Professional insight from UCL

University College London (UCL) is a global top 10 university, set up 200 years ago to offer education for all, regardless of faith or social status.

A large globe statue in a campus building

Make laboratory teaching greener with VR

Virtual reality should not replace hands-on laboratory teaching. Used well, it can make practical science more sustainable by reducing avoidable waste and helping staff use real laboratory time more effectively

Stephen Hilton, Blanka Hilton

UCL, University of Kent

A student looks up from a book to check his smartphone

Equip students to champion human creativity over machine outputs

Publishing educators are ideally placed to encourage students to see through the GenAI hype and recognise the value of human creativity. Explore and reflect on the tools with these tips

Simon Rowberry

UCL

Students and a professor in class discussing AI

Why AI literacy must be discipline specific

A one-size-fits-all approach to AI training risks leaving students unprepared for the discipline-specific demands of their future careers. Rose Luckin explores what field-specific AI literacy looks like in practice

Rose Luckin

UCL

Developing more nuanced research on and for LGBTQ+ staff

Strengthening data collection on LGBTQ+ staff supports fairer, more responsive equality policies. Emma Jones and Simon Lock outline strategies

Emma Jones, Simon Lock

UCL

A team of professionals brainstorming in an office

Making a university people strategy real

A university-wide plan to improve working culture works best when team leaders take ownership of it. Donna Dalrymple offers guidance on translating strategy into meaningful change

Donna Dalrymple

UCL

From library to dance floor: how I created an academic Eurotrance album

Academics can use AI-enabled music platforms to transform complex research into their own singles or albums reaching thousands of listeners. Andrew Hudson-Smith explains how

Andrew Hudson-Smith

UCL

A guide to help journal editorial boards introduce ECRs to academic publishing

Academic publishing can be a harsh landscape. Here, a partnership model offers language and strategies to support new authors as they navigate early submissions and review

Jesper Hansen, Kristy Campbell

UCL, King’s College London

Four hands each with a puzzle piece that together makes up an image of the planet

Empower students as co-creators in sustainability education

Co-creation in education for sustainable development empowers students to shape meaningful projects, build practical skills and drive institutional change, as demonstrated by a collaborative initiative between two London-based institutions

Multiple authors

UCL, Queen Mary University of London

A group of educators designing a curriculum

Institutions must work together to build innovative curricula

Collaboration across institutions can drive real curriculum innovation. This guide shares lessons from two east London-based institutions on building partnerships for sustainability and community-based learning

Stephanie Fuller, Rehan Shah, Anne Preston

UCL, Queen Mary University of London

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

‘Departmental orthodoxies silence dissent and chill scholarly enquiry’

Universities have not handled ongoing challenges around free speech, protest, academic freedom and safety well, writes John Hyman. Here he offers short- and long-term actions to promote secure, pluralistic campuses

John Hyman

UCL

Principles and practicalities of partnership working with students

For effective co-creation with students, university leaders need to move beyond surveys and get them involved in decision-making. The Russell Group institutions together set out best practice steps for doing this

Deborah Gill, Simon To

University of Southampton, UCL

Tackling declining attendance with the ‘show up’ mindset

A model that instils in students a commitment to ‘showing up’ from day one includes practical strategies for improving attendance and fostering long-term engagement

Maya Cara, Nina Seppala

UCL

Campus Talks: A brighter future for academic publishing

Hear from two academics who are developing publishing solutions that encourage and underpin quality research practices and improve access to scholarly work

Paul Ayris, Philipp Koellinger

UCL, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Welcome to your virtual reality-based classroom

VR innovation can make education truly inclusive and sustainable. Here’s how academics at UCL and Marmara University developed a virtual reality-based building

Stephen Hilton, Blanka Hilton

UCL, University of Kent

An illustration of tiny figures in white coats examining a cartoon brain

Three tips when creating a one-of-a-kind undergraduate degree

Building an integrated undergraduate degree in clinical neurology offered Tim Young a blank slate to work with. Here is how he made it unique

Tim Young

UCL

Female lab technicians carrying out experiments

Developing interdisciplinary courses for tomorrow’s scholars

Many universities are developing new interdisciplinary degree programmes to prepare students for working across sectors on complex issues. But how can we engage faculty in this whole-institution approach?

