Feature article

Actions to help your university stand out in a crowd

With competition for students fiercer than ever in the higher education sector, Ayten Ordu outlines some of the ways universities can achieve higher visibility

Ayten Ordu

Near East University

illustration of a man climbing a mountain with flag on top

Restructuring a university, part two

When funding pressures made it clear that the University of Alberta had to change, it overhauled its entire way of working. Here, president Bill Flanagan explains how they did it

Bill Flanagan

University of Alberta

Summit of Ha Ling Mountain with Rundle Range and Banff National Park, Alberta, Canadian Rockies in the background

Restructuring a university, part one

When Bill Flanagan took the helm, the University of Alberta was facing a $222 million funding cut – 20 per cent of the university’s operating budget. In this two-part article, he explains how the university undertook a historic overhaul

Bill Flanagan

University of Alberta

How to write more compelling awards entries

How to write better awards entries

From conducting in-depth interviews to telling the whole story, Sam Russell provides top tips for crafting a compelling narrative that will appeal to awards panels

Sam Russell

Arden University

What should be inside a teaching toolkit?

Teaching practices and student support are highly contextual so how can academic developers create institutional ‘toolkits’ that meet the needs of staff across different schools and departments?

Eleanor Cook, Rachel Griffiths , Caitlin Kight

The University of Exeter

I’m finally ready to admit that I’m an academic who suffers from depression

I’m opening up because those of us hounded by mental health issues should not have to add fear of job loss and stigmatisation to our list of concerns, says James Derounian

James Derounian

University of Bolton

Depressed student hiding face on arms in front of laptop

Generation Z presents new challenges for medical education

Digitally savvy and adapted to rapid change, this cohort of future doctors needs emotional support and help managing expectations and setbacks

György Purebl

Semmelweis University

Cubes showing different social media icons

Steps to building a winning online presence for your university

The majority of students now research universities online, so this is a vital component of marketing. David Riley lays out the foundations of building a strong online presence

David Riley

The University of the West Indies

The four-day week in higher education: can we make it work?

With a culture of overwork eroding well-being among UK university staff, could a four-day working week be part of the solution? Rushana Khusainova looks at whether this mode of working is feasible in higher education

Rushana Khusainova

The University of Bristol

Don’t forget online learning in your university marketing

University marketing often focuses on the campus experience, so what should institutions do to make prospective students aware of their online course offering?

Ari Badlishah

The University of Edinburgh

Middle-aged woman with laptop looking out office window

You’re not alone: tips to help academics avoid social isolation

Connections with colleagues matter – without them, support during periods of reappointment, promotion or tenure can feel tenuous. And those unwritten expectations of collegiality become opaque, explains Karen Z. Sproles

Karyn Z. Sproles

United States Naval Academy

Mapping the policy landscape as an academic

How to succeed at policy engagement, part two: mapping the landscape

In the second part of her series on policy engagement, Jo Clift advises how to build a picture of the policy landscape in your area of interest and establish who to engage with

Jo Clift

Jo Clift Consulting

A team of colleagues brainstorming ideas

How to run a marketing campaign in a devolved university

Advice on co-ordinating a university-wide marketing campaign in a large, devolved organisation

Heather MacBain

The University of Edinburgh

Scales, stars and numbers: the question of evaluation

Marking schemes are a recurring source of contention in academic discussions, where the key word is evaluation. Daniel Jutras offers a brief reflection on the art of grading and feedback

Daniel Jutras

University of Montreal

Research competitions and university sutdents

Tactics for leading and engaging students in research competitions

Research competitions can motivate, encourage and inspire students, but we must align their expectations and encourage teamwork throughout the project

Zheng Pai

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

University brand communities: building reputation among different audiences

Universities are complex organisations with multiple audiences and stakeholders. How can fostering a strong brand community help their reputations to stand out from others?

