Spruce up lectures to capture the interest of all students A guide to making lectures more interactive learning experiences that keep students interestedVitalia Kinakh The University of Manchester
Raising aspirations: lessons in running a young scholars programmeWidening access to higher education for children from disadvantaged backgrounds is a priority for UK universities. Here, Valsa Koshy outlines lessons from a successful programme for primary school pupilsValsa KoshyBrunel University London
How immediate feedback motivates both students and educators Digital tools can give teachers on-the-spot feedback from students and students access to their results and progress in real time. László Tornóci looks at a changing landscape from both sides László Tornóci Semmelweis University
Actions to help your university stand out in a crowdWith competition for students fiercer than ever in the higher education sector, Ayten Ordu outlines some of the ways universities can achieve higher visibilityAyten OrduNear East 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 KightThe University of Exeter
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 panelsSam RussellArden University
I’m finally ready to admit that I’m an academic who suffers from depressionI’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 DerounianJames DerounianUniversity of Bolton
Generation Z presents new challenges for medical educationDigitally savvy and adapted to rapid change, this cohort of future doctors needs emotional support and help managing expectations and setbacksGyörgy PureblSemmelweis University
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 educationRushana KhusainovaThe University of Bristol
Don’t forget online learning in your university marketingUniversity marketing often focuses on the campus experience, so what should institutions do to make prospective students aware of their online course offering?Ari BadlishahThe University of Edinburgh
How to succeed at policy engagement, part two: mapping the landscapeIn 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 withJo CliftJo Clift Consulting
How to run a marketing campaign in a devolved university Advice on co-ordinating a university-wide marketing campaign in a large, devolved organisationHeather MacBainThe University of Edinburgh
University brand communities: building reputation among different audiencesUniversities 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 BoothThe University of Bristol
Bingo! Try bringing games into your staff trainingTo 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, Sean PorterThe University of Exeter
How to get students to play their part in the flipped classroomThe flipped classroom is the perfect pedagogy for the information age – but our classes must not punish students who struggle to engage when learning independentlyDoug Specht, Gunter SaundersUniversity of Westminster
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 CarvalhoThe University of Edinburgh
A 100-year-old principle for teaching students digital study skillsA guide to helping students improve their digital study skills through experiential learningJennie FoxThe University of Exeter
Phenomenon-based learning: what, why and howPhenomenon-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 educationSue Lee, Kate CuthbertUniversity of Staffordshire
Ten actions lecturers can take to boost black students’ belongingA 10-step guide to how lecturers can improve the experience of black students studying in predominantly white institutionsPatrice SeuwouUniversity of Northampton
Want students back in the classroom? Don’t give everything away onlineEmpty classrooms are an unfortunate reality of post-pandemic universities. To stop this, we need to explain the fundamentals of learning and tempt students backHarriet Dunbar-MorrisThe University of Portsmouth
We must reverse the rapid erosion of student oracyThe inexorable march of technology is leading to fewer direct conversations in universities – here’s how to help your students improve their oral skillsRichard WillisUniversity of Sussex, University of South Wales
The hows and whys of improved interactions with international studentsStrategies for overcoming potential cultural differences and supporting better academic-international student relationshipsLenka Janik BlaskovaThe University of Exeter
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 ExeterEleanor Cook, Emma Norman, Tian YanThe University of Exeter
I moved to Sweden as an early career researcher – here’s what I learnedThe 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 soFederica Di BiaseUniversity of Salerno , University of Naples Federico II
Students learn better on caring campuses – here’s how to create oneTeaching the whole student and promoting authenticity will instil belonging on your campus and combat the social isolation that so many students face, says Kim SamuelKim Samuel University of Oxford
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 McFarlanePaul McFarlaneUCL
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 voiceJohn WarrenIndependent academic
How reverse mentoring helps co-create institutional knowledgeReverse 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 knowledgeMonika FosterNorthumbria University
Pedagogic paradigm 4.0: bringing students, educators and AI togetherHow should universities navigate the emerging triad of students, educators and artificial intelligence-powered applications? Isabel Fischer offers her suggestionsIsabel Fischer The University of Warwick
