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.

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

Intended learning outcomes (ILOs): from sideshow to teaching tool

Used effectively, intended learning outcomes (ILOs) can provide a useful tool to drive student engagement and encourage learners to take responsibility for their education, as Amit Jinabhai explains

Amit Navin Jinabhai

The University of Manchester

Illustration of professionals crossing a book bridge

Tips for teaching MBA students

MBA students come to class with high expectations and present distinct teaching challenges. In this video, Carl Sherwood explains why a holistic approach and using students’ own professional experience in content and assessment design lead to success

Carl Sherwood

The University of Queensland

Eight ways to engage with AI writers in higher education

Just as spelling checks and predictive text have become accepted, so too will AI writers, so educators should help students responsibly engage with and understand the potential and limitations of these text generators, writes Lucinda McKnight

Lucinda McKnight

Deakin University

To block or not to block? How time affects learning in higher education

From intensive block plans to open-ended study programmes, the ideal length for a unit of study is under interrogation. Jason M. Lodge considers the evidence

Jason M. Lodge

The University of Queensland

Counter-mapping as a pedagogical tool

Engaging students with urban spaces can contextualise and deepen learning and bring in inclusive perspectives. Daniel Gutiérrez-Ujaque and Dharman Jeyasingham explain how counter-mapping can be used as a pedagogical tool

Daniel Gutiérrez-Ujaque , Dharman Jeyasingham

Brunel University London , The University of Manchester

A little more conversation: using Elvis to teach critical theory

Sharing a critical reading of an American icon via film and critical theories builds an authentic learning space that can examine current cultural issues

Stone Meredith

Colorado State University Global

Female student reading a book in the university library

How I train students in strategic and reflective academic reading

Seven steps that guide students to become effective academic readers during their university studies, by Adrian Man Ho Lam

Adrian Man-Ho Lam

The University of Hong Kong

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

THE podcast: teaching 101 tips from your peers

In this episode of the THE Campus podcast, we feature short tips from university educators around the world, forming a mini teaching community offering advice from how to personalise learning to what types of pedagogy you should know about

Campus contributors

Campus

Dos and don’ts for dual teaching: support for lecturers in higher education

Dual teaching, when lecturers host a class with students attending in person and via a screen, requires careful planning to work well. Miriam Firth shares dos and don’ts based on first-hand experience

Miriam Firth

The University of Manchester

Classroom management techniques you don’t get taught

‘Fake it till you make it’ is a useful motto for new university teachers facing a classroom of antsy students for the first time. Here are seven basic skills to master

John Weldon

Victoria University

Planning and delivering a lesson in university

From planning to delivering lessons: getting the basics right

Nelly Ramirez Vásquez discusses the nuts and bolts of creating, teaching and overseeing high-quality lessons and courses for delivery online and in person

Nelly Ramirez Vásquez

Tecnológico de Monterrey

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

Do we need to grade students’ presentation skills?

Presentation skills are considered essential by employers, but does this mean they should be graded at university? Marking can distract from the goal of improvement, and there are better ways to motivate students, says Axel Wieneke

Axel Wieneke

The University of Queensland

Image of a new teacher celebrating the end of term

How to help students with widely varied prior education to thrive in first year

How can university educators ensure their first-year teaching caters to widely varying prior knowledge and skills among students? Bethan Gulliver explains a three-pronged approach

Bethan Gulliver

The University of East Anglia

Four steps to robust and respectful classroom discussion

This video offers a four-part approach that gives space for students to speak up eagerly in classroom debates and shows them how to disagree well. Brian Ray, director of the Poe Business Ethics Center at the University of Florida, explains how to put it into practice

Brian Ray

Senior lecturer

In the loop: how formative feedback supports remote teaching

Weekly snapshots of how students see their own progress can help teachers adjust teaching methods in real time. An online tool piloted at Georgia Tech has helped fill a feedback loop lost during the pandemic

Jonna Lee , Meryem Yilmaz Soylu

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

Theatre ice-breaker games for team-building in higher education

An introduction to using theatre ice-breaker games games to break down barriers between students and promote teamwork and trust at the start of a course

Jóna Guðrún Jónsdóttir , Rannveig Björk Thorkelsdóttir

University of Iceland

Socrates' methods can still help university student in the battle with misinformation

How Socrates can help your students question information

In a world full of answers, we must take time to ask questions, and the approaches favoured by Socrates can still be useful today, explains Konstantinos Arfanis

Konstantinos Arfanis

Arden University

Young Asian woman working at laptop in library wearing headphones

How to get through your first year of teaching

For any new teacher, standing in front of a class is daunting – professionally and emotionally. Here are some tips to help you prepare, adapt and conquer nerves and self-doubt

Beiting He

Macau University of Science and Technology

Targeted teaching: meeting students where they are

Teaching students according to their strengths and shortcomings, stimulating their interest in learning and building confidence in learning, is not only part of Chinese education philosophy, it promotes students’ all-round development

Xin Li

Macau University of Science and Technology

Tortoise walking down a road - representing how slow and steady can be more effective than fast

Make classroom connections by drawing from the slow movement

An introduction to the slow movement and its ideology to show how it can inspire approaches to building connection in the classroom, purposefully scaffolding moments of connection into teaching and relating these to learning

Elizabeth Hauke

Imperial College London

Let’s get professional: advice for new university teachers

No matter if you’re a just-minted postdoc or transferring from industry to academia, a professional approach will give your new teaching career a solid foundation. In this video, Carl Sherwood shares his top tips

Carl Sherwood

The University of Queensland

Communities of practice are an excellent way for staff and faculty to share knowledge

Communities of practice: how to help them thrive

There are few better ways for staff to build and share knowledge within institutions, but while communities of practice can evolve organically, they also need nurturing

Melanie Brown

Adelaide University

A STEAM adventure: running a hybrid English immersion camp

Lessons in designing a hybrid English immersion camp that boosts language proficiency while developing key life skills

Rossana Mántaras , Eugenia Balseiro, Lorena Calzoni

Technological University of Uruguay (UTEC)

Female student frustrated with online learning

Online learning is still challenging for students – they need our support

Isolation and distraction are among the downsides of remote learning, even after two years of “panic-gogy”, which makes intentional online design and student support as important as ever

Jason M. Lodge, Paula de Barba, Jaclyn Broadbent

The University of Queensland , University of Melbourne, Deakin University

Podcast as pedagogy: discovering the joys of a new teaching format

After a first foray into podcasting as a mode of instruction, Alan Bradshaw shares some of the tips he picked up along the way for those considering taking the mic

Alan Bradshaw

Royal Holloway, University of London

Please follow the following: user guidance tasks as assessments

Challenging students to create user guidance manuals relevant to their subject, explaining how something should be used or carried out, is an effective way to assess their applied knowledge, Russ Woodward and Nicola Pattinson explain

Russell Woodward, Nicola Pattinson

University Centre Grimsby: The TEC Partnership

Student-led knowledge exchange using Wikipedia

Challenging students to draft or enhance Wikipedia entries is an effective way to develop their subject knowledge, research and writing skills, as Adrian Man-Ho Lam explains

Adrian Man-Ho Lam

The University of Hong Kong

Many academics are far more comfortable using new tech than previously thought

It may be time to rethink the ‘edtech adoption curve’

A new survey of higher ed faculty reveals more early adopters of edtech than previously thought, says Nicole Barbaro

Nicole Barbaro

WGU Labs

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