Feature article

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

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

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

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

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

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 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

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

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

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)

How to turn a PhD project into a commercial venture

Transforming a doctoral research project into a commercially viable product requires astute decision-making from the start. Manjinder Kainth and Nicola Wilkin share a beginner’s guide

Manjinder Kainth, Nicola Wilkin

Graide, University of Birmingham

Analytics and other similar tools are becoming crucial for teachers

Analytics is quickly becoming a crucial teaching tool

Easily accessible analytics tools can help teachers understand aspects of their classroom they might otherwise overlook

Julián Urrutia , Cynthia López

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Increasing access to higher education for refugees through digital learning

In Lebanon, a project designed to increase access to higher education for Syrian refugees through digital learning has been piloted with success. Rabih Shibli shares lessons from developing PADILEIA

Rabih Shibli

American University of Beirut

University senior management should employ authentic leadership to advance EDI

Managers are so far from the front line; how can they advance EDI?

Authentic leadership involves being clear about one’s values but taking a step back to allow others the space to develop the scope of projects, says Harriet Dunbar-Morris

Harriet Dunbar-Morris

The University of Portsmouth

We need to identify who is missing from the decision-making table in higher education

We need to notice who is missing from the decision-making table – and act

It’s up to individuals to notice who is not present on committees and up to institutions to ensure that all voices are represented and heard

Jo Cresswell

Dr Joanne Cresswell Coaching

Syrian refugees after arriving in Turkey

Helping refugees get their qualifications recognised

Tips for how higher education institutions and accreditation authorities can recognise refugees’ qualifications even when they cannot be fully documented

Sjur Bergan

Council of Europe

HE-industry partnerships are crucial for students to emerge from university work-ready

Half of students feel they’re not ready for a job – we must solve the HE-industry disconnect

Are localised higher education and industry research partnerships delivering? Salah Al-Majeed reflects on how to bring sometimes disparate organisations closer together

University of Lincoln

From tree rings to tree pose: exploring varied approaches to well-being in universities

Universities should employ a varied range of psychosocial support and well-being therapies to support students with diverse needs and improve mental health literacy, Kathleen Chim and Benjamin Chan write

Kathleen Chim, Benjamin Tak Yuen Chan

Hong Kong Metropolitan University

There are core competencies that anyone can use to research a topic thoroughly

Discover the nine competencies required to become a researcher

What essential skills do researchers need? For those just starting on the road to research, breaking the process down into achievable and measurable milestones can help

Cynthia López

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Diversity statements in higher education can embed inequality more deeply

Embedding equality, diversity and inclusion within public policy training for academics

Steps higher education institutions can take to make their policy engagement training programmes as diverse and inclusive as possible, based on the experience of a UK university

Audrey Tan

UCL

Universities should not decline working together due to fears that their systems won't cooperate

Playing to our strengths: how HE can benefit from shared edtech

Too many inter-institutional collaborations are derailed due to a false belief that institutions’ tech infrastructures are too dissimilar, says John Miles

John Miles

Inkpath

A student writing an essay at their desk

Creating bridges to academic writing for first-year university students

Tutors must help new university students build their skills and understanding of academic writing as part of their broader first-year teaching, as Fiona S. Baker explains

Fiona S. Baker

Durham University

University estates are a key source of carbon that can be reduced by universities

Building futures: how estates directors can deliver net zero

Terry Spraggett discusses the critical role of estate leads, the impact the construction industry can have and the approach that will drive success

Terry Spraggett

Mace

Image of refugees at the Macedonian border

Practical ways to develop a comprehensive university ‘sanctuary’ programme

Seven practical steps to developing a comprehensive sanctuary programme that can support the immediate needs of displaced students and academics while including a broader plan for social change

Leonie Ansems de Vries, Bronwyn Parry

King’s College London

The metaverse opens up huge opportunities for universities that extend well beyond a virtual copy of their campus

The metaverse is much more than a virtual copy of your campus

Most universities are not yet in the metaverse space, nor clear about what is really involved – and we can’t afford to remain in this position, says Andy Miah

Andy Miah

University of Salford

How to maximise student satisfaction with the flipped classroom

What are the pedagogical, technical and social aspects that lecturers should consider to give students the best possible experience of the flipped classroom?