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 WambaTBS Education
Lessons learned from building a new university premisesRick Trainor reflects on the trials and tribulations of constructing a new, multipurpose building from scratch at the University of OxfordRick TrainorUniversity of Oxford
How to succeed at policy engagement, part one: define your purposeIn 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 succeedJo CliftJo Clift Consulting
What should universities think about when redesigning their campuses?A university is a multifunctional space where collaboration is increasingly important, so new designs must consider who will use it and howDenise MedcraffArcadis IBI Group
Universities must think smarter when devising edtech strategies for the futureThe ideal vision is one where AI and faculty work together to deliver the best outcomes, rather than a two-tier system where the less privileged are left with a low-cost, automated educationSarah GrantImperial College London
Defining impact: a shift in thinking, acting and beingWhat is impact? And, more importantly, how do universities foster and measure it? Here is a plan to raise impact awareness, literacy and readinessIgor Campillo, Glória Nunes, Iñigo PuertasEnlight European University, Euskampus Fundazioa
Virtually writing together: creating community while supporting individual endeavourLessons in setting up and running a virtual writing group that facilitates individual and collaborative work through a supportive community of practiceKaren KennyThe University of Exeter
Creating ‘third spaces’ will revolutionise your campusInformal communal spaces bring multiple benefits, from encouraging interdisciplinarity to helping with net zero targets, says Jerry TateJerry TateTate and Co
Rather than waiting to be told, here’s how to do something about online harmsEmma Bond and Andy Phippen outline what institutions can do to better support their students (and staff) when tackling online harmsEmma Bond, Andy PhippenUniversity of Suffolk, Bournemouth University
The five key steps for getting the best out of a flipped classroomFrom planning properly to understanding cognitive load, Aaron Taylor reveals how to engender greater student engagement and motivation through the flipped classroomAaron TaylorArden University
Keep calm and carry on: ChatGPT doesn’t change a thing for academic integrityChatGPT is a technological advancement on an already present risk of academic integrity, therefore the same careful approach to assessment design is required to minimise cheating, write Patrick Harte and Fawad KhaleelPatrick Harte , Fawad KhaleelEdinburgh Napier University
How to embed service to society within the educational experienceHelen Coulshed and Jeanne Wilson discuss their experience creating an interdisciplinary “service” module to challenge gender inequalities in local schoolsHelen Coulshed , Jeanne WilsonKing’s College London
Good daily work habits for early career researchersA collection of good daily work habits that will help early career researchers flourish, based on insight from a number of academics Kelly Louise PreeceThe University of Exeter
When is a percentage not a percentage? The problem with HE marking practicesWhen an assessor awards a percentage to an essay, report or similar piece of work, this is a subjective mark rather than a genuine percentage – and this is deeply problematicAndy GraysonNottingham Trent University
Can asking for students’ perception of assessment improve fairness?Clear, fair assignments and grading criteria can improve not only students’ perceptions but also the reputation of the whole university, writes Philipp SonnleitnerPhilipp SonnleitnerUniversity of Luxembourg
Listening, learning and responding to disabled studentsLessons from a group of disabled postgraduate researchers on steps that every university and tutor can take to better support disabled studentsJackie Carter, Laura HowardThe University of Manchester
Those of us with dyspraxia are frequently affected by academic ableismThe actions, inertia and discretion of individual academics can be a key driver of ableism – here’s what you and your institution can do to help, says John MacklinJohn MacklinUniversity of East London
Ten steps to recruitment equity for disabled academicsDisabled academics are under-represented across university departments. Becky Alexis-Martin and Jennifer Leigh share 10 strategies to enhance disability inclusion throughout the academic recruitment processBecky Alexis-Martin, Jennifer LeighUniversity of Kent
10 ways universities can reject ableismWilliam E. Donald and Larisa Yarovaya outline 10 clear ways universities can tackle ableism to create a sense of belonging for disabled students and staffWilliam E. Donald, Larisa Yarovaya Ronin Institute, University of Southampton
Six ingredients for successful digital transformation For forward-thinking universities, technology is not an afterthought but a core part of their activities. Here, Nick Skelton distils insight from UK higher education leaders into six components of successful digital integrationNick SkeltonJisc
The House Cup: promoting qualitative grading in mathematicsUsing qualitative instead of numerical grading in mathematics supports meaningful feedback that helps students improve the quality of their work, Jean-Baptiste Gramain explains Jean-Baptiste GramainUniversity of Aberdeen
