentional design of courses and resources, you can move from traditional to block delivery. Here, Ellen Buck shares advice based on her experience

Ellen Buck

University of Suffolk

Sexual misconduct is still a big problem in universities

Despite positive steps, much remains to be done on sexual misconduct

A year on from the OfS’ statement of expectations, it’s time to implement effective, evidence-based approaches to address harassment and sexual violence

Emma Bond, Andy Phippen

University of Suffolk, Bournemouth University

Image to depict how sensory and motor systems aid learning

Improving learning through physical action and sensory perception

Drawing on movement and sensory perception as part of learning can enhance outcomes, research shows. Sheila L. Macrine and Jennifer M. B. Fugate explain how to put this into practice

Sheila L Macrine, Jennifer MB Fugate

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Kansas City University

People learning in a public library

Five tips to enhance your institution’s civic engagement by working with public libraries

Advice to help universities work in partnership with public libraries to reach wider audiences and enhance their civic engagement

Marge Ainsley, Rachel Heydecker

Carnegie UK

Getting your university admission team's online engagement right can help attract and keep prospective students

The top three engagement challenges facing admissions teams and how to solve them

Whether it's due to ‘ghosting’ or ‘student melt’, prospective students are harder than ever before to attract and hold on to, but a combination of tech and human solutions is at hand

Ardis Kadiu

Element451

Gender equality

10 ways universities can tackle gender inequality

Ellie Bothwell outlines recommendations from THE’s recent report on how universities around the world are performing on gender equality

Ellie Bothwell

Times Higher Education

Young woman on stage giving a presentation

10 essential tips for your next academic presentation

Using examples and practical tips, Dorsa Amir explains the techniques that ensure your presentation communicates its message effectively – from slide design to structuring your talk

Dorsa Amir

University of California, Berkeley

Image of a book to illustrate ways to get published beyond academia

How to get a book published outside academia

Lexi Stadlen shares advice on how to turn your academic research into a commercially published book and reach audiences beyond academia

Lexi Stadlen

Independent academic

Allowing unicorn edtech companies to dominate the sector is a negative for universities

Chasing unicorns: can universities shape the edtech space to their advantage?

Staying abreast of developments outside the big players in the fast-moving world of edtech can benefit institutions while also ensuring a healthy marketplace

John Miles

Inkpath

Image of refugees walking on their way to Europe

How universities can support refugee students and academics

Afghan Chevening scholar Naimatullah Zafary, who was among the last people to be airlifted to safety from Kabul, explains how institutions can support refugee students and staff who arrive in an unfamiliar country after experiencing perilous journeys and severe trauma

Naimatullah Zafary

University of Sussex

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Blended professionals: how to make the most of ‘third space’ experts

Integrated practitioners – staff who bridge the worlds of academia and professional services – are increasingly important to universities. Here’s why this space matters and how to capitalise on it

Emily McIntosh, Diane Nutt

Middlesex University

Teaching university students proofreading skills can be hugely beneficial for their studies and later careers

Teaching your students proofreading skills brings them huge benefits

Being able to produce error-free written communication helps students project competence in class and beyond, says Stone Meredith

Stone Meredith

Colorado State University Global

Image representing innovation involving thinking creatively and taking risks

Five ways to apply a creative mindset to education

Students should be encouraged to create and innovate rather than just accrue knowledge. Alan Morgan shares five approaches to cultivating a creative mindset in class

Alan Morgan

University College Dublin

Research and business need to go hand in hand in an uncertain future

Three big ideas to ensure research helps shape the future of business

High-quality scientific research and the values it encapsulates, such as a focus on empirical evidence over opinion, must be used to help business for years to come

Andrew Stephen

University of Oxford

Dog with ear cocked listening

Eight tips to boost active listening in university students

Active mental engagement enhances students’ understanding and their ability to remember the ideas we teach. These simple tools and skills can help to move students from passive to active modes of listening and keep them there

David Geelan

The University of Notre Dame Australia

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Tips for sharing your research and professional expertise with consumer media

Academics can offer insight based on research and professional experience that is applicable far beyond the scope of academic journals. Samuel Kim Kwong Kwok shares a guide to engaging with the mainstream consumer media

Samuel Kim Kwong Kwok

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Colonial power led to differentials between the Global North and South that persist to this day and will not be solved by universities' decolonisation efforts

Does decolonisation in the West do anything for the developing world?