Erkko Sointu

University of Eastern Finland

Grade inflation in universities can have many negative effects, says a Columbia student

I’m a Columbia student, and I don’t want my grade inflated

Normalising failure could improve students’ mental health, give them the freedom to learn more effectively and make them more resilient all at once, says Jacob Clay

Jacob Clay

Columbia University

Two women demonstrating successful teamwork

Synchronous communication strategies for a successful learning design partnership

Synchronous communication strategies that build rapport between university course designers and external edtech providers, shared by Rae Mancilla and Nadine Hamman, in the second part of a series looking at strategies for successful learning design partnerships

Rae Mancilla , Nadine Hamman

University of Pittsburgh, University of Cape Town

Fundamentals of design that will improve your work in every dimension

Improving the design of your teaching or research work need not be daunting and will herald remarkable results in a few tiny steps, explains Cavell Ord-Shrimpton

Cavell Ord-Shrimpton

Arden University

Critical thinking is a crucial skill for students to be taught at university

Starting from scratch to promote critical thinking in your classes

Critical thinking is a crucial skill for all areas of life. Adriana González Nava and Paulo Mendoza Rivera explain how to promote it in course design

Adriana González Nava , Paulo Mendoza Rivera

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Self-care tips such as setting a regular wake-up time can help mature students handle the stresses of university life

Coaching students in self-care lessons that will help them manage stress

From setting a consistent wake-up time to sound financial planning, there are many beneficial changes that you can encourage to help your students

Matthew L. Brown

Colorado State University Global

Teaching English for academic mediation and discussion using team games

Using English for academic discussion and mediation is a challenge for students who are not native speakers. Laura McNabb shares classroom games that help students learn the language skills they need

Laura McNabb

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Image of an elderly men receiving a vaccine

Decolonising medicine, part three: uncovering silenced voices and histories

Lecturers should ensure they present the full picture when teaching medicine, detailing exploitation and marginalisation of certain groups in the advancement of medical science, as Musarrat Maisha Reza and Emily Calvo-Hobbs explain

Musarrat Maisha Reza, Emily Calvo-Hobbs

The University of Exeter

Teamwork skills are crucial for students to learn as they head into the workplace

Six tips on helping your students improve their teamwork skills

We know that teamwork is more important than ever before – here’s how to help students identify their ideal role in a team, agree on responsibilities and more

Ingrid Benavides

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Image showing a young research assistant

Making undergraduate access to research experience transparent and inclusive

A barrier to research careers is accessing the relevant experience. Saloni Krishnan and Nura Sidarus outline a scheme that has helped a wider range of undergraduate students secure research placements

Saloni Krishnan, Nura Sidarus

Royal Holloway, University of London

Universities and their researchers have a key role to play in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

The sector’s role in addressing climate change is crucial – and varied

From researching microalgae to evaluating and contributing to climate policy, universities have a significant job to do, says Lucy Meredith

Lucy Meredith

University of the West of Scotland

Man on ball juggling balls in front of a city

How a rich extracurricular campus life nurtures well-rounded individuals

Soft skills such as organisation, communication and networking are often developed outside the classroom. Here’s how universities can help their students learn vital life skills

M. C. Zhang, Aliana Leong

Macau University of Science and Technology

Collaboration is key for universities and colleges that want to serve their students well

For students’ sake, we shouldn’t be too proud to seek collaboration

It’s difficult to admit as an institution where you aren’t delivering for students, but we must be self-aware enough to seek help when needed

Michael A. Baston

Rockland Community College

Image showing researcher studying plants

Helping students tackle terminology barriers

Lots of new terminology can leave students feeling overwhelmed. Sonja Dunbar shares one way to build student confidence when encountering discipline-specific terms

Sonja Dunbar

University of Cambridge

Illustration of people with an oversized stopwatch

Block mode of teaching in higher education: advantages and challenges

Block scheduling may be intense but can also foster student engagement and reduce stress. It needs careful implementation to realise its full benefits

Amir Ghapanchi

Victoria University

Image depicting critical thinking and analysis

Educating trainee teachers in critical thinking

Effective approaches to training student teachers in critical thinking so they can apply it across multiple disciplines and pass on their knowledge to their own pupils, by Joseph Sanacore

Joseph Sanacore

Long Island University

Communication is a vital skill for all students to master

Promoting communication skills is just as vital as course content

From the classroom to the workplace, students need to communicate effectively – and you can show them how

Jessica Guadalupe Toro Palacios , Eunice Costilla Cruz

Tecnológico de Monterrey

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