Feature article

VR can be used to improve students' mental well-being

How the shores of a VR island promote student well-being and social connections

Virtual reality environments can create safe and relaxing spaces for students, offering them mindfulness meditation and social connection, says Pete Bridge

Pete Bridge

University of Liverpool

A hand adds the final building block to a small tower

How to help students get the best out of blended learning

What are students looking for in their hybrid classrooms? Bavani Divo, Miriam Wun and Eric Chua discuss their recent findings from student focus groups on the subject

Bavani Divo, Eric Chua, Miriam Wun

Singapore Institute of Technology

A blueprint for supporting students affected by forced migration

Higher education institutions should be places of safety, solidarity and empowerment for people affected by forced migration. Here’s how the Universities of Sanctuary Network is working towards this aim

Madeleine Dutton, Sophie North

The University of East Anglia

Embrace the chaos of real-world learning experiences

Unaccompanied student assignments abroad are a terrifying but essential part of the high-fidelity learning mix. Here, Jim Entwistle shares his four key points of assignments beyond the safety net

Jim Entwistle

Teesside University

Let’s make the international student experience as valuable as the degree

Given the unique challenges international students face, how can universities create an inclusive and supportive community? Educators share suggestions for helping international students thrive

Multiple authors

Adelaide University

Resilience and empowerment: reframing the narrative for first-gen students

First-generation students bring resilience and determination to their college journey. Based on her own experience, Lisa M. Lee explains how universities can support students from a place of strength rather than deficit

Lisa M. Lee

Virginia Tech

A woman sits in front of a laptop with a Zoom meeting taking place onscreen

Want to advance students’ self-learning? Look at your course design

Building self-learning into your blended learning courses will help students grow in confidence. Tan Chin Pei outlines the structures and support needed

Tan Chin Pei

Singapore Institute of Technology

Three strategies for building healthy student relationships online

Icebreakers and peer-to-peer support are just some of the ways to cultivate a friendly online learning environment where connections between students can flourish

Becca Edwards

The University of Colorado Boulder

Small business owner working in inventory

Teaching business students how to prepare sustainability reports for SMEs

In engaging with small and medium-sized enterprises, universities can raise SMEs’ awareness of their own climate impacts. Here, Ven Tauringana shares a model for teaching accounting students how to produce sustainability reports

Ven Tauringana

University of Southampton

A row of matches becomes increasingly more burnt out

Stamp out burnout early on: how to spot the signs and what to do about them

Academic life has always been a breeding ground for burnout. Şerife Eyüpoğlu of Near East University points out the warning signs of extreme exhaustion

Şerife Eyüpoğlu

Near East University

Tips for effectively communicating your research’s impact

Finding ways to communicate the impact of your research can sometimes be a hurdle. Here, Lyn R. Keith outlines effective ways to overcome it and extend the reach of your work

Lyn R. Keith

The University of the West Indies

A buffet table, groaning with food, stretches nearly as far as the eye can see

A smorgasbord of strategies to help international students feel included

Educators are like seasoned chefs with the responsibility to create harmonious classroom environments that celebrate the flavourful cultural diversity of international students, says John Sinclair

John Sinclair

Colorado State University Global

Class full of students with an instructor at the front

Seven ways to tailor your teaching for different class sizes

Useful ways to provide effective learning experiences for all your students, no matter the class size

Gabriela Espínola Carballo , Mariana Estefanía Elizondo

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Animating education: a teaching tool that brings learning to life

Through animation, educators can transform complicated or abstract subjects into accessible narratives, facilitating students’ comprehension and enhancing the learning experience, writes Nigel Bairstow

Nigel Bairstow

University of Technology Sydney

How to teach primary source literacy skills in universities

Primary source literacy instruction is instrumental in teaching transferable critical thinking and research skills that help prepare students for their academic careers and real-life scenarios, write Ariana Varela and Michaela Ullmann

Michaela Ullmann, Ariana Varela

University of Southern California

How to engage your staff in just 15 minutes

You need to get updates and other messages to faculty and staff, but they don’t have much time for internal communications. Here, Kelly Hibbs offers tips to reach a busy audience in a quick, engaging, accessible way

Kelly Hibbs

University of Southampton

A young woman boards a plane in glorious sunshine

What will it take to ensure that international students are treated fairly?