Anne Preston, Katherine Fletcher

UCL

Pledges and charters in medical schools: catalysts for change or performative promises?

Pledges demonstrating support in addressing issues such as racism and misogyny will often garner interest and may even attract pockets of funding. But they also risk oversimplifying complex problems, writes Lois Haruna-Cooper

Lois Haruna-Cooper

UCL

Female accountange speaking to a colleague in an office

How can accounting educators cultivate highly sought-after graduates?

Accounting education must prepare graduates with the skills to thrive in a profession that is experiencing radical changes

Susan Smith , Richard Murphy

UCL, University of Sheffield

How to harness community knowledge to tackle complex policy challenges

Working with local communities can help uncover new insights to tackle complex social policy challenges. Saffron Woodcraft and Joseph Cook explain how to set up high-impact citizen social science research

Saffron Woodcraft, Joseph Cook

UCL

Universities on Fire climate change podcast

Campus talks: unlocking people power through citizen science

Find out how engaging non-academics in research can uncover and disperse new knowledge and ways of thinking that help shape solutions to seemingly intractable problems

Henrietta L. Moore , Joel Bitok, Alan Irwin

UCL, Copenhagen Business School

Unlock knowledge within local communities through citizen social science

With regional prosperity now central to the UK government’s thinking, universities need to transform the way they conduct research to respond to emerging needs and provide solutions to today’s social, economic and environmental issues

Henrietta L. Moore

UCL

I’d tell my younger self that my chequered past would be my strength

With the benefit of hindsight, Anson Mackay re-examines their career path to see lessons in self-compassion and being their authentic self in collaboration and the classroom

Anson W. Mackay

UCL

Young researchers work together on a green city project

Building blocks of university-industry partnerships for positive change

How universities can develop strategic cross-sector partnerships and trans-disciplinary research in order to boost progress towards the SDGs

Tim Bodley-Scott, Ersel Oymak

UCL

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

Does the UK need an observatory for university engagement with policymakers?

Any such project would need to guard against numerous pitfalls, but the benefits in terms of bringing together various initiatives and engendering new skills could be great

Jonathan Breckon , Sarah Chaytor , Kayleigh Renberg-Fawcett

Capabilities in Academic Policy Engagement (CAPE), Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN), UCL

Enable learners to become confident digital explorers

Universities must help students develop digital skills and competencies that will set them up for successful lives after they graduate

Mike Cooray, Rikke Duus

Hult International Business School (Ashridge), UCL

Playful learning: how to get started

Incorporating play into your teaching promotes student engagement and participation, explains Giskin Day and offers tips on how to get started

Giskin Day, Marcus Pedersen

Imperial College London, UCL

Illustration of person pulling a Covid-19 virus

Coping with long Covid: 10 strategies for academics

Long Covid would hit anyone hard, no matter their job – but academia’s culture of high stress, high workloads and high expectations makes the impact greater still. Here, Kerstin Sailer offers advice for scholars living with the condition’s often debilitating symptoms

Kerstin Sailer

UCL

How professional practitioners help connect crime theory with real-world investigations

Bringing professional practitioners into classes to share real-world case studies helps students contextualise learning and see how theories play out in reality. Paul McFarlane explains how this works on his crime science courses

Paul McFarlane

UCL

A male academic studying in a university library

What can universities do to improve routes into HE for displaced academics?

Efforts to support Ukrainian academics offer lessons in how individual institutions can improve pathways into UK higher education for displaced scholars now and in the future, write Uta Staiger and Freya Proudman

Uta Staiger , Freya Proudman

UCL

Diversity statements in higher education can embed inequality more deeply

Embedding equality, diversity and inclusion within public policy training for academics

Steps higher education institutions can take to make their policy engagement training programmes as diverse and inclusive as possible, based on the experience of a UK university

Audrey Tan

UCL

5 ways to become an innovator in higher education

Breaking down norms can seem as disruptive as it is necessary to success – but strategies such as active listening and embodying change can help smooth the path

Nicole Brown

UCL

We know that university students want to learn together

Let’s harness students’ desire for interaction to define the future of learning

We know that students want to learn together. That information should underpin how we allocate resources to best serve their needs, say Derfel Owen and Ant Bagshaw

Derfel Owen, Ant Bagshaw

UCL, Online Education Services

Webinar discussion how to reduce student drop out rates in the context of the pandemic and online learning

What is the long-term impact of online learning?