Sotiris T. Lalaounis, William S. Harvey , Corinna Booth

The University of Bristol

Illustration of young woman doing an online course

Three features that will make your Mooc stand out

Learning designers and educators should focus on creating value for learners that goes beyond Mooc content. In this article, Temesgen Kifle and Ben Cossalter share innovative features that drive belonging and engagement

Temesgen Kifle, Ben Cossalter

The University of Queensland

Penalising students who struggle with the flipped classroom doesn't help

How to get students to play their part in the flipped classroom

The flipped classroom is the perfect pedagogy for the information age – but our classes must not punish students who struggle to engage when learning independently

Doug Specht, Gunter Saunders

University of Westminster

Bingo! Try bringing games into your staff training

To engage professional service staff with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, a team at the University of Exeter took a novel approach, creating SDG Bingo. Here’s how they did it

Eleanor Cook

The University of Exeter

Group of four multi-racial people holding speech balloons

Small talk: love it or leave it, but teach it to your TAs

Casual conversation fosters a sense of belonging, but it’s not a universal skill. Sarah Kegley details a short workshop that helps international teaching assistants feel at ease making small talk

Sarah Kegley

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

AI text detectors: a stairway to heaven or hell?

The emergence of GPTZero, OpenAI’s text classifier and Turnitin’s AI detector bring a risk of over-reliance on AI classifiers. Are they a solution or a further problem to be solved?

Miguel de Carvalho

The University of Edinburgh

A 100-year-old principle for teaching students digital study skills

A guide to helping students improve their digital study skills through experiential learning

Jennie Fox

The University of Exeter

Student ROI is becoming a major factor in study abroad decisions

Is your university worth the investment for international students?

International student concerns have changed in recent years, and traditional study-abroad destinations need to keep up

Cagri Bagcioglu

Cintana Education

illustration-photo composite of people seated around jigsaw pieces

Phenomenon-based learning: what, why and how

Phenomenon-based learning empowers students to apply disciplinary knowledge to real-world situations. Here, Sue Lee and Kate Cuthbert outline the principles of PhBL and how it can be adopted in higher education

Sue Lee, Kate Cuthbert

University of Staffordshire

Five steps for creating the ideal home office

With more and more academics and staff working from home, Pablo A. Torres outlines some of the areas to consider to make it a comfortable, productive experience

Pablo A. Torres

Tecnológico de Monterrey

A black student raising their hand in class.

Ten actions lecturers can take to boost black students’ belonging

A 10-step guide to how lecturers can improve the experience of black students studying in predominantly white institutions

Patrice Seuwou

University of Northampton

Giving away all content online does not encourage student attendance

Want students back in the classroom? Don’t give everything away online

Empty classrooms are an unfortunate reality of post-pandemic universities. To stop this, we need to explain the fundamentals of learning and tempt students back

Harriet Dunbar-Morris

The University of Portsmouth

Female student working while referring to books

How to manage assessment feedback in large classes? Get students involved

Delivering quality feedback for every individual student in a large class can be challenging. That is where peer feedback can help if structured and guided effectively, write four teaching academics

Steven Bateman, Shi-Min How, Chew Ging Lee , Jie Zhang

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University , University of Southampton Malaysia

So you want to host an international online conference?

How hard can it be to stage an online conference? Don’t you just book a whole bunch of Zooms and send out invites? Well, yes and no. Here are five key takeaways from our experience as rookies to conference organisation

John Weldon, Loretta Konjarski, Bert Oraison

Victoria University

Black university student making his voice heard

We must reverse the rapid erosion of student oracy

The inexorable march of technology is leading to fewer direct conversations in universities – here’s how to help your students improve their oral skills

Richard Willis

University of Sussex, University of South Wales

A lecturer sitting on a desk speaking to students in an informal manner

The hows and whys of improved interactions with international students

Strategies for overcoming potential cultural differences and supporting better academic-international student relationships

Lenka Janik Blaskova

The University of Exeter

Allyship for LGBTQ+ in academia and universities

What LGBTQ+ allyship means in academia

Being a queer person who very much appreciates allyship and who tries to be a good ally to others has taught me a few things, says Lucas Lixinski

Lucas Lixinski

UNSW Sydney

How can we encourage students to seek academic assistance ethically?

