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.

Advice on creating virtual fieldtrips to complement in-person teaching

Developing virtual experiential learning: key takeaways

Well-designed virtual experiential learning could have far-reaching useful applications. Here three academics share lessons from developing effective virtual tours and field trips during the pandemic

Mei Yee Leung, Yvonne Yuen Kei Leung, Jacky Tsz Kin Yiu

The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Advice on creating a "Hitchikers Guide" to curriculum design

Creating a ‘Hitchhiker’s Guide to Curriculum Design’

Russell Crawford explains how to create a ‘Hitchhiker’s Guide to Curriculum Design’ that pools all relevant information to support everyone involved in working towards positive student learning outcomes

Russell Crawford

Falmouth University

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

Hannah Thompson, a partially blind academic, offers six tips for ensuring an inclusive learning environment

Hannah Thompson

Royal Holloway, University of London

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

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 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

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)

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

Advice on why and how to build a sense of identity and belonging among students for better learning outcomes

Building identity and belonging among students

Proactively building students’ sense of identity and belonging is vital for positive learning outcomes, explains Blake McKimmie. In this video, he gives advice on how it can be achieved

Blake McKimmie

The University of Queensland

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

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

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

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

Nottingham Trent University

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

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

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

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

Consideration for how to build your digital capacity to enhance student learning outcomes

A framework for building capacity in digital teaching and learning

Dale Johnson presents a framework to help institutions decide where to focus their efforts in the use of digital systems and resources to enable student success

Dale Johnson

Arizona State University

Advice on how LEGO can facilitate learning across many disciplines in higher education

Serious play: building knowledge with Lego bricks

Using Lego blocks to aid brainstorming has migrated from boardrooms into university classrooms. This guide explores how to get the most out of it in your teaching – whether virtual or on campus

Caitlin Kight, Holly Henderson

The University of Exeter

Obliterating the academic calendar is just the start for universities if they are to best serve their students

Obliterating the academic calendar is the easy part

More money for US community colleges and new thinking on semester lengths must be accompanied by cohesive pathways to degrees, say Karen A. Stout and Tom Shaver

Karen A. Stout, Tom Shaver

Achieving the Dream, Ad Astra Information Systems

Podcast discussing building resilience and protecting well-being among university staff and students

Campus talks: the big ideas behind microcredentials

Two experts in flexible learning programmes discuss the evolution and adoption of alternative teaching models and credentials in higher education

Tim Blackman, Kemi Jona

The Open University, Northeastern University

Advice on how to get business school students engaging with wider societal issues as part of their programmes

Embedding social impact considerations into business programmes

Ridhima Aggarwal shares effective strategies for fostering a deep understanding of how business and society are interlinked and embedding social impact considerations within business school teaching

Ridhima Aggarwal

INSEAD

Figure at the top of a ladder illustrating skills for career progression, online learning

Creating opportunities to enhance student employability online

Working online presents opportunities for students to develop their employability in the digital space. Ruth Donnelly lists how remote programmes can prepare them for the changing workplace

Ruth Donnelly

The University of Edinburgh

Advice on delivering far reaching faculty development training in blended learning

A model for developing global expertise in blended learning

Daniella Bo Ya Hu outlines a framework for building expertise in blended learning using lessons in capacity development, staff incentivisation and leadership learned from an international pilot training programme

Daniella Bo Ya Hu

The Association of Commonwealth Universities

How to use design methods such as scenario building to guide students in tackling real world challenges

Designing back from the future: building scenarios to engage students with global challenges

Anke Schwittay shows how design methods such as scenario building can help students think creatively about diverse challenges and imagine responses to them

Anke Schwittay

University of Sussex

Want to tear students from their phones? Learn their names

Holding students’ attention in a world of digital distractions is tough, but James Lang explains why remembering and using their names can make the task less herculean

James M. Lang

Assumption University

Advice on why and how to use podcasts to supplement your online teaching

Listen to this! Using podcasts for online learning

Emily O’Reilly explains why and how to use educational podcasts to supplement your online teaching

Emily O'Reilly

The University of Edinburgh

Advice on using popular social media platforms to support your university teaching and academic research

Fake news, educated views and how-tos: social media for teaching and research

Terese Bird shares her ideas on how to use some of the most popular social media platforms to support your teaching and research

Terese Bird

University of Leicester

Insight on how global trends will dictate the direction of innovation in transnational education

Innovative approaches to transnational education

Vangelis Tsiligiris outlines the key areas for innovation in the design and delivery of transnational education based on changing needs and developments in the global higher education landscape

Vangelis Tsiligiris

Nottingham Trent University

Advice on setting up and running an effective virtual exchange programme

Top tips for developing an effective virtual exchange programme

Justine Seran and Randall Reinhard offer guidance on building a virtual exchange programme to provide flexible international learning opportunities for students who cannot travel abroad

Justine Seran, Randall Reinhard

The University of Edinburgh

Advice on developing regular quizzes that test students' understanding so they can address any gaps in their knowledge

Designing ‘knowledge checker’ quizzes that motivate students to review feedback and revise learning

Jonathan Sim advises on designing regular quizzes as a tool to ensure students review their assignment feedback and address gaps in their understanding

Jonathan Sim

National University of Singapore

Advice on explaining to students why they should keep their cameras on during online classes

Stay in the frame: how to persuade students to keep cameras on in lessons

Paul Moss shares advice on how to convince students that making themselves visible during online classes is in their own interest and will aid learning outcomes

Paul Moss

Adelaide University

A lecturer speaks to university students, but what is the role of the lecture in modern HE?

