Feature article

Steps to running online masters courses that cater for international students

Developing online master’s courses for an international audience

Lauren Johnston-Smith describes steps to create a quality learning experience for students enrolled on online postgraduate courses from all over the world

Lauren Johnston-Smith

The University of Edinburgh

Using storytelling to boost student resilience and sense of connection online

Using the art of storytelling to help students build resilience when learning online

Judith Francois describes how she facilitates storytelling via online channels to help students build resilience and feel more connected

Judith Francois

Kingston University

A shy student. Many young people do not want to see their likeness on-screen.

Teaching in the hall of mirrors: should faculty ever mention appearance?

Educators must pay attention to why young people are using platforms that allow social interaction without visual scrutiny, says Elizabeth Losh

Elizabeth Losh

William & Mary

Cool, modern avatars for young people. Students are ready for the next generation of online comms technology and spaces, but the design of them is important

Life beyond Zoom and Teams: students are ready for next gen online spaces

Virtual spaces can create a sense of community and connect students across disciplines – provided they are designed well, say Yvonne Rogers, Paola Lettieri and Ben Meunier

Yvonne Rogers, Paola Lettieri, Ben Meunier

UCL

Five pillars to offering an effective multifaceted education online

The five pillars of a quality online education

Raj Kumar describes five key pillars universities must build on to ensure end-to-end, effective delivery of quality online education

Raj Kumar

O.P. Jindal Global University

Advice on redesigning assessment in the digital space, to test skills needed in future careers

Rethinking assessment in line with the changing world of work

Sarah Montano offers insight on redesigning assessment in the digital space to test the skills students will need in their future careers

Sarah Montano

University of Birmingham

Breaking online lectures down into chunks aids learning outcomes

Deter contract cheating in online assessment with a multi-pronged approach

The essay mills industry is booming in response to student demand. Irene Glendinning explains how universities must respond with a range of actions, not one quick fix

Irene Glendinning

Coventry University

Identifying the building blocks that make up your knowledge

Course learning outcomes: how to create them and align them to assessment

Paul Moss explains how to structure online courses to build students’ knowledge methodically towards set learning outcomes and skills that should themselves be used to shape assessment

Paul Moss

Adelaide University

How use online teaching to enhance university's international education offering

Boosting international education and collaboration through online delivery

With its lack of physical boundaries, online teaching can be used to boost access to learning for international students, as Stuart Perrin explains

Stuart Perrin

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

How to guide students to assess and feedback on their own work to improve online learning

Guide learning by activating students’ inner feedback

David Nicol explains how students can be guided to make comparisons and feedback on their own work, rather than relying on instructor comments, for improved learning outcomes

David Nicol

University of Glasgow

How to facilitate active, collaborative, authentic learning online

Active, collaborative, authentic: the evolution of teaching post-Covid

How to facilitate active, collaborative and authentic learning experiences by using digital tools to enhance teaching now and post-Covid-19

Michael Sankey

Griffith University

Guidance on how to teach practical, creative subjects online

Singing on mute: facilitating practical creative work online

Rebecca Berkley shares lessons on creating an immersive, inspiring digital learning environment to teach practical and creative subjects online

Rebecca Berkley

University of Reading

Advice on ensuring the human side of teaching is not lost in the move to online education

Leading with humanity in your online classroom: Tips beyond tech

How to ensure the human side of teaching is not lost and that pedagogical practices promoting care drive decisions when instructing online, from research by Mary Candace Raygoza, Aaminah Norris and Raina León

Mary Candace Raygoza, Aaminah Norris , Raina León

Saint Mary’s College of California

How to ensure your online assessment is accessible and relevant for all students

Assessing your assessment: creating inclusive and meaningful assignments

Online teaching has forced a major rethink of exams, so how can academics ensure they make the new-style assessments accessible and relevant to all students? Kimberly Wilder-Davis explains

Kimberly Wilder-Davis

University of Glasgow

Advice on what to do and what not to do when writing diversity statements for online courses

Diversity statements: what to avoid and what to include

Diversity statements are increasingly important for faculty, both when teaching online and applying for jobs. Pardis Mahdavi and Scott Brooks outline what to avoid and what to include when drafting a diversity statement

Pardis Mahdavi, Scott Brooks

Arizona State University

Five steps to moving practical learning online

Five simple ways to recreate the practical sides of teaching online

It can be a challenge to shift physical elements of teaching online. Eoin Coakley shares five approaches to recreating the experience of in-person learning for remote students

Eoin Coakley

Coventry University

Advice on incorporating humour into your online teaching to keep students engaged

Get serious about humour in your online classroom

Humour can grab and hold students’ attention. Abha Ahuja and Trang Nguyen outline ways to introduce more laughter into online classes

Abha Ahuja , Trang Nguyen

Minerva Schools at KGI

Advice on building durable links between faculty and digital design teams to improve online teaching