Following years researching paid academic support methods, Joel Heng Hartse suggests solutions that can help beat “academic help” companies at their own game

Joel Heng Hartse

Simon Fraser University

Reframing feedback as a valuable learning tool

How to help students appreciate feedback as a useful aid to learning so that they engage with it in a productive way

Joseph Tinsley

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

A play manual for academic development and skills

A three-pronged guide to introducing play into university teaching, based on its successful use in staff training at the University of Exeter

Eleanor Cook, Emma Norman, Tian Yan

The University of Exeter

Young woman looks to horizon with binoculars

Towards 2035: a future view of university education

What will higher education be like by 2035? Four early-career academics at Australian universities, from different discipline areas, offer a vision of how universities might evolve and adapt to future technologies and workplace demands

Isaac Akefe, Lauren Carpenter, Graham Lee, Jessica Leonard

The University of Queensland , Queensland University of Technology

Online teaching competencies to get started

Five key competencies for successful digital teaching

From energising your class to encouraging collaboration, these tips from Carolina Lara Robles and Cynthia Enciso Centeno will help make your online classes a success

Carolina Lara Robles , Cynthia Enciso Centeno

Tecnológico de Monterrey

I moved to Sweden as an early career researcher – here’s what I learned

The pursuit of an academic career can mean moving to a different country. Here, Federica Di Biase shares lessons for early-career researchers who want to move to Sweden or have already done so

Federica Di Biase

University of Salerno , University of Naples Federico II

Students learn better on caring campuses – here’s how to create one

Teaching the whole student and promoting authenticity will instil belonging on your campus and combat the social isolation that so many students face, says Kim Samuel

Kim Samuel

University of Oxford

Young Asian man jumping through circular obstacles

Building resilience in students: give them roots and wings

Teachers can act as their students’ strongest supporters and life coaches, assisting them in acquiring the knowledge, abilities and resilience they need to face life’s challenges

Cheong Fan

Macau University of Science and Technology

Checklists and other course quality evaluation tools

Seven steps to make an effective course quality evaluation instrument

Tools such as rubrics and checklists are increasingly common for monitoring the quality of courses, so how do we choose the best one for our purposes?

Richard McInnes

Adelaide University

Image showing someone forging their own path, off the main road

On students’ terms: offering options in assessment to empower learning

By giving students some control over how they are assessed, educators are likely to see a marked increase in engagement and motivation, writes Paul McFarlane

Paul McFarlane

UCL

University Challenge quiz show helps degree courses

Your starter for 10: how can a TV quiz format help courses avoid extinction?

With some courses struggling to recruit, John Warren explains how a University Challenge-style quiz can breathe new life into ailing degrees and empower the student voice

John Warren

Independent academic

Older professional woman and young professional woman working together at laptop

How reverse mentoring helps co-create institutional knowledge

Reverse mentoring flips traditional power hierarchies, seeks connections across generations and offers opportunities to build relationships between students and faculty. The result boosts leadership skills and institutional knowledge

Monika Foster

Northumbria University

Image representing AI and teaching and learning

Pedagogic paradigm 4.0: bringing students, educators and AI together

How should universities navigate the emerging triad of students, educators and artificial intelligence-powered applications? Isabel Fischer offers her suggestions

Isabel Fischer

The University of Warwick

Earth-centred education is required to solve the climate crisis

Transformative change is needed to deliver Earth-centred education

The time for incrementalism is over. As responsible humans and academic professionals we must radically rethink the purposes and processes of education and development

Mark Fettes

Simon Fraser University

Student considering a question at their laptop

How can we teach and assess with ChatGPT?

A guide to designing teaching and assessments that encourage students to learn with and about ChatGPT

Soumyadeb Chowdhury , Samuel Fosso Wamba

TBS Education

Architecture and new university buildings at Oxford University

Lessons learned from building a new university premises

Rick Trainor reflects on the trials and tribulations of constructing a new, multipurpose building from scratch at the University of Oxford

Rick Trainor

University of Oxford

Elevator pitch and policy engagement with your research

How to succeed at policy engagement, part one: define your purpose

In the first of her series on policy engagement, Jo Clift provides guidance on the importance of knowing what you’re trying to achieve in order to succeed

Jo Clift

Jo Clift Consulting

professional woman in office with laptop with head in hands

How to use failure to build an academic career

Failure can be a stepping stone on the way to professional success. Here, Beiting He offers tips for finding support through setbacks and cultivating a resilience mindset

Beiting He

Macau University of Science and Technology

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