Online learning

The rise of online learning has revolutionised university teaching. Whether students study in-person, remotely or take a hybrid approach, much higher education is now delivered via digital platforms, supported by a proliferation in educational technology (ed-tech). Find out how lecturers can adapt their teaching methods for digital delivery, build online learning communities and use the latest technology to support immersive learning, gamification and AI-adaptive learning.

Medical student in virtual reality headset

Using VR to change medical students’ attitudes towards older patients

A five-minute virtual reality exercise has the power to dramatically shift students’ understanding of and empathy for dementia patients’ experience

János Kollár

Semmelweis University

Universities on Fire climate change podcast

Campus talks: the AI university is coming

AI expert Ashok Goel is back on the podcast to help us understand the implications of ChatGPT for higher education and what will happen next

Ashok Goel

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

Digital accessibility is real and tangible

A workshop using real-life examples and first-hand experience of how assistive technology works can result in a deeper understanding of accessibility needs

Tharindu Liyanagunawardena

University of Reading

A person using artificial intelligence tools in their work

Useful applications of AI in higher education – for which no specialist tech knowledge is needed

The rapid proliferation of artificial intelligence has left users struggling to keep up. Cato Rolea explores practical applications of these tools in higher education

Cato Rolea

Nottingham Trent University

Quality assurance of online transnational higher education

Online and hybrid degrees are booming, but work needs to be done to maintain the reputation of Australian online university degrees in the transnational education space, writes Fion Lim

Fion Choon Boey Lim

University of Technology Sydney

Illustration of man in keyhole-shaped light from hole in wall, escape concept

You wake up in a locked room… Using digital escape rooms to promote student engagement

Game-based learning can unlock students’ motivation to learn and develop skills such as critical-thinking, teamwork and problem-solving, as Steven Montagu-Cairns explains

Steven Montagu-Cairns

University of Leeds

Teaching AI literacy: how to begin

Students urgently need to develop their AI literacy skills if they are to gain graduate-level jobs and help society tame the perils of the technology, write Christine O’Dea and Mike O’Dea

Xianghan (Christine) O’Dea , Mike O'Dea

University of Huddersfield, York St John University

Incorporating new tech into your university class

A beginner’s guide to implementing new technologies in your classes

Adela Vega shares practical strategies for overcoming the stress associated with using new tech, so that teachers can instead embrace it as part of their practice

Adela Vega

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Learning design illustration of computer screen, light bulb, pencil and books

Learning designer may be the best job you’ve never heard of

This role is the bridge between students and academia – and makes use of many transferable skills you may already have in your toolkit

Vanessa Jefferson

Online Education Services

An architect using a 3D simulation of a building layout

Extended reality for extending education

As digital technologies like extended reality (XR) evolve, how could they be used to enhance university teaching? Drawing on experience in architecture, Martin W. Andrews and Antonino Di Raimo investigate

Martin W. Andrews, Antonino Di Raimo

The University of Portsmouth

Robot in thoughtful pose with hand to chin

Re-evaluating natural intelligence in the face of ChatGPT

Generative AI tools mean that our pedagogy, understanding of specialisation and how we value human abilities such as empathy, compassion and critical thinking must change

Elvin Lim , Andrew Koh

Singapore Management University

line of blocks with arrows on top face against blue background

‘I just wish all lecturers would use the VLE in the same way’

A consistent approach to blended teaching and learning across the whole institution can shift the student experience. Here’s a way to achieve it – from page templates to staff training

Alison Torn

Leeds Trinity University

Tips for adopting the right technology for blended learning

Start simple, practise and consider what IT support is available when choosing online tools for blended courses, advise Carl Sherwood and John Raiti, among other aspects to consider

John Raiti, Carl Sherwood

The University of Queensland

Prompt engineering as academic skill: a model for effective ChatGPT interactions

Gathering information from AI requires a new layer of search skills that includes constructing effective prompts and critically navigating and evaluating outputs

