Higher education pedagogy

Learn more about pedagogy and how different theories of teaching and learning work across higher education. Here, academics offer insights into a variety of pedagogies, drawing on their own teaching experience alongside research, to provide practical advice on what instructional methods work best for different university contexts, disciplines and classes.

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

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

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

Peer review in multilingual classes

Peer review can be a powerful pedagogical tool for developing multilingual students’ essay-writing and communication skills if they are given clear guidance on the process, Andrea Feldman explains

Andrea Feldman

The University of Colorado Boulder

Young woman in black hijab working at laptop

Four ways active learning can transform learning experiences

Edtech has facilitated a teaching approach that ties student success to collaboration, consistency and contribution. Paul Hopkinson breaks down its advantages

Paul Hopkinson

Zayed University

How to start adaptive learning for a large cohort

Seven steps for successfully introducing adaptive learning

A team from Tecnológico de Monterrey presents advice for the implementation of an adaptive learning strategy for large student cohorts

Multiple authors

Tecnológico de Monterrey

The five key steps for getting the best out of a flipped classroom

From planning properly to understanding cognitive load, Aaron Taylor reveals how to engender greater student engagement and motivation through the flipped classroom

Aaron Taylor

Arden University

It takes a village: using a trading game to teach economics

Large-group interactive classroom games can bring learning alive. Here, Suzanne Bonner, K. K. Tang and Terence Yeo share how a scalable trading game uses social interactions to enhance learning

Suzanne Bonner, K. K. Tang, Terence Yeo

The University of Queensland

laptop with images representing e-learning, blended learning

Tips for teachers who are new to blended learning

Blended learning is not going away, so where do educators start when they want to create a blended course? In this video, Carl Sherwood shares tips for best practice

Carl Sherwood, John Raiti

The University of Queensland

Woman taking part in an online class in a library

Five strategies for supporting students with special educational needs online

Five practical tips educators can use when teaching students with special educational needs on an online, blended or hybrid course, shared by Tendai Charles

Tendai Charles

British University in Dubai

A female lecturer addressing a class of students

Introduce coaching principles into your work in four easy steps

Coaching is a popular tool for personal and professional development. Rushana Khusainova discusses how it can be used in higher education

Rushana Khusainova

The University of Bristol

Man doing a back bend while looking at laptop

Making space for innovation: a higher education challenge

Risk, chance and disruption can be paths to innovative teaching practice. Here, Michelle Prawer offers ways to bring more flexibility into the classroom

Michelle Prawer

Victoria University

Three creative ways to use ChatGPT in class

New AI tools such as ChatGPT increase educators’ capabilities, freeing us from fact-gathering to focus on more sophisticated problems and higher-level understanding, writes Esteve Almirall

Esteve Almirall

Esade

Welcome sign for belonging at university

How to advance equitable learning in your classes

We must extend belonging to help students feel they’re cut out for college, lower barriers such as impostor syndrome and ultimately support learning, says Flower Darby

Flower Darby

University of Missouri

A universal design approach to teaching multilingual students

An explanation of how universal design for learning can improve teaching for multilingual international students and domestic students alike

Andrea Feldman

The University of Colorado Boulder

Black student points at a computer screen

Touch is a simple and effective way to manage learners’ cognitive load

Studies from educational psychologist Paul Ginns show that students who point and trace learning material results have greater comprehension and retention

Paul Ginns

University of Sydney

Students comparing notes and work in pairs

ChatGPT as a teaching tool, not a cheating tool

How to use ChatGPT as a tool to spur students’ inner feedback and thus aid their learning and skills development

Jennifer Rose

The University of Manchester

Questions beyond majors: developing mental maturity in students

When undergraduates build their own course plan, reading list and thesis project, the benefits extend beyond the individual student’s mindset to teaching faculty, write Ryan Derby-Talbot and Marjorie Wonham