Treatment of international students needs to shift to a social justice approach, and the interim report from Australia’s Universities Accord Panel doesn’t go far enough. Here’s how we can do more

Carly Steele, Sender Dovchin, Ana Tankosić

Curtin University

Don’t keep your distance learners at a distance

Tailored communication, supervision and technology can give distance-learning postgraduate researchers the same sense of belonging as their on-campus counterparts. Here, Richard Thomas offers ways to close the gap

Richard Thomas

University of Leicester

How to support and attract disabled students

What can universities do to attract and support students with disabilities?

How can we effectively support and recruit more students with disabilities into higher education institutions? Husnul Fitri discusses outreach and accessibility

Husnul Fitri

The University of Indonesia

How hard can it be? Testing the dependability of AI detection tools

Students are using artificial intelligence to write essays and other assessment tasks, but can they fool the AI detection tools? Daniel Lee and Edward Palmer put a few to the test

Daniel Lee, Edward Palmer

Adelaide University

Make universities disability-inclusive, part two: co-creation, workloads and promotion processes

Institutions can become more accessible by co-creating or consulting on their university strategies and strategic changes. Other ways include managing student and staff workloads and making promotion processes more equitable

Meredith Wilkinson

De Montfort University

Learning the machine: shaping the future of creative education

Educators should engage with artificial intelligence and other technologies not just as users but as influencers, write Ed D’Souza and Sunil Manghani

Ed D'Souza, Sunil Manghani

University of Southampton

Managing professional jealousy: navigating challenges and fostering growth

Self-awareness, self-improvement, gratitude, open communication and a growth mindset can help you tackle inevitable encounters with jealousy constructively and create a more positive, supportive work environment in the process

Tariq Al-Musawi

Al-Mustaqbal University

A female engineer overseeing a production line

Using simulation games to teach lean manufacturing

Simulation games can improve students’ understanding of lean manufacturing. Here are five tips for incorporating them into your teaching practice

Svetoslav G. Georgiev

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

People in an office collaborating on a project

How to collaborate effectively to support care-experienced students

It’s clear there is still work to be done to support young people with care backgrounds coming into higher education. Here are lessons that Louise Harrison, Kate Murray and Alison Shaw have learned

Alison Shaw , Louise Harrison, Kate Murray

Newcastle University

Trauma-informed approaches can help address bullying in higher education

Universities must take a compassionate, trauma-informed approach when tackling bullying in higher education, argues Glen Cousquer

Glen Cousquer

The University of Edinburgh

How to help postdocs take a holistic look at career choices

After their terminal degrees, many postdocs find themselves at a career crossroads. Here, Karena Nguyen offers four key considerations across background, skills, values and interests to help determine what’s next

Karena Nguyen

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

Teacher in front of a classroom full of students

The joy of simplicity: techniques that motivate, engage and foster learning in lectures

The rise of AI and VR offers educators an array of innovative ways to engage students in lectures, but let’s not forget the simple methods that don’t require any technology, writes Alison Zimmer

Alison Zimmer

The University of Manchester

Helping international students in their transition to US institutions

International students enrich and add value to American campuses. Here, Ashlee Toomey-Flinn offers practical tips for helping them transition successfully into their US university experience

Ashlee Toomey-Flinn

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

How to lose a grant in 10 ways

Want your funding application to be rejected? Have we got some advice for you. But, seriously, don’t do these things and you might just find your perfect grant match

Kathryn Mackinven

University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha

Universities need to get better at using Instagram – here’s how

Instagram is the most effective social media channel to engage students, argues Ned Potter. In this resource, he outlines ways to produce successful content and increase reach

Ned Potter

University of York

Advice for effective cross-team collaboration for research

Research teams that might not usually work together are increasingly required to collaborate. Here, Rob Kadel offers five principles that underpin effective project delivery

Rob Kadel

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

Student at a laptop smiling with a notebook in her hand

Partnering with students to build belonging in a blended learning environment

A sense of belonging and community plays a major role in maximising student engagement. But how can educators cultivate an authentic community?

