Using remote learning technology to boost student engagement and interaction As face-to-face teaching returns, educational technology can be used to boost student engagement in ways that are not possible in a physical classroom. Andreina Parisi-Amon explains howAndreina Parisi-Amon Engageli
Are your first-year students disengaging? Here’s how to get them back on board From creating distinct spaces on your VLE to discuss first-year study to checking in with absentees, Katherine Mansfield provides tips for re-engaging studentsKatherine MansfieldUniversity of Westminster
Tips and apps to encourage better interaction with studentsClassting and Remind are two lesser-known apps that can aid communication with your class when used effectivelyAnahí Molina Barrón , Dania Arriola Arteaga Monterrey Institute of Technology
Defining the student experience post-pandemicAs universities navigate a new study and work environment, they should be flexible and promote a shared responsibility for the student experienceTHE Campus teamTHE Campus
Naming students is even more crucial in online classesNaming learners fosters a community in which the teacher is clearly all in and focused on individual members in the unique, shared space of the online classroomStone MeredithColorado State University Global
Beyond the limits of the LMS: ways to communicate effectively with students How to communicate with students in the online environment in effective and creative ways that go beyond relying on the learning management system, described by Kris Erskine Kris Erskine Athens State University
Do our students need to be book smart or street smart? They need to be bothEmployers want talent to jump right in and fulfil new tasks without a lot of coaching. Project-based learning will help prepare students for this new way of thinking and workingLee Ann Walker Colorado State University Global
Tips on bringing expert professionals to class to support learningCapturing students’ attention can be a challenge for teachers. We propose bringing the real world to the classroom through expert guests, say Gabriela Espínola and Mariana ElizondoGabriela Espínola , Mariana ElizondoMonterrey Institute of Technology
Five practical ways the literature classroom can help student careers Olivia Burgess offers five tips for using literature classes to explore workplace preparation and engage career-minded studentsOlivia BurgessColorado State University Global
Boosting student engagement in an online learning environmentLack of student engagement creates challenges when language learning moves online. Yuyang Zhao explains how to create an interactive environment that helps mitigate some of the key issues Yuyang ZhaoXi'an Jiaotong - Liverpool University
The evolution of activeflex learning: why and how The evolution of activeflex learning as a way to keep students engaged online, and how to overcome problems when using this teaching model, by Mark Gale Mark GaleAthens State University
Students aren’t giving up social media, so teach them how to question itWhatever our own opinions on social media, we must educate our students about locating bias and reading their preferred platforms critically, says Stone MeredithStone MeredithColorado State University Global
Want students to exercise more? Make it part of their courseThe body hears everything the mind says, so it is said. That is certainly true when teachers offer extra academic credits in return for physical activity, says Roberto Villaseñor-RoldánRoberto Villaseñor-Roldán Monterrey Institute of Technology
Fostering student collaboration rather than competition using peer reviewWhen students are involved in peer review, they can more easily see the “problems” with classmates’ writing – and this creates opportunities in their own work, tooJames MeredithColorado State University Global
How to design and incorporate a digital moduleDigital modules lend themselves well to competency-based training. Adela Vega and Laura Castillo offer a guide to designing and incorporating them into a digital learning experienceAdela Vega, Laura CastilloMonterrey Institute of Technology
Immediacy cues are a great starting point for fostering inclusive classesBoth verbal and non-verbal cues, such as pronouncing names correctly, smiling and making eye contact signal to students that they are welcome, respected and valuedFlower DarbyNorthern Arizona University
The case for using universal design for learning at your institutionUniversal design for learning can be the answer when searching for true equity in our universities. Jacqui Whittle and Caroline Pike outline the how and whyJacqui Whittle, Caroline PikeArden University
Top tips for establishing close relationships with students onlineThe quality of the connection between teachers and their charges is a true learning booster for students and can become a source of well-being for teachers, tooRebeca Elizabeth Alvarado Ramírez Monterrey Institute of Technology
Are you optimising the user experience for your students?Kevin Curtis provides an introduction to simple user experience (UX) techniques that can help when considering how students and staff engage with higher education services and their campus surroundingsKevin CurtisThe University of Portsmouth
How to enhance students’ participation in teamwork that is not assessedRebecca Wang outlines a learning structure that supports students who are new to team-based research projectsRebecca WangUniversity of Westminster
We need to move beyond the synchronous versus asynchronous debateAcademics are agonising over the wrong elements of online education. They should be thinking about active versus passive learning, says Simon ChestermanSimon ChestermanNational University of Singapore
Unmasking the scientist: breaking down anonymity to build relationships when teaching onlineSimple solutions to link students’ names to faces and build a rapport with individuals in your class when teaching online, by Kelly Edmunds and Bethan Gulliver Kelly Edmunds , Bethan GulliverUniversity of East Anglia
How to plan an online learning-friendly assessment Maribell Reyes explains how to create comprehensively designed learning assessment strategies for an online courseMaribell ReyesMonterrey Institute of Technology
Answering common questions about immersive experiencesNot sure about introducing extended reality? Gabriela Sánchez Castillo offers insights into developing immersive experiences that are useful for assessing real-world skillsGabriela Sánchez Castillo Monterrey Institute of Technology
Missing face-to-face interaction? Try becoming a ‘hologram professor’Beaming a hologram of lecturers into classrooms offers greater closeness than current video systems, say Carla Victoria Ramírez López, Leticia Castaño Sánchez and Patricia Aldape ValdésCarla Victoria Ramírez López , Leticia Castaño Sánchez , Patricia Aldape Valdés Monterrey Institute of Technology