Ryan Derby-Talbot, Marjorie Wonham

Deep Springs College, Quest University

A woman walking blindfolded along a tightrope

Teaching the unknown: how to prepare students for uncertainty

Five steps that educators can take to teach students to cope with uncertainty and respond effectively to unforeseen events

Glenn-Egil Torgersen

University of South-Eastern Norway (USN)

Autonomy, fun and other benefits of student-centred learning design

Putting students at the core of learning design can bring business and commerce studies to life, writes Guan Wang

Guan Wang

Macau University of Science and Technology

Students responding to a question in the classroom

An examination of student engagement in the classroom

An exploration of what student engagement means for different individuals and how to support and assess it in the classroom

Stephanie Foster, Kirk Ambrose

The University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado State University

Vintage-style photo of secretary and co-worker

We don’t teach students to use a slide rule in a world of calculators

Accelerating AI capabilities give rise to ethical questions about use, for students and educators. With the technology here to stay, how can universities equip future decision-makers with the skills they will need for the workplace?

Micheal Axelsen, Suzanne Bonner

The University of Queensland

Image of someone picking up a plastic bottle from a beach

From personal to professional: incorporating sustainability into your university work

Practical advice for embedding sustainability issues into broader professional practice, taking lessons from teaching English language that are applicable across other disciplines

Peter Buckley

The University of Edinburgh

A student watching a recorded lecture online

Asynchronous pedagogy to improve student engagement

A guide to designing asynchronous learning materials and activities that boost student engagement

Hasti Abbasi

La Trobe University

Take care over sharing: guiding student teams on collaboration

Effective teamwork requires shared understanding, goals and responsibility over a task. Kenan Kok Xiao-Feng explains how to guide students in working collectively

Kenan Kok Xiao-Feng

Singapore Institute of Technology

Illustration of people assembling large jigsaw pieces

Are block teaching and universal design for learning compatible?

On the face of it, comparing the block teaching planning format with the UDL framework might seem like weighing apples against oranges. In fact, they share six golden links, as Kevin Merry explains

Kevin L. Merry

De Montfort University

Illustration of robot helping man climb a block

How AI will make university teachers’ lives easier

Is artificial intelligence a looming existential threat to higher education? Or is AI technology such as ChatGPT a shot in the arm that teachers can use to improve our productivity?

Jack Wang

The University of Queensland

A group discussions with varied perspectives is welcome unpredictability in teaching

Embrace the unpredictability of teaching in community colleges

A diverse community college classroom is full of opportunities for enriching, student-led discussions, says Dale Schlundt

Dale Schlundt

Palo Alto College

Research and business need to go hand in hand in an uncertain future

Four tips for developing students’ business skills

How to teach skills that bridge the gap between completing an undergraduate business programme and embarking on a successful career, by Qi Li and Rosemary Bai

Rosemary Bai, Qi Li

Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen

We cannot lose touch with touch

Classroom delivery is evolving alongside new technologies such as VR and the metaverse, yet students are still excited by the touch and feel of things. Here are suggestions for instructors to bring the tactile back to teaching

Aravind Reghunathan

Bournemouth University

Will AI writers rob students of their agency and free will

ChatGPT and AI writers: a threat to student agency and free will?

If we resign ourselves to thinking that resistance is futile and allow AI to replace students’ voices, we are surely guilty of abandoning our responsibilities as educators

Adrian J. Wallbank

Oxford Brookes University

Balance in student evaluation of teachers SET

Tips to make student evaluation fairer for teachers

Factors unrelated to an instructor’s ability to enhance student learning can influence student evaluation of teaching. So, Temesgen Kifle shares six fair and effective ways to assess educators’ teaching capabilities

Temesgen Kifle

The University of Queensland

Arts-based methods to foster participatory and interactive learning

Arts-based methods in university teaching centre individual human values and relationships as key contributors in learning. Anne Pässilä and Allan Owens offer advice on how this can be achieved

