University course design and delivery

How to design in-person, hybrid and online courses that maximise student engagement, inclusion and learning. Here, you can find advice on instructional design including lesson planning, creation and organisation of educational materials and effective use of digital technologies; as well as teaching methods and styles to help you achieve specific learning outcomes.

Graphic image of a bouquet of flowers in a graduation cap on top of barbed wire

Make learning accessible to all in higher education

True accessibility comes when it is placed at the core of teaching and learning design. Read advice for creating universally accessible learning

Campus contributors, Laura Duckett

Campus

Good looking male student in a university class

Using universal design for learning to alleviate disclosure reluctance

Designing courses accessibly from the ground up reduces the pressure on neurodivergent students to disclose in order to succeed, writes Luis Paterson

Luis Paterson

University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha

A mother on her laptop while her son plays next to her

Why flexibility is essential for accessible teaching

Rigid course structures can shut students out. Designing for flexibility helps ensure that those juggling work, care and study have a fair chance to succeed

Rocío Elizabeth Cortez Márquez

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Learner heterogeneity is now the norm in higher education

In an era of lifelong learning and reskilling, undergraduate cohorts include students balancing work, caregiving and studies across life stages. Flexibility should be a foundational design principle rather than an accommodation

Ivy Seow, Tamas Makany

Singapore Management University

A deaf student on a video call with other participants using sign language

Beyond captions: how to build truly inclusive environments for deaf students

Practical, evidence-based strategies to reduce visual overload, improve conceptual clarity and enable deaf and hard-of-hearing students to participate fully

Mogeeb A. A. Mosleh

Taiz University

Design students working together in class

‘AI turns the classroom from structured event into improv class’

Rethinking the role of the teacher builds on alternatives to scripted material, such as studio-style sessions, flipped problem-based work, team-based clinics, Socratic debates, in-class case simulations and live data analysis

Dirk Hovy

Bocconi University

Businessman doing online study at laptop while eating takeaway lunch

Why flexibility is now central to student success

Flexible and truly engaging online study are key for students with jobs or caring responsibilities. Pauline Bedford explains how institutions can go with the flow

Pauline Bedford

Walbrook Institute London

Students sitting in a circle on the floor with laptops

When plans meet people: navigating the friction of group assessment

Not all group work runs smoothly but educators can deal with disruptions more effectively if they have time- and situation-sensitive moves in their teaching repertoire. Here, Sarah Sholl and Stephen Yorkstone offer advice to stop group assessment falling apart

Sarah Sholl, Stephen Yorkstone

Edinburgh Napier University, Independent consultant

Male teacher working with multiracial primary school class

Four steps to embed anti-racism into teacher training

By exposing incoming educators to anti-racist principles early in training, universities better prepare them to promote fairness, critical thinking and social justice, writes Jordan Allers

Jordan Allers

Cardiff Metropolitan University

Doctors talking to non-medics around a table

Move beyond tokenism to embed patient insights in medical curricula

Patients often help with medical and healthcare teaching – yet they are rarely involved in designing what students are taught. Find out how one university team worked with patients to co-produce a medical curriculum that strengthened educational quality and public accountability

Amber Bennett-Weston, Jeremy Howick

University of Leicester

How the artist game opens every classroom door

An effective icebreaker can set students up for confident participation throughout the semester. Here, Natalie Cummins shares a structured low-risk activity that draws in all participants

Natalie Cummins

University of Technology Sydney

A student stands up to talk in the classroom

Multilingual learners don’t need extended time – they need intentional design

Language barriers in the classroom can present complex challenges. Instead of placing the burden on multilingual learners, let’s commit to an institution-wide approach to support them

Walaa Awad

Colorado State University Global

Awareness to action: how to embed sustainability in university teaching

Almost every educator is already teaching aspects of sustainability, whether or not they name it as such, writes Esther Canónico. Here, she shares ways to include the SDGs in curricula so the learning is meaningful for students and their future careers

Esther Canónico

Imperial College London

Connecting the dots between academic and professional services staff

Advice for working with the essential – and often unsung – professional services teams who enable universities to deliver effective teaching, research and student success

Campus contributors, Eliza Compton

Campus

Young Asian woman looking at wall of electronic images

Why critical visual literacy matters in a complex information landscape

Even in teaching materials and trusted sources, images are not neutral. Here, Alexius Chia explains how to guide learners from superficial impressions to being able to critique perspective, power and intent