Why interactive and game-based instruction beats lecturing every time Going through the motions is easy for experienced lecturers, but we should all go the extra mile to make our classes interactive, challenging and fun, says Nancy BouryNancy BouryIowa State University
Ideas for using media to connect with studentsStudents need to be motivated and engaged to be successful, which is where podcasts, social media and music come in, say Esmeralda Niño-Perez and Angeles Carolina Aguirre-AcostaEsmeralda Niño-Perez , Angeles Carolina Aguirre-Acosta Monterrey Institute of Technology
Let’s harness students’ desire for interaction to define the future of learningWe know that students want to learn together. That information should underpin how we allocate resources to best serve their needs, say Derfel Owen and Ant BagshawDerfel Owen, Ant BagshawUniversity College London, Online Education Services
My Christmas wish? Wider recognition that blended is different from onlineFollowing two years of disruption and jumping between modes of delivery, many students and staff seem to be – incorrectly – conflating blended with online, says Harriet Dunbar-MorrisHarriet Dunbar-MorrisThe University of Portsmouth
Collecting data on our students is the only way forwardUbiquitous data collection will give rise to large datasets, which can help improve outcomes for all students – especially those most in need, says Daphne KollerDaphne KollerStanford University
Building student identities as learners, not consumers, for better academic outcomesStudents who think and act like consumers have worse academic outcomes, research shows. Louise Taylor Bunce shares practical steps to help build students’ identities as learners rather than as consumers of educationLouise Taylor BunceOxford Brookes University
Ten useful tips for teaching a hybrid course for the first timeLaura Patricia Zepeda Orantes shares recommendations for delivering hybrid courses, especially for teachers who are new to this way of workingLaura Patricia Zepeda Orantes Monterrey Institute of Technology
It’s time to tackle perfectionism head-on in the classroomPerfectionism has long been the norm in academia. To combat it, we must offer help before it has to be asked for, say Laura March and Maggie MeloLaura March, Maggie MeloUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
What can universities learn from Amazon?From putting the customer first to the buzzword that is ‘fulfilment’, there’s much to be gleaned from the way Amazon and its ilk embraced digital technology, says Peter VervestPeter VervestErasmus University Rotterdam
Enabling innovation to flourish in the online and blended learning spaceFrom medicine to business, digital platforms enhance the learning experience for students insendiinsendi
Turn the marking process on its head by using ‘reverse grading’Davita Günbay explains how reversing the narrative between ‘what I got’ and ‘what I was given’ can help learners engage and take responsibility for their learningDavita Günbay Near East University
Reopening and reconnecting: how to establish connection with first-years studying in the new normalAgnes Chikonzo offers three key ways that university services can engage students and give them a sense of belonging back on campusAgnes ChikonzoUniversity of Zimbabwe
Classes need less focus on employability and more on profound learningClasses are sometimes the least transformative elements of what students experience at university. We need to change that, say Davin Carr-Chellman, Ali Carr-Chellman and Michael KrothDavin Carr-Chellman , Ali Carr-Chellman, Michael KrothUniversity of Dayton, University of Idaho
How to be comfortable with uncomfortable conversationsRuth Woodfield outlines steps that academics, students and university staff can take to support and work through the discomfort of difficult discussionsRuth Woodfield University of St Andrews
Co-creation and empowerment: pathways to better student engagementEffective approaches universities can take to promote equity and improve student learning outcomes and employability, shared by a team from the University of SalfordSara Namvar, David Greensmith, Niroshini NirmalanUniversity of Salford
In praise of the ‘watch party’ – an update to the flipped learning modelMany new students struggle with the amount of self-directed learning at university. Perhaps it’s time to introduce watch parties, say Emily Nordmann and Carolina Kuepper-TetzelEmily Nordmann, Carolina Kuepper-Tetzel University of Glasgow
How I stopped worrying and learned to embrace pre-prepared coursesI was shocked when first told I had to teach a ‘shell’ prepared by a colleague a few years ago, but I’m actually growing from the experience, says George JusticeGeorge JusticeArizona State University
Purposefully building identity and belonging among studentsBlake McKimmie outlines why proactively building students’ sense of identity and belonging is vital for positive learning outcomes and gives advice on how it can be achievedBlake McKimmieThe University of Queensland
How does national culture affect the adoption of learning technology? Na Li, Xiaojun Zhang and Maria Limniou offer tips to counter the hidden cultural and social factors that reduce acceptance of virtual learning environments, based on their research Na Li, Xiaojun Zhang, Maria Limniou Xi'an Jiaotong - Liverpool University
Forget the tech – in the new normal, let’s focus on human beingsThe key to making learning effective, now and in the post-pandemic world, is focusing on motivation, says Grace McCarthyGrace McCarthyUniversity of Wollongong
Capturing students’ attention in the classroom: Does listening equal learning? Four teaching academics discuss effective approaches to keeping students focused and engaged inside and outside the classroomFlower Darby, Steven Mintz, Kara Monroe, Constanza PacherNorthern Arizona University, University of Texas at Austin, Ivy Tech Community College, MacEwan University
Listen to this! Using podcasts for online learning Emily O’Reilly explains why and how to use educational podcasts to supplement your online teaching Emily O'ReillyUniversity of Edinburgh
Fake news, educated views and how-tos: social media for teaching and research Terese Bird shares her ideas on how to use some of the most popular social media platforms to support your teaching and researchTerese BirdUniversity of Leicester
Stay in the frame: how to persuade students to keep cameras on in lessonsPaul Moss shares advice on how to convince students that making themselves visible during online classes is in their own interest and will aid learning outcomesPaul MossThe University of Adelaide
What is the purpose of a university lecture?We must continue to question the true role of the lecture and how lecture recordings fit in to the effective delivery of higher education, says Jill MacKayJill MacKayUniversity of Edinburgh