Anne Pässilä, Allan Owens

Lappeenranta–Lahti University of Technology LUT, University of Chester

Image of a light blub with a professors hat on

What higher education can learn from school and further education teaching

As universities strive to improve teaching, they should look to schools and further education colleges for lessons in effective pedagogy and student engagement, write Russ Woodward, Tim Veal and Nicola Pattinson

Russell Woodward, Tim Veal, Nicola Pattinson

University Centre, Grimsby: The TEC Partnership

Image showing icons linked to online messaging and social platforms

Boost learning with online student discussion forums

How to scaffold class online discussion forums to ensure participation from all students and maximise the benefits to learning

Adrian Man-Ho Lam

The University of Hong Kong

Community projects for students can help with critical thinking

How community projects can promote students’ critical thinking skills

Embedding project-based learning and participatory research in degree courses can provide students with the critical-thinking skills that employers require

Tom Dobson

York St John University

Image showing a human and AI writing together

ChatGPT and the rise of AI writers: how should higher education respond?

The proliferation of AI text generators such as ChatGPT has major implications for higher education. Nancy Gleason explores how educators should respond to these tools which can write essays in seconds

Nancy Gleason

New York University Abu Dhabi

Teach and talk: encouraging student dialogue in class

Dialogic validation is about making students aware of the value their ideas bring to the classroom. Roehl Sybing discusses three simple principles that teachers can adopt to get students talking

Roehl Sybing

Doshisha University

Five key elements that drive student online engagement

A framework that links social, cognitive, emotional, collaborative and behavioural motivators can help educators promote student engagement

Jay Cohen, Alice Brown, Petrea Redmond

La Trobe University, The University of Southern Queensland

There is no right and wrong way to do ungrading in higher education

Why there isn’t one ‘right way’ to practise ungrading

Extricating ourselves from A-F grading scales requires an inclusive, big tent approach in which we de-emphasise grades in a way that best fits our individual contexts

Multiple authors

Various

student on a pile of books with calculations on the wall concept

How to spice up a lecture

Simple exercises can make reading-based university classes more engaging and interactive, says Amjed Majeed. In this video, he offers four ways to break up the vocabulary, text, comprehension routine

Amjed Hameed Majeed

Al-Mustaqbal University

Knowledge and approaches needed for trauma-informed teaching

What steps can be taken to minimise trauma in the classroom? Marc Mason explains how it works and presents itself

Marc Mason

University of Westminster

Lesson plans – a blueprint for success

Think of your lesson as a story and your lesson plan as its script. And remember that a good plan considers the people involved in the lesson, not just the activities

John Weldon

Victoria University

Group of students taking part in a classroom debate

Successful classroom discussions begin long before anyone speaks

Classroom discussions help engagement and learning so find out how instructors can get started in facilitating respectful debate among students using a simple framework

Mylien Duong, Jacob Fay

Constructive Dialogue Institute

Whole-task learning using real world simulations: a guide

A guide to creating and delivering a whole-task learning model using goal-based scenarios and hybrid simulation, by Michael Daly

Michael Daly

RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences

Augmented reality in teaching: key challenges and how to overcome them

Will Shüler identifies three challenges of integrating augmented reality into the classroom and shares advice on how university tutors might navigate them

Will Shüler

Royal Holloway, University of London

Using the ‘36 questions to fall in love’ to revolutionise group work

Nici Sweaney shares a simple classroom task rooted in the psychology of interpersonal relationships that anyone can use to help students bond and feel more comfortable with group work

Nici Sweaney

Australian National University

Students working together to solve a problem

A framework for teaching work integrated learning projects

A framework for structuring work integrated learning (WIL) projects to train students in problem solving and creative thinking, from Nguyen Hoang Thuan and Pedro Antunes, based on their research and lecturing experience

Nguyen Hoang Thuan, Pedro Antunes

RMIT University Vietnam, University of Lisbon

Lessons from students in how to adapt teaching to online learning

Embrace the student voice in order to develop and improve your online teaching with varied media and plenty of interactive elements to boost engagement and learning, says Nick Young

Nick Young

Cardiff Metropolitan University

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

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