Feature article

An academic conducting research on her laptop

How I use social media as a research tool

Drawing from her autoethnographic experiences, Bhawana Shrestha discusses how she uses social media platforms to deepen collaboration, enrich methodology and widen participation in research

Bhawana Shrestha

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Students respectfully debate an issue in the classroom

Don’t fear conflict in the classroom: foster respectful discussion instead

How do we have meaningful conversations about divisive topics, while dealing with the emotions these debates may spark? Lea Sitkin outlines several strategies to give students the space to explore issues they care about

Lea Sitkin

University of Westminster

Students working as a group in the library

The library’s role in reducing the attainment gap

Read about strategies aimed at closing attainment gaps, such as peer mentoring, inclusive resources and academic skills training to support students

Multiple authors

Strategic silencing: how censorship is reshaping scholarly discourse

Restrictions to US databases and scholarly work mean that researchers need new approaches to navigate research absences and silences rather than the more typical information overload, writes Alison Hicks

Alison Hicks

UCL

A close-up of a hand painting on a canvas, a paint palette in the background

Use art to cultivate business students’ understanding of climate change

Find out how a transdisciplinary project using drawing and art deepens business students’ understanding of sustainability, inspiring them to become climate champions

Ryan Man

Hong Kong Baptist University

AI-proof project-based assessments by making them context-specific

Project-based assessments rooted in real-world, institution-specific contexts help reduce over-reliance on GenAI by emphasising collaboration, oral defence and critical thinking. Learn how to design one effectively

Oliver Jarvest , Ying Zhou, Simon Sheridan

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Key terms you should know to advance net zero goals across the university

Achieving net zero on college campuses is an ambitious target, but with targeted strategies, universities can help their community integrate sustainability practices into campus language and experiences

Jennifer Chirico

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

Use coaching to help students juggle the pressures of academic life

Academic expectations and personal responsibilities are crushing students’ mental health. Could coaching offer them a way to take control of their own learning?

Bavani Divo, May Lim

Singapore Institute of Technology

A logistics student working at her laptop

Active, applied and authentic learning: a model that builds skills and agency

Learn how the AAA model improved student engagement and learning outcomes in a logistics and supply chain programme, and how its principles apply across disciplines

Irfan Ul Haq , Hung Nguyen

RMIT University Vietnam

‘This is going to hurt’: taking the pain out of group assessment

Group assessment can be seen as unfair and unwieldy, but it also teaches essential skills such as teamwork and collaboration. We owe it to our students to frame it in a way that allows them to see its benefits

Sarah Sholl, Stephen Yorkstone

Edinburgh Napier University

Who’s the most sustainable? Get your students competing to be climate champions

Tap into your students’ interests and make climate action fun and competitive. Elliott Brown outlines how

Elliott Brown

Loughborough University

Workforce-ready, not left behind: inclusive work-based learning for sciences students

Many science students miss out on quality placements because of systemic barriers. Read five ways universities can embed equitable, work-based learning into non-accredited programmes and level the field

Shalinee Dhayal, Dominic Wiredu Boakye, Musarrat Maisha Reza

The University of Exeter

Different languages in speech bubbles on a laptop

International students don’t need ‘fixing’

To internationalise education, and not just enrolments, educators need to move feedback on academic language from correction to collaboration. Here Nashid Nigar offers a framework for rethinking inclusion through literacy diversity

Nashid Nigar

University of Melbourne

Two employees consider a screen filled with data

Let’s give students the skills to succeed in multiple careers, not just one job

The future is unpredictable. So instead of trying to future-proof our students’ degrees, let’s future-proof their mindset

Deborah Bartlett

Al Akhawayn University

How we use GenAI and AR to improve students’ design skills

Guidance on using generative AI and augmented reality to enhance student creativity, spatial awareness and interdisciplinary collaboration

Multiple authors

Tecnológico de Monterrey, El Bosque University, San Sebastián University

University professor teaching with laptop

Flip-Zoom-open: how Covid and AI transformed my classroom

Maybe the uncertainty of the pandemic resulted in a few positives to university teaching? Here, Perry Binder reflects on lockdown’s seismic shifts

Perry Binder

Georgia State University

Three ways to address students’ climate anxiety

While higher education has made progress with greener campuses and remote working, providing students with an education that can respond to the climate crisis will be more challenging. Here’s how educators can tackle climate anxiety