Alexius Chia

Nanyang Technological University

The five levels of learning designer support

Learning designers and academics may have different expectations when it comes to collaborating on course design. Here’s how a five-point scale can help

Daniel Searson

Adelaide University

How to make curriculum mapping work in higher education

With no clear plan for how students progress towards programme goals, they can reach advanced courses without the requisite skills and knowledge. Here’s how curriculum mapping can help

Erin Nelson

University of Iowa

A student sits in front of a laptop, covered in Post-It notes

Ten tips for embedding retrieval practice in university teaching

Despite the benefits of retrieval practice, students still tend to opt for more passive strategies. Here’s how to embed retrieval in your classroom to show them its power

Katy Burgess

Cardiff University

A teacher stands in front of a projector screen

Show students what thoughtful engagement with GenAI looks like

Face it: students are going to use GenAI whether we ban it or not. Let’s support them to use it purposefully and curiously

Walaa Awad

Colorado State University Global

Book, scales, gavel, fuzzy globe, environmental justice concept

Teaching ethics and sustainability through fiction

A novel offers practical ways for students to consider how theory and practice can come together in addressing climate challenges. Here, Denise Baden offers exercises across humanities and social sciences disciplines

Denise Baden

University of Southampton

Learning by doing in a GenAI-enabled world

The best way for students to learn is by doing. But now GenAI is a non-negotiable in university teaching, what does that mean? Renia Lopez-Ozieblo explores

Renia Lopez-Ozieblo

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

An iceburg seen from below the water line

Under the waterline: making skills visible to students

Students often develop valuable transferable skills during their studies but struggle to recognise and articulate them to employers. Here’s how academics can work with careers professionals to support

Lorna Devlin

The University of Edinburgh

A team brainstorming around a large table

Learn from product development to design HE courses

How a design thinking approach can support agile, innovative new course development

Theresa Mercer , Ron Corstanje

Cranfield University

A teacher explains a circuit board to a class

GenAI can join the dots, so teach students to draw new lines in empty space

GenAI tools are getting better at tasks such as sorting data, writing basic reports and generating simple code. That’s why higher education needs to focus on what it can’t do

Darkhan Bilyalov, Luis R. Rojas-Solórzano

Nazarbayev University

A student slumps over a pile of paperwork

Do students need accommodations for their accommodations?

Students with disabilities need accommodations so they can focus on learning. But when accessing those accommodations requires skills they don’t have, is the system really working?

Riley Pizza, Sara Brownell

Arizona State University

Students working at their laptops in a university classroom

‘Flow’ – not activities – makes experiential learning stick

What happens when we stop stacking activities and start designing experiences? Here are three ways to make experiential learning more intuitive and impactful

Irina Gokh

De Montfort University

Teach students to think like researchers

Expanding undergraduate research benefits not only the institution, but the students too. Here’s how to embed a research mindset in your undergraduate cohort

Salah Al-Majeed

Al Akhawayn University

Why GenAI helps some students but not others (and what to do about it)

GenAI can boost learning on average, according to research – but individual outcomes vary widely. Here’s how to help every student benefit

Oguz A. Acar

King’s College London

Two female students looking at a flash card

Packed with ethics: using flash cards to spark connection

Ethics is a fundamental skill in accounting, but it is difficult to teach in a way that gives students confidence to use and test frameworks. Here, Catriona Hyde explains how simple flash cards can create curiosity and connection in the classroom

Catriona Hyde

University of Leicester

Who are we when we teach? Why ESOL educators need space to explore identity

A workshop delved into language teacher identity and how reflecting on it can make English for speakers of other languages sessions more inclusive. Here’s how

Paula Barrowcliffe

University of the West of Scotland

Students huddling between aisles in a library

What happens when we reframe accessibility as belonging?