Adrian J. Wallbank

Oxford Brookes University

Young Asian woman in red top happy in front of laptop

Using gamification as an incentive for revision

Novelty, competition and engagement give gamification an edge when it comes to getting students to revise. Here, Teegan Green, Iliria Stenning and Rasheda Keane explain how they use The Chase from H5P in a hybrid course

Teegan Green, Iliria Stenning, Rasheda Keane

The University of Queensland

Illustration of young woman doing an online course

Three features that will make your Mooc stand out

Learning designers and educators should focus on creating value for learners that goes beyond Mooc content. In this article, Temesgen Kifle and Ben Cossalter share innovative features that drive belonging and engagement

Temesgen Kifle, Ben Cossalter

The University of Queensland

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 Carvalho

The University of Edinburgh

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

How to set up immersive VR experiences on your university campus

How to set up immersive VR lessons on your campus

Using extended reality can enable students to have experiences that would otherwise be impossible to access. Here’s how to get started

Ana Gabriela Rodríguez-Mendoza , Adriana Plata-Marroquin , Brenda Aimé Luis-Chavira

Tecnológico de Monterrey

A young woman walking down the street in headphones, reading from her phone

A Spotify model of personalised higher education

With technology offering greater potential for a personalised approach to higher education, Michael Rosemann and Martin Betts look at what universities can learn from the ubiquitous music platform Spotify

Michael Rosemann, Martin Betts

Queensland University of Technology, HEDx

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

Student immersed in a hospital VR setting in the FMH Media Lab at University of Sydney

AI or VR? Matching emerging tech to real-world learning

Defining the problem can determine the best tech to deliver realistic training environments. Here is how one media lab demystifies technology-enabled learning experiences and empowers educators to develop their own

Martin Brown , Philip Poronnik, Claudio Corvalan-Diaz, William Havellas

University of Sydney

Universities must think smarter when devising edtech strategies for the future

The 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 education

Sarah Grant

Imperial College London

Using the metaverse to teach about the library

The library and the metaverse: a match made in heaven

A group of librarians and education specialists from Tecnológico de Monterrey share their tips after designing a virtual escape room that inculcates library skills

José Vladimir Burgos Aguilar , Lorena Guadalupe Rodríguez Leal , Lorena Quilantán García

Tecnológico de Monterrey

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

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

Hybrid learning: The future?

A new white paper exploring students study preferences and perceptions of hybrid learning

Class Technologies

Class Technologies

Computer code represents Chat GPT greeting the world

I bring new and engaging ways for students to learn in the classroom

Based on a prompt from THE Campus editors, the language generation software ChatGPT argues why it should be used in the classroom and gives examples of how it can assist faculty in teaching

Chat GPT

Campus

Lights, camera, action: how to get students to turn on their cameras

Strategies to strengthen student engagement and build community in virtual learning environments by encouraging all students to turn on their cameras, by Clara Chapdelaine-Feliciati

Clara Chapdelaine-Feliciati

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Matching technology training to industry needs: a case study

Professional development courses, especially in rapidly developing technologies, must evolve to meet industry needs. Here, Daniel Garrote explains how his institution created a master’s in the Internet of Things

Daniel Garrote

Nuclio Digital School

Get started with virtual reality for learning and teaching

Free, accessible resources are readily available for educators who want to add virtual reality to their teaching tools. Start small, be realistic and persist, says Siân Shaw

Siân Shaw

Anglia Ruskin University

Should we be worried? An educators’ introduction to the metaverse

What is it and what might it mean for the future of education?

Paul Bailey

Jisc

Which technology should we delete from universities?

Eliminating harmful digital technologies in universities: a guide

Modern institutions are rife with tech that disenfranchises, dehumanises, excludes and even bullies students and teachers. It’s high time for a rethink, says Andy Farnell

Andy Farnell

Visiting professor

Why is digital transformation such a challenge for HE?