Rob Amos

Birkbeck, University of London

Students walking through campus laughing

Use welcome workshops to build student belonging

A guide to creating induction workshops in collaboration with students – with practical tips on building student confidence and trust

Sarah Hadlow

Image of a globe surrounded by the 17 SDG symbols

The need for integrated thinking at universities: from Covid-19 to the SDGs

A joined-up approach between universities, public services and businesses – as successfully demonstrated during the pandemic – is now needed if institutions are to accelerate efforts towards the Sustainable Development Goals

Abeer Hassan

University of the West of Scotland

The economics of belonging: a new way of thinking about student success

Rising costs of living and tuition mean that US university students may prioritise career and economic factors rather than self-actualisation as a reason to remain at a university

Richard Tomczak

Stony Brook University

Build belonging, with or without a centralised campus

How can young universities foster a sense of belonging in their students, given they may be operating across several different campuses? Here are some of the ways you can create community

Asmidah Ong, Darren Tan, Duane Ong

Singapore Institute of Technology

A student with a guitar surrounded by others smiling

Make your Freshers’ Week activities sing

Songwriting sessions, treasure hunts and biscuit decorating are among the creative Freshers’ Week activities that help students build self-confidence, connect with others and ease the transition to university life

Helen Eadon-Sinkinson

University of Chester

University libraries’ modern role in supporting faculty and graduate research

When research is increasingly computational, interdisciplinary and comprised of multi-institutional teams who frequently collaborate virtually, university libraries must keep pace to support faculty and graduate students, as Tyler Walters explains

Tyler Walters

Virginia Tech

A woman holds her head in her hands over a laptop screen

Be aware of the invisible baggage of poverty your students carry

We need to acknowledge the realities of poverty and inequality, and the trauma it leaves our students with. Here are six principles to make higher education more inclusive

Jordan Donnelly

University of the West of Scotland

Engagement isn’t a trade-off – it’s a path to stronger research

REF 2021 placed more emphasis on impact and engagement, meaning we must no longer rely on our research to speak for itself. Read how to engage with those beyond academia to ensure your work has a greater impact on society

Florian Bauer , Raffaello Rossi

The University of Bristol

Find the hero energy in the story of your research

Want to connect with funders, the media, the public or policymakers? Start by thinking like a storyteller

Erin O’Dwyer

Good Prose Studios, University of Sydney

Students and a teacher having a discussion in the classroom

Teaching your first course? Follow these steps

Just landed your first adjunct teaching role and don’t know where to start? Here’s how to make the most of your strengths, design a clear syllabus and deliver engaging, manageable sessions

Daniel Martínez, Robert Sanford

Independent academic

A finger follows text in a book written in question marks

How to support students with dyslexia in your teaching

Students dealing with dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties may struggle in the classroom more than their peers. With their number increasing, here’s how to give them the space they need to learn

María Catalina Bolaños Dubos

Universidad Austral

Run your lab more smoothly by centralising chemicals management

A simple change reduced our lab waste by a tenth. Find out how you can do it too

Mohd Fatimie Irzaq Khamis

Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP)

Bluetooth for better health: using tech to support student well-being

Students can self-regulate their learning and improve their well-being by spending less time at their desks and more time moving – thanks to Bluetooth headsets

Michelle Civile, Julie Pepper

The University of Exeter

Prometheus concept of technological innovation

Cultivating a responsible innovation mindset among future tech leaders

The classroom is a perfect place to discuss the messy, real-world consequences of technological discoveries, writes Andreas Alexiou. Beyond ‘How?’, students should be asking ‘Should we…?’ and ‘What if…?’ questions around ethics and responsibility

Andreas Alexiou

University of Southampton

Are we overlooking the power of autonomy when it comes to motivating students?

Educators fear giving students too much choice in their learning will see them making the wrong decisions. But structuring choice without dictating the answers could be the way forward

Danny Oppenheimer

Carnegie Mellon University

Two film students working on a project together

Use peer assessment to give students more accountability in group projects

Structured peer assessment can significantly improve student engagement and accountability in group work. Read about two methods that led film students to produce better-quality work

Qian Zhuang

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

How can higher education better support international students with disabilities?