Reimala Sivalingam

The University of Manchester

Why get a PhD by publication (and other career tips)

Finding the ‘golden thread’ in your academic path can offer an opportunity to reflect and grow, writes James Derounian

James Derounian

University of Bolton

Two students outside campus smiling to camera

How can we create accessible and inclusive learning environments for neurodivergent students?

How can we actively engage neurodivergent students in the classroom? This resource offers practical guidance for fostering accessible and inclusive learning environments that honour diverse thinking and learning styles

Emilie Edwards

Middlesex University

Interdisciplinarity is a core part of AI’s heritage and its future

To train students to engage responsibly with artificial intelligence, a genuinely interdisciplinary perspective – from the language used to recognising that human and machine work in concert – is essential, write Elvin Lim and Jonathan Chase

Elvin Lim , Jonathan Chase

Singapore Management University

How to initiate conversations about belonging

Belonging may not always look the same for all students, but creating opportunities for organic conversations can foster partnerships between staff and students and help us understand what students need

Emma Palmer

University of Hull

Book with tree and compass green concept

How storytelling boosts environmental impact and engagement

Presenting sustainability research in a story – with a protagonist, goal and resolution – can bridge the gap between complex theory and real-world results for wider audiences and policymakers alike

Denise Baden

University of Southampton

Asian woman holding vintage video camera

Using primary sources to tell queer histories

Public records and private lives? In uncovering LGBTQ+ stories in personal archives and impersonal documents, historians should ask questions about how each source engages with gender and sexuality, writes Isabell Dahms

Isabell Dahms

Goldsmiths, University of London

Cooperation and partnership between robot and human stock illustration

Roles for AI to play in the classroom

From supporting classroom debate and discussion to problem-solving and decision-making, here are ways that artificial intelligence can enhance teaching and learning

Carl Follmer

University of Iowa

Two scientists in a lab looking at a laptop

How to drive change in a research group, part one: Using McKinsey’s 7-S framework

Embracing change is vital for research groups that want to make an impact, writes Daniel Moraru. Here, he outlines ways to do this while aligning with shared values that ensure consistency

Daniel Moraru

Shizuoka University

Calculator and hands writing down calculations on a desk

In trust, we trust: ensure transparency in university endowments

Endowment funds are important financial safeguards for universities, but transparency on how they are run and governed is an imperative. Here are some ways institutions can inspire confidence in these fiscal safety nets

Siri Terjesen, Ahmad Al Asady

Florida Atlantic University, North Dakota State University

Bring the SDGs into the classroom through role play and gamification

A case study showing how simulations, role playing and gamification can develop students’ global citizenship and help grand challenges feel more surmountable

Shelini Surendran, Kat Mack, Anand Mistry

University of Surrey

Will ChatGPT change our definitions of cheating?

We can’t yet know if we have a full taxonomy of ChatGPT-enhanced mischief, or whether certain uses should be classed as mischief at all, writes Tom Muir

Tom Muir

Oslo Metropolitan University

What is your academic writing temperament?

Many early career researchers struggle to write enough. The key is to move away from an abstract notion of productivity and towards a productive writing process, explains Rachael Cayley. Here, she offers questions to help ECRs find their writing rhythm

Rachael Cayley

University of Toronto

Navigating the choppy waters of intercultural differences in an international classroom

Farish A. Noor draws on three decades of teaching across different continents to offer advice on the challenges inherent in teaching students from diverse backgrounds

Farish A. Noor  

University of Malaya

Black academic presenting at medical conference

Lots of talk about diversity in corporations, but what about universities?

Why real progress won’t be made unless universities solve three persistent issues: access to networks, unconscious bias and insider culture, writes Blane Ruschak

Blane Ruschak

The PhD Project

Cartoon of a detective with a magnifying glass analysing a piece of paper being held by a robot

Can we detect AI-written content?

A look at common features of large language model-created writing and its implications for how we might assess students’ knowledge and skills in the future

Cesare Giulio Ardito

The University of Manchester

Large lecture room full of students and a lecturer

Effective assessment methods for large enrolment classes

Tips on how to assess students in large classes effectively, including how to use specialist technology to increase efficiency

Stephanie Foster

Colorado State University

How to help international students prepare for university life ahead of and after their arrival

Ayten Ordu provides five top tips that will help ensure international students have a smooth transition to their new surroundings

Ayten Ordu

Near East University

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