When we treat accessibility as a core design principle, it strengthens learning for all students and supports staff in creating learning environments where difference is expected rather than managed, writes Angela Fitzgerald

Angela Fitzgerald

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

A university educators’ guide to universal design for learning

What is universal design for learning, what benefits does it offer students and how can you implement it in your classroom? Find out all you need to know

Gustavo Espinoza Ramos , Marta Dermaku Hajdini , Noor Ghumran

University of Westminster

A group of students interacting happily around a laptop

‘Joy doesn’t dilute academic rigour. It sustains it’

By weaving playfulness, humour and authenticity into teaching, research and departmental culture, academics can spark curiosity, strengthen collaboration and tackle difficult conversations, say Alice Wilson and Madeleine Steeds

Alice Wilson, Madeleine Steeds

Manchester Metropolitan University, University College Dublin

How business schools can produce globally minded graduates

Make internationalisation a core part of the student experience, rather than an optional extra, by embedding it into the curriculum

Imad Jabbouri

Al Akhawayn University

A teacher discusses with students in the classroom

Tips on using GenAI to make the university classroom more interactive

Find out how to deploy GenAI tools to increase participation, tailor learning to each student’s needs and foster collaboration across disciplines

Ijeoma (Angel) Ojukwu , Sam Opio

University of Westminster

Spotlight: What does innovation need to thrive in HE

What innovation needs to thrive in higher education

Advice on cultivating innovative mindsets across a university, among academics, staff and students

Campus contributors

Campus

How to embed STEM across all disciplines? Start small

Build the STEM skills students will need for the future into your existing courses – with a little-and-often approach. Here’s how

Kenneth Wai-Ting Leung

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Exploration of style: practical ways educators can teach academic writing in the sciences

First-year students need to adapt their writing style when transitioning to university. Here’s how educators can support freshmen to develop flexible, analytical and evidence-based writing

Rui Xue Zhang, Xinzhi Li

Macau University of Science and Technology

Three students working from a laptop smiling to camera

Tips for co-creating education projects

Many co-creation projects fail not for lack of goodwill, but because power is never explicitly addressed. Learn practical ways to tackle hierarchy and empower students

Jenny Harris, Federico Palmisani, Greg Collinson, Zoe Mia

The University of Exeter

A lecturer at the front of class presenting to students

Let’s not patronise Gen Z students

Gen Z students don’t need flashy visuals to keep them engaged. They want clear, effective design, say Svetoslav Georgiev and Joseph Tinsley

Svetoslav G. Georgiev, Joseph Tinsley

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Young woman writing notes with a pad and laptop

Colleges, not the College Board, determine university-level writing

Educators who teach first-year writing courses need to use their leverage to ensure students arrive on campus with skills that match expectations, writes Daniel M. Gross

Daniel M. Gross

University of California, Irvine

Campus webinar: Co-creation and tapping into the student voice

Hear experts from four Australian universities discuss how educators, course designers, professional development teams and institutions can embed the skills for effective co-creation in the classroom

Kathleen Mahon, Joseph Wenta, Lorelle Burton, Iven Mareels

The University of Queensland , The University of Newcastle, Australia, The University of Southern Queensland , Federation University Australia

Students listen attentively during a class

Make inclusion work in practice in your global classroom

Embed inclusivity into your course to harness the diversity of international cohorts. Here’s how

Luana Carcano

Simon Fraser University

Students working on a project together in class

Let professors play: the case for sandbox classes in HE

Some of the most powerful innovations in teaching don’t come from policy mandates – they come from freedom to play, writes Danny Oppenheimer

Danny Oppenheimer

Carnegie Mellon University

A woman stands in front of a class, holding a laptop

What your students are actually doing with GenAI

A student survey delved into how and why they use GenAI tools in their studies, and how they felt about it. Find out how this can inform teaching

Julio Gimenez, Katherine Mansfield, Richard Paterson

University of Westminster

Middle Eastern male millennial online student

Seven practical ways to improve student engagement online

Teaching via a screen makes it harder to read student understanding and sustain attention. These practical strategies show how educators can keep online students invested

Eliseo Mendoza Ortiz

CETYS Universidad

University teacher helping two multiracial students

What I wish I’d known before becoming a programme leader

Becoming a programme leader means learning to lead without line management, protecting your boundaries, and playing the long game. Here, Tom Chapman reflects on what he’s learned during two decades in the role

Tom Chapman

University of Southampton

A teacher takes a class with an international link-up

Develop global citizens with virtual exchanges

Tips on embedding online international exchanges into university education and breaking down the barriers to intercultural engagement

Alfredo Bautista, Sofie Chua Shuyi

The Education University of Hong Kong

Six ways to create an autism-friendly learning environment

Make your classroom, lab and campus more accessible to autistic students with these tips

Multiple authors

Keele University

A lecturer giving an engaging presentation in front of a class full of students

AI can help you unearth the story in your lectures

How AI can help you separate ‘making sense’ from design, build a clear story arc and create a visual narrative that earns attention and trust

Irina Gokh

De Montfort University

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