Expanded reading lists do little for the student whose visa is denied because there’s not enough money in their parents’ bank account, says Farish A Noor

Farish A. Noor  

University of Malaya

Image of a student taking part in a live online class

Introducing an activeflex teaching model into pre-existing online courses

Steps for designing and implementing an activeflex model of teaching in pre-existing online courses, shared by Marla Williams

Marla Williams

Athens State University

We should create an army of university student volunteers to help with levelling up and social mobility

We need to create a tutoring army to level up education

Getting student volunteers to tutor less-privileged children would boost fundamental education for those who need it most and provide a national social mobility service, says Lee Elliot Major

Lee Elliot Major

The University of Exeter

Mature students and other non-traditional students are often overlooked by university recruitment teams

How to attract and support non-traditional students in higher education

Hurdles and obstacles are created from the outset and then vice-chancellors wonder why their student population is not diverse, says Dilshad Sheikh

Dilshad Sheikh

Arden University

Image showing students learning via online tools

Using remote learning technology  to boost student engagement and interaction

As face-to-face teaching returns, educational technology can be used to boost student engagement in ways that are not possible in a physical classroom. Andreina Parisi-Amon explains how

Andreina Parisi-Amon

Engageli

University student staying in bed and disengaging

Are your first-year students disengaging? Here’s how to get them back on board

From creating distinct spaces on your VLE to discuss first-year study to checking in with absentees, Katherine Mansfield provides tips for re-engaging students

Katherine Mansfield

University of Westminster

A confused signpost

How I plan to get through REF results day

If the results don’t deliver what we think we’ve earned, it will be a blow, but it won’t change the fact that what we do matters, says John McKendrick

John McKendrick

Glasgow Caledonian University

Magnet attracting hands

Why is recruitment and retention in the university sector more difficult than in other sectors?

Attracting and keeping the best people is a perennial issue for higher education institutions. Here, Jonathan Lord looks at how the pandemic impacted staffing and strategies for improving processes

Jonathan Lord

University of Salford

Image of a university tutor answering a student question during lesson

Writing about the day job: levelling up scholarship across higher education

Tutors with full class schedules have little capacity for research but by focusing on the scholarship of teaching and learning, they can contribute valuable insights supported by their day job, write Russ Woodward and Tim Veal

Russell Woodward, Tim Veal

University Centre, Grimsby: The TEC Partnership

A lecturer taking questions from his students

Rebalancing research and teaching within universities: rethinking recognition and reward

Adrian Lam looks at what changes to recognition and reward in higher education would help academics better balance a focus on research with need for quality teaching

Adrian Man-Ho Lam

The University of Hong Kong

Line of open doors on blue background

Why does open access make publishing more complicated?

The shift towards open-access publishing can leave students and researchers confused. Here, a group of research facilitators answer the most common questions about the new publication landscape – and sum up where we stand

Inma Peral, Maël Guennou

University of Luxembourg

An image representing the possible outcomes from REF: good, bad and mixed

The good, the bad and the way forward: how UK universities should respond to REF results

How should UK universities respond if their REF results are good, bad or offer a mixed picture? New pro vice-chancellor for research Heather Widdows shares her advice

Heather Widdows

University of Birmingham

Image showing co-authors working on a paper

Coordinating co-authors

Co-authoring with other researchers can result in more ambitious and exciting papers than solo endeavours but is also fraught with potential hiccups. Steven Bateman and Jie Zhang share advice on keeping collaborative work on track

Steven Bateman, Jie Zhang

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

We must consider the SDGs in local contexts and universities can help

We won’t get anywhere without placing the SDGs in local contexts

Applying the SDGs looks vastly different in a Western city from how it does in a rural Asian village. Su Li Chong explains how universities can help us get past a one-size-fits-all approach

Su Li Chong

Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP)

Social media chat bubbles

Tips and apps to encourage better interaction with students

Classting and Remind are two lesser-known apps that can aid communication with your class when used effectively

Gloria Anahí Molina Barrón , Dania Arriola Arteaga

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Back soon sign

Mind the gap: how to write career breaks into your CV

What counts as a career break, and how much information is too much information? Emma Williams provides strategies for filling in any spaces in your academic work history