What is the purpose of a university lecture?

We must continue to question the true role of the lecture and how lecture recordings fit in to the effective delivery of higher education, says Jill MacKay

Jill MacKay

The University of Edinburgh

The word ‘play’ and a downward arrow in neon

Ready, player one? How video games can help engage students

Engaging, rewarding and a great way to encourage active participation, games are a brilliant addition to a teaching and learning environment, says Chris Headleand

Chris Headleand

University of Lincoln

Advice on running successful tutorials in transnational courses

Running effective tutorials in transnational education

Michael Daw explores the challenges and misconceptions related to running interactive tutorials in joint international courses, based on his experience teaching a UK-China programme in China

Michael Daw

The University of Edinburgh, Zhejiang University

Advice on using lego to support active learning in lectures

Teaching with Lego: using plastic bricks to encourage play and interaction in class

Dan Swanton explains how using Lego to demonstrate and apply lessons in class promotes play and interaction leading to better engagement and peer discussion as part of active learning design

Dan Swanton

The University of Edinburgh

Most students need a helping hand, but giving every student the same thing does not necessarily equate to good support

Do we need equity or equality to make things ‘fair’? Actually, we need both

Fair, to some people, means everyone getting the same thing. But that’s only fair if everyone begins at the same place and needs the same things to succeed, says Todd Zakrajsek

Todd Zakrajsek

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Advice on fostering fruitful relationships between students from all over the world

Relationship building among globally diverse students in a borderless university

Monika Foster offers insights into why and how to encourage relationship-building between global learners by celebrating diversity and encouraging collaboration in teaching, learning and assessment

Monika Foster

University of Sunderland

Advice on how to successfully use your research in your teaching to benefit students and enrich the research

How to refine, enrich and expand research through teaching practices

Adrian Lam offers tips on how academics can use their teaching to refine, enrich and expand their research methods

Adrian Man-Ho Lam

The University of Hong Kong

A magnifying glass among scattered letters represents problem solving

Follow the (learning) science and put problem solving at the centre of teaching

Rather than a digital transformation, universities should undergo a learning transformation that supports effective technology and evidence-based teaching, argue Carl Wieman and Bror Saxberg

Carl Wieman , Bror Saxberg

Stanford University

An overview of how cognitive load can be used to determine how challenging your learning content can be before it risks alienating students

How challenging can my content be?

Paul Moss explores the concept of cognitive load as a way to determine how challenging your learning content should be to remain effective

Paul Moss

Adelaide University

Three benefits of moving final year assignments online

Virtual classroom connections: enhancing three presence elements via online tools

Nguyen Hoang Thuan and Pham Cong Hiep provide practical tips for enhancing three types of presence – teaching, social and cognitive – in online learning and teaching, based on their research

Nguyen Hoang Thuan, Pham Cong Hiep

RMIT University Vietnam

Advice for designing and building immersive, large-scale teaching experiences in video games

Generating immersive, large-scale teaching experiences in video games

Richard Fitzpatrick and Thomas Little offer insights for designing and developing immersive learning experiences using video games, based on their experience using Minecraft in their teaching

Richard Fitzpatrick, Thomas Little

The University of Edinburgh

Why primary sources are so important as a learning tool

Why are primary sources important in teaching?

Seth Cayley explains why primary sources are important learning tools to help students gain a better understanding of current events and hone critical-thinking skills

Seth Cayley

Gale Primary Sources

A framework for guiding students in effective peer review to boost their learning outcomes

Guiding students to learn from each other through peer feedback

Sam Evans and David Collett share a framework to guide students in effective peer review to boost learning outcomes

Sam Evans, David Collett

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Student holding a wallet illustrating challenge of buying textbooks, affordability

We need to help students overcome their textbook troubles

As institutions re-examine the costs of attending university, the affordability of course materials is again moving to the centre of the conversation, writes Raj Kaji

Raj Kaji

Akademos

Three benefits of moving final year assignments online

Three lessons from exhibiting final-year projects online

Dechanuchit Katanyutaveetip describes three unexpected benefits he and his students discovered after they were forced to move the exhibition of their final-year projects online

Dechanuchit Katanyutaveetip

Siam University

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