Size and legacy approaches are among the barriers universities face when it comes to using technology to improve teaching, learning and research. This six-point plan details what needs to happen

Heidi Fraser-Krauss

Jisc

What AI-generated lesson plans might mean for educators

Educators can use the issues, challenges and opportunities brought by artificial intelligence to think about teaching in terms of design and process rather than outcomes

Nick Kelly, Kelli McGraw

Queensland University of Technology

Image of a digital brain representing AI

A model for deploying AI across a university and region

A new supercomputer, new faculty and partnerships with higher education and industry leaders helped the University of Florida transform itself into an AI powerhouse, creating a blueprint for other institutions to follow

Cheryl Martin

NVIDIA

A digital boost to music teaching and performance

Drawing on an audiovisual project to create a virtual studio where researchers and students can test sound in multiple settings, from a cathedral to a cave, William Minty shares lessons on how to manage institution-wide tech developments

William Minty

Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM)

Image of someone using a chatbot for advice

Digital first: how to use AI to enhance customer service in universities

Seven points to consider when introducing artificial intelligence to provide front-line customer service support at your institution, by Paul Mahoney

Paul Mahoney

University of Staffordshire

Teaching within virtual reality worlds: what, why and when

Gary Burnett offers five pointers on when and how teaching in virtual reality worlds can successfully enhance learning

Gary Burnett

University of Nottingham

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 immersive tech to enrich healthcare education

As virtual reality technology has become more affordable and user friendly, it opens opportunities to enhance teaching of clinical skills. Here’s how one team brings VR into the classroom

Chris McKenzie, Janet Skinner, Amy Poole

The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Napier University

Artificial intelligence: a dystopian future for higher education?

AI in higher education: dystopia, utopia or something in between?

To understand how HE can incorporate AI successfully, we need to think about how humans will interact with the technology and change their behaviour, says Ben Swift

Ben Swift

Australian National University

Female athlete performing a backflip outdoors

Flipping the university admissions process on its head

Why should it always be students who seek out their ‘best fit’ campus? It’s time for universities to rethink how they manage traditional admissions – and boost enrolment and diversity as they go, says Joe Morrison

Joe Morrison

Concourse

Digital exclusion often strikes early for university students

Digital exclusion hits students hardest at the start of their journey

VLEs, intranets, sports and social apps – the digital ecosystem at university is vast. We must induct students into it quickly and carefully to prevent them falling behind

Claire Smith

University of Sussex

Meaning making: how universities can boost the uptake of edtech among faculty

The key to promoting the uptake of new edtech tools and teaching innovation among faculty, based on research

Na Li, Xiaojun Zhang, Maria Limniou

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

University-edtech collaboration: how to leverage the best of both worlds

Seven lessons for managing successful university-edtech collaborations that result in innovative new programmes, shared by Mònica Casabayó

Mònica Casabayó

Esade

Virtual reality has failed higher education

Virtual reality has failed education, so what should we do with it?

Getting VR right at a sophisticated level requires a hefty mix of hardware, pricey developers, rock-solid internet and suitable pedagogy – but there is a way forward

Malcolm Burt

Central Queensland University

Digital Universities task force: upskilling the MENA region through online learning

Ahead of Digital Universities Week MENA, a task force of four higher education experts shared insights on how online learning could help meet the growing demand for key employability skills across the region

Miranda Prynne

Campus

Image of the sky at night showing a galaxy and stars

Effective use of machine learning to empower your research

Artificial intelligence, or machine learning, can support complex analysis and advance quality research, but only when used carefully. John F. Wu shares advice on how machine learning can empower researchers

John F. Wu

Space Telescope Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University

Merging library and IT services can bring great benefits to university life

Why universities should consider merging library and IT departments

Cultural differences and the need for excellent communication mean that such merging libraries and information technology departments is not easy, but the outcomes can provide tremendous value, says Ravi Ravishanker

Ravi Ravishanker

Wellesley College

1 2 3 4 5