Emma Williams

EJW Solutions

Male student choosing a book in his university library

Using digital technology to get student affairs and faculty working together for better results

When student affairs staff and faculty work together, it results in better learning experiences for students. Amy Greenstein and Steven Goss explain how digital tools can be used to support such partnerships

Amy Greenstein, Steven Goss

Manhattan College, Northeastern University

Diversity statements in higher education can embed inequality more deeply

Diversity statements: the good, the bad and the ugly

Diversity statements can be created with good intentions but still manage to perpetuate inequality. Henrika McCoy and Madeline Lee detail what to look out for and suggested action

Henrika McCoy, Madeline Lee

University of Illinois Chicago, California State University San Marcos

Image showing a hand unlocking a door with a giant key to represent how a PhD can unlock students' potential

How humanities and social sciences PhD programmes can adapt to a challenging job landscape

Postgraduate studies in humanities and social sciences help graduates build skills that are applicable across multiple sectors and career paths. Ray Haberski Jr explains how to shape relevant and adaptable PhD programmes in these disciplines

Raymond Haberski Jr

Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)

Man reading rejection letter

What to do when an academic journal rejects your article

Nobody likes negative feedback but rejection is not all bad. Here is how to see rejection of your article by a peer-reviewed journal as an opportunity

Catherine Léglu

University of Luxembourg

Image of a researcher examining a slide through a microscope

Don’t let the REF tail wag the academic dog

Institutions should resist the temptation to use the REF as a tool for competition and self-promotion and, instead, approach the results in ways that support sector-wide efforts to improve research culture

Marcus Munafò

The University of Bristol

Image depicting work to achieve net zero emissions

Tackling climate change requires university, government and industry collaboration – here’s how

Universities must work with government and industry to drive climate action. Anna Skarbek outlines key principles that should shape the approach

Anna Skarbek

Monash University, Climateworks Centre

Outside help for local communities can have unintended negative consequences

Is that overseas field trip you’re looking forward to really necessary?

However well-intentioned, outside interventions can have unintended consequences for local communities if carried out without rigorous research, says James Derounian

James Derounian

University of Bolton

Figures with light bulb

Tips for writing a PhD dissertation: FAQs answered

From how to choose a topic to writing the abstract and managing work-life balance through the years it takes to complete a doctorate, here we collect expert advice to get you through the PhD writing process

Campus team

Campus

Image representing the role of edtech firms in higher education

Three tips for ‘unbundling’ an aspect of your university services

Building partnerships with ed-tech firms and other providers involves ‘unbundling’ elements of university services to share tasks among all parties. Dawn Gilmore and Chinh Nguyen offer three tips on how to do this successfully

Dawn Gilmore, Chinh Nguyen

RMIT University, Curio

Image showing a researcher writing in a notepad to illustrate advice on using poetry to analyse data

Creating poetry from data to aid analysis

Poetry can be used as a tool to re-analyse and present qualitative data through a new lens, as Sam Illingworth explains

Sam Illingworth

Edinburgh Napier University

Young man in headphones holding a book

Enhancing learning from digital, audio and video resources

Print textbooks have serious competitors from digital texts, podcasts, audiobooks and video. The medium – and how each is used – can affect how much students learn, as Naomi Baron explains

Naomi Baron

American University

A man walks past a colonial-era building in modern-day Malaysia

Can there ever be a neat history of colonialism?

People today seem to want their history to be linear and totalising, but it is only by addressing the messiness of the past that we can understand the present

Farish A. Noor  

University of Malaya

Image depicting plans for a multidisciplinary research centre

The challenges of creating a multidisciplinary research centre and how to overcome them

How to overcome the challenges of setting up a collaborative research centre designed to break down institutional silos and structures

Andrew Tobin, Laura Tyler

University of Glasgow

Blocks connected in network

Using communities of practice to drive teaching innovation

In the lead-up to Digital Universities Week US, we asked four university leaders about the barriers, ambitions and faculty needs when it comes to supporting the adoption of digital teaching methods

Campus team

Campus

An image representing good conduct online

Digital citizenship: creating safe and inclusive online learning spaces

Digital citizenship, or the ability to use and connect via technology responsibly, is now a vital life skill that educators must foster among students. Vicki Madden explains how to start by creating respectful online environments

Victoria Madden

The University of Edinburgh