Building durable links between faculty and educational development teams

Learning designer Alexandra Mihai on how to build bonds between faculty and educational developers that translate into high-quality learning experiences

Alexandra Mihai

UCL

Advice on how to spark remote students' creativity through innovative online teaching assignments

How to re-energise your online classroom and inspire creativity

Sparking creativity among students learning remotely through a screen can be challenging. Here, Constanza Pacher offers advice for shaking up ideas via online media

Constanza Pacher

MacEwan University

Advice on giving students the skills they need to learn online successfully

Training students to learn successfully online

Universities need to help students develop a whole new set of skills to ensure they get the most out of remote learning, says Nikita Hari

Nikita Hari

University of Oxford

Propelling higher education to a digital future

Recommendations on improving digital higher education from Sir Michael Barber’s review – and the resources to help

THE Campus has worked with the team behind Sir Michael Barber’s digital teaching and learning review to create a toolkit, presenting their key recommendations for improving digital education alongside practical advice and insight from academics to help institutions meet the proposals

Joshua Fleming, Lara Bird, Miranda Prynne

Office for Students, Campus

Where to focus training and resources upskill staff for digital teaching

Your greatest asset: how to focus efforts to upskill staff

Online teaching demands new pedagogical and digital skills among faculty, so universities need to consider how best to focus training and resources, as Susanna Kohonen explains

Susanna Kohonen

University of Eastern Finland

Using visual media to activate student learning

Using visual media to enhance online learning

Nataša Lacković presents a pedagogical approach to using visual media to activate student learning, rather than simply decorating course content

Nataša Lacković

Lancaster University

Using learning analytics to enhance digital teaching delivery

DIY learning analytics: using data to improve online teaching

Jennifer Lawrence explains how to use small-scale data analytics to monitor student progress and improve digital teaching delivery

Jennifer Lawrence

University of New England

Advice on managing strong emotional responses to difficult student communications

It’s been emotional: how to manage difficult student interactions

Student advisers often bear a heavy emotional burden when trying to assist students. Meg Cohen offers advice on how to manage such emotionally challenging situations

Meg Cohen

Georgetown University

Lessons on motivating students to learn on mandatory courses

Lessons in motivating students to learn online

Teaching interdisciplinary modules online can be an uphill battle but it offers important lessons in the art of motivating students to learn, as Jonathan Sim explains

Jonathan Sim

National University of Singapore

Advice on getting the most out of asynchronous discussions when teaching online

Asynchronous discussions – how and why

Asynchronous discussions facilitate deeper reflection and critical thinking about course content. Paul Moss explains how to ensure such online discussions benefit all students on their learning journey

Paul Moss

Adelaide University

Wellbeing pedagogies to boost the student experience online

Well-being pedagogies: activities and practices to improve the student experience online

With many concerned about the mental health effects of learning remotely, Elena Riva shares helpful practices that can boost student well-being in the online teaching and learning environment

Elena Riva

The University of Warwick

How to design online assessment to promote academic integrity

Planning assessment to promote academic integrity online

Instructors can minimise the opportunity for academic misconduct through careful online assessment design. Sarah Eaton shares five approaches to online assessment that promote academic integrity

Sarah Eaton

University of Calgary

Engaging staff to drive sustainable change

Universities need buy-in from staff when implementing major change. Phil Collins talks about how to keep everyone engaged and invested in their work for long-term success

Phil Collins

Brunel University London

Using digital scholarship for public engagement

Using digital scholarship to enhance public engagement

Having been pushed to the sidelines of academia for too long, public engagement projects can take a central role in digital courses, furthering students’ learning and reaching wider audiences, explains Warren Stanislaus

Warren Stanislaus

Rikkyo University

Teaching humanities from a distance

Jessica Lee and Tamara Mann Tweel describe how they went back to basics when designing their humanistic online course, focusing on one-to-one mentoring and transformative texts

Jessica Lee, Tamara Mann Tweel

Columbia University , The Teagle Foundation

Developing students academic writing skills

Improving academic writing skills to boost student confidence and resilience

Academic writing skills are fundamental to most university courses. Andrew Struan explains how Glasgow has taken a whole-university approach to ensure all students are well equipped to succeed

Andrew Struan

University of Glasgow

Lessons from research into the flipped classroom model online

How a flipped classroom model improves learning in online STEM courses

STEM courses can be challenging to master online, but research by Atef Abuhmaid and Tao Tang shows a flipped classroom model improves outcomes. Here they outline the key lessons from their study

Atef Abuhmaid, Tao Tang

The Hashemite University, Chengdu University of Information Technology

Steer the course: Help students navigate the online learning journey

Steer the course: Help students navigate the online learning journey

Technology supports a more flexible approach to learning, but it is important that instructors guide students through the course to ensure they engage with content in a logical order, as Kylie Readman, Garth Maker and Astrid Davine explain