Online learning looks set to remain central to the delivery of higher education long after the pandemic. In this webinar Maryanne Dever and Diana Laurillard discuss what the long-term impact of this might be, on teaching, student support, well-being and the sector as a whole

Maryanne Dever, Diana Laurillard

Australian National University, UCL

Supervisor bullying of PhD students is a stain on universities and higher education

Bullying by supervisors is alive and well – now is the time to tackle it

The arrangements that trap PhD students in toxic relationships with abusive supervisors must be reformed – here’s how, says Timothy Ijoyemi

Timothy Ijoyemi

UCL

Examples of online activities and tools that encourage collaborative learning

Engaging students in collaborative learning tasks online

Diana Laurillard presents ideas and tools for students to create their own digital products as part of a collaborative learning task

Diana Laurillard

UCL

Webinar discussion how to reduce student drop out rates in the context of the pandemic and online learning

Five big questions about the future of digital education

Four leading academics tackle five questions about online education covering assessment, content creation, data protection, digital natives and the future of universities

Ellie Dommett, Rob Freathy, Allison Littlejohn, Tim O'Shea

King’s College London, The University of Exeter, UCL, Kortext

Advice on digital methods of formative assessment which aid deep learning

Digital methods of formative assessment that boost learning

Diana Laurillard presents strategies for effective formative assessment when teaching online

Diana Laurillard

UCL

How to use a free online learning design tool which applies the Conversational Framework to build courses

Applying the Conversational Framework using an online learning design tool

Diana Laurillard talks through how to use a free online learning design tool which applies the Conversational Framework to build courses using the six key learning types

Diana Laurillard

UCL

How to teach students the value of collaborative working through peer review processes

Supporting collaborative learning among remote students through peer review

Diana Laurillard talks through how to use peer review as a way to foster active, collaborative learning among students online

Diana Laurillard

UCL

Advice on supporting students locked down overseas via digital channels

Ensuring quality digital teaching for students locked down overseas

Parama Chaudhury offers advice on how to help international students continue their studies while stuck in their home countries during the pandemic

Parama Chaudhury

UCL

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

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

THE podcast: making the case for better faculty training

How should the role of academics evolve to ensure students receive the high quality teaching they deserve?

Brian Schmidt, Alexandra Mihai

Australian National University, UCL

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

Take steps to ensure a safe and respectful online learning environment through good ‘netiquette’

Netiquette: encouraging good behaviour in online classes

Online teaching can blur boundaries between home and university, so lecturers must take steps to ensure a safe and respectful online learning environment through good ‘netiquette’. Sam Smidt and Joanna Stroud explain how

Sam Smidt, Joanna Stroud

UCL

Reimagining higher education teaching and learning for remote and online courses

THE Digital Transformation Forum: Reimagining higher education teaching and learning

Four academics offer practical advice on different aspects of online teaching and learning based on lessons from the rapid pivot to remote courses triggered by Covid-19

Alexandra Mihai, Angus Cheung, Maha Bali, Tom Wigham

UCL, The University of Edinburgh, American University in Cairo, University of Groningen

Adapting teaching to get the most out of your synchronous online classes

Optimise your synchronous online classes

Teaching online requires adaptations to in-person teaching, whatever your level of experience. Jesper Hansen explains what key changes he has made to his teaching practice to optimise his synchronous online classes

Jesper Hansen

UCL

How to encourage peer to peer learning when teaching online courses

The power of peer to peer: how and why to encourage your students to learn from each other

Peer-to-peer learning brings major benefits for students and instructors. Here, Zachary Walker explains how to encourage your students to learn from each other and why this can be so effective when teaching online

Zachary Walker

UCL

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