Institutions need to work harder to understand international students with disabilities’ needs and challenges, and put in place more obvious and intentional communication with them

Carol Evans, Maurie van den Heever, Ralph E. McKinney

University of Salford, GoodX Software, Marshall University

Tackling accent bias: the ‘last acceptable form of discrimination’

Accent bias undermines Black international students’ confidence and belonging in UK universities. Institutions must tackle this exclusion through awareness, training, and a proactive celebration of linguistic diversity

Patrice Seuwou

University of Northampton

A happy group of students pose on a flight of steps

Three strategies to build student belonging from the start of their academic journey

Many students struggle with the jump from school to university life. Here are three ways to help them hit the ground running

Siu Yau Lee

Hong Kong Baptist University

Exterior of the Newman Library at Virginia Tech

How to put joy at the centre of the university library

The role of the university library is poised for re-evaluation – not just as an academic hub but as a space where connection, belonging and access can come alive in everyday ways. Pro tip: cake and dogs help. Kayla McNabb explains

Kayla McNabb

Virginia Tech

Seven questions to ask when reforming academic skills services

With academic skills services facing a perfect storm of challenges, many are under review. Here’s how to make sure your students’ needs are being effectively met, through seven questions

Steve Briggs, Ralitsa Kantcheva

University of Bedfordshire

Students as climate champions: a road map for universities

Universities must empower students to lead the fight against climate change. From green initiatives to student-led campaigns, here’s how to embed sustainability across all aspects of university life

Manjushree G Naik

Manipal Academy of Higher Education

‘Resilience isn’t innate – it is a skill that can be learned’

Core aspects of university life – education, encouragement and experience – are key to cultivating belonging and resilience in students. Here, Paulin Straughan explains how a framework of programmes and activities brings them together

Paulin Straughan

Singapore Management University

Students discussing a group project in class

How I teach students to assess each other’s work

Peer marking helps students build valuable skills and reflect on their own work. Here’s how to make the process smooth and effective

Anirudha Poria

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Two people gently hold a tiny sprouting plant

How to collaborate on eco education – and how not to

When embedding sustainability education into the curriculum, barriers to interdisciplinary collaboration can limit progress. So, what needs to change?

Aideen Foley, Dale Mineshima-Lowe

Birkbeck, University of London, Parami University

Creating a visual story to demystify the university experience

Visual stories can help make universities’ complex array of services and experiences more accessible and less mysterious to staff, students and community members

Brooke Szücs, Ben Roden-Cohen

The University of Queensland

Students working together in the library

How student-led research can build belonging and agency

A project that hired students as co-researchers to explore inclusion and connection resulted in higher levels of agency and belonging. Here, the academics behind the scheme share what they learnt

Jen Coleman, Vicki McDermott-Thompson

The University of East Anglia

How inclusive design can transform student well-being: a spiritual perspective

Integrate the sacred into the secular by making interfaith spaces inclusive for all. Here’s how

Yusuf Kaplan

University of Westminster

Creativity is buffering: why curiosity struggles in a world obsessed with certainty

Creative work demands exploration and uncertainty, but students today have been conditioned to expect fixed outcomes and instant answers. David Thompson explores how that mindset is stalling curiosity and what educators can do to restore it

David Thompson

University of Lincoln

Top down view of people working on a table around an image of the globe

How can we decarbonise knowledge production?

An interdisciplinary approach that includes the institutions most affected by climate change is essential if higher education is to achieve net zero, argues Priya Vijaykumar Poojary

Priya Vijaykumar Poojary

Manipal Academy of Higher Education

An illustration of a group of people crossing a drawstring bridge from one head to another

To foster belonging, make a cultural shift

Here’s how to hone your EDI practices and make your university an anti-discriminatory institution

Denise Coles

Loughborough University

The power of partnerships in preventing regional talent drain

How one university collaborated with another institution and local employers to address region-specific skills gaps and retain graduates locally – plus advice for others looking to do the same

Hanna Hopkinson

Peer review and career developing in university teaching

Peer review as a collegial approach to educator development

Expert support, structured reflection and near-peer dialogue can replace compliance and evaluation as a way to improve teaching practice. This practical framework aims to turn conversation into action

Hasti Abbasi

Deakin University

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