Kylie Readman, Garth Maker, Astrid Davine

Murdoch University

Advice on supporting the well-being of overworked academics

Supporting academia’s well-being during Covid-19 and beyond

With an unprecedented global mental health crisis and rising stress among university staff, six academics come together to propose how best to support faculty and new ways of working now and well beyond the pandemic

June Gruber, Lisa Miracchi, Sabrina Marques, Kirk Ambrose, Becca Ciancanelli, Paulo Boggio

The University of Colorado Boulder, University of Pennsylvania, Western Connecticut State University, Mackenzie Presbyterian University

Underpinning change with strong stable values that remain constant

How strong, stable values can enable sustainable teaching transformation

Change can be disorienting but if it is underpinned by strong, stable values that remain constant, it is more likely to get staff buy-in and prove successful, Claire Taylor explains

Claire Taylor

Wrexham Glyndŵr University

Advice on reframing lectures for teaching in a digital age

The active lecture: student-centred learning for the future

Online teaching offers valuable insight into effective pedagogy that will remain useful long after the pandemic is past, according to James Pickering, who outlines the key lessons to improve teaching design and delivery

James Pickering

University of Leeds

Considerations for safely teaching remote students studying in countries with strict press controls

Safely teaching foreign students facing censorship

Foreign students studying online in their home countries may be subject to strict press controls, so educators must carefully consider their course content and discussion points, Pavin Chachavalpongpun explains

Pavin Chachavalpongpun

Kyoto University

Tips on using technology to identify and help struggling students before they fall behind in online courses

Use technology to catch students before they fall

Working remotely with no face-to-face contact is a challenge for many students. May Lim and Li Siong Lim explain how educators can use technology to identify and help struggling students before they fall behind

May Lim, Li Siong Lim

Singapore Institute of Technology

Tips to help students stay focused in online classes

Seven steps to help students stay engaged online

While the same psychological processes are at work online as in the classroom, it is much easier for students to disengage when learning remotely. Here are seven well-researched steps to help students stay focused on their online courses

Leonard Houx, André Spicer

Cass Business School, City University of London

Advice on designing online assessment that reduces the opportunity or temptation to cheat

Design online assessment to prevent academic misconduct

Traditional proctored exams rarely work when teaching online so instructors must rely on careful assessment design to minimise the risk of cheating, explain Patrick Harte and Fawad Khaleel

Patrick Harte , Fawad Khaleel

Edinburgh Napier University

Designing online courses with accessibility and inclusivity in mind

Online alone is not the answer – how to design remote courses with accessibility and inclusivity in mind

Digital accessibility is crucial in online teaching, says Amy Low. Here, she outlines what universities need to consider when designing inclusive online courses

Amy Low

AbilityNet

Sage on the screen? Lessons in using technology to enhance learning

It’s time for the sage to step down from the stage, according to Steve Davies. Here, he shares simple steps to ensure technology enhances learning outcomes

Steve Davies

University of South Wales, Learna

Boosting student employability via digital learning

Boosting student employability through virtual experience

From digital industry projects to virtual internships, employability can be enhanced online in many ways, but it is how students reflect upon and learn from their experiences that is important, as Dino Willox and Laura-Anne Bull explain

Dino Willox, Laura-Anne Bull

The University of Queensland

Redefining higher education for the digital age

The lecture is dead, long live the lecture

The move to online teaching is a chance to redesign higher education delivery to reflect the way students learn in our digital age, replacing traditional lectures with more interactive material

Kylie Readman, Garth Maker, Astrid Davine

Murdoch University

Virtual exchange: enabling online group work that benefits all learners

Virtual exchange: supporting online collaboration to benefit all learners

Virtual exchanges enable group work between students in different locations, but studies show varied learning gains. Irina Rets and Bart Rienties use research to examine how instructors can manage virtual exchanges to ensure everyone benefits

Irina Rets, Bart Rienties

Lancaster University, The Open University

Use digital technologies to enhance student support services

Evolution not revolution: strengthening student services online

Digital technologies are more than a short-term emergency tool; they provide an opportunity to enhance student support services long after a return to campus, explain Steven Goss and Amy Greenstein

Steven Goss, Amy Greenstein

Manhattan College, Metropolitan College of New York

Gather student feedback throughout your online course to test and refine teaching methods

Experiment, test, refine: work with students to shape online courses

If you want to improve teaching, speak to the learners, explains Pat Tissington, who advocates using student feedback to continually experiment and adjust your online instruction methods throughout the course

Pat Tissington

The University of Warwick

How to design online courses and assessments to minimise plagiarism and cheating

Fair assessment: tackling the rise in online cheating

The move to online learning has seen a big increase in academic misconduct such as plagiarism. Camilla Roberts explains how careful planning of online teaching and assessment can minimise cheating

Camilla Roberts

Kansas State University

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