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Universities are heading for a mental health crisis following the pandemic, so they need to start preparing now

A student mental health crisis awaits. Here’s how we avoid a bad fall

Extra funding should be requested now to staff up wellness centres, counselling centres and campus ministries, says Todd Zakrajsek

Todd Zakrajsek

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

A group of students. We need to move away from designing HE for the idealised 'traditional' student

Returning to ‘normal’ is really a return to ignorance

Covid revealed that students need flexible and inclusive learning opportunities − something that should have been obvious well before the pandemic, says Torrey Trust

Torrey Trust

University of Massachusetts Amherst

The shift online will have positive side effects that we haven't realised yet

The digital shift will have many (positive) side-effects

In the not-so-distant future, we’ll realise the digital transformation has changed higher education for the better, in ways we never expected, say Rick Shangraw and Wayne Bovier

Rick Shangraw, Wayne Bovier

Cintana Education, Higher Digital

Leadership game of chess king. University leaders have a unique opportunity to lead change in the HE sector

How leaders can seize higher ed’s ‘catalytic moment for change’

Those that lead by example, reward innovative faculty and increase campus-wide buy-in will determine the future of higher education, says Jon McNaughtan

Jon McNaughtan

Texas Tech University

A stressed student prepares for an online exam. Assessment online brings a new set of problems for academics to be aware of

Are online exams better for student mental health?

Traditional exams under tightly invigilated conditions are highly stressful for students, but online alternatives bring their own issues, says Michael Priestley

Michael Priestley

Durham University

Text and computer code. We should stop fetishizing high-tech teaching and realise that reading is an optimal means of learning

The joy of text in a world of tech zealotry

Why do we fetishise high-tech teaching while denigrating reading as a second-rate learning style? asks Andy Farnell

Andy Farnell

Campus

A female student logs in to a virtual campus.

Socialising is hugely important, but virtual campuses help learning, too

The social elements of university help students succeed academically, so we must start transplanting them online, says Elizabeth Lehfeldt

Elizabeth A. Lehfeldt

Cleveland State University

Preacher man. Academics need to drop the holier-than-thou attitude and sees themselves in their students when it comes to cheating

Professors, stop pretending that you never cheat

Academics should drop the holier-than-thou attitude and look at cheating from a student’s perspective if we want to understand and eradicate it, says Hamish Binns

Hamish Binns

Saint Louis University

We must stop confusing the emergency use online learning we've been relying on during the pandemic with real, well-designed online learning

Let’s stop confusing what just happened with true online learning

During the pandemic, decades of research and practice were tossed aside in a matter of days, says Ali Carr-Chellman

Ali Carr-Chellman

University of Dayton

A student studies at home in bed. Universities must make their moves towards blended learning open and easy to follow.

How do we rescue the reputation of blended learning?

To convince students and stakeholders that blended learning is worth the full tuition fee, we need to tell them exactly how it will work, says Russell Crawford

Russell Crawford

Falmouth University

A university campus. We should seize the opportunity to make our course design reflect the university as an institution

Never forget: your course is not only yours

Too much of our instructional design undershoots the potential of higher education to improve not only individual lives but also the public good, says Robin DeRosa

Robin DeRosa

Plymouth State University

Time pressure. Many in academia are putting in huge numbers of hours that are not rewarded or even recognised

Recognition of academia’s ‘invisible labour’ is long overdue

We must ensure that academic citizenship becomes a key part of our job descriptions, on par with teaching, research and management, say Shari Boodts and Fleur Jongepier

Shari Boodts, Fleur Jongepier

Radboud University

A Chinese departure hall. The influx of Chinese students is on a downward turn and universities worldwide need to be prepared

After the gold rush: how to respond to the Chinese student downswing

As the country’s outbound study trend cools, student recruitment strategies must evolve – and there is no ‘next China’ to fall back on, says Matt Durnin

Matt Durnin

British Council

Collaboration between Asia and the West is a global common good in higher education and beyond

What does the rise of Asia mean for global higher education?

Many hurdles remain, from racism to presumed Western superiority, but equal dialogues and collaborations will foster the global common good, says Xin Xu

Xin Xu

University of Oxford

Will the shift to hybrid learning signal the end of the sage on the stage?

Moving online could signal the death of pedagogy

Shifting to andragogical learning models is the ideal way to prepare students for independent study, research and the world of work, says Steve Davies

Steve Davies

University of South Wales

A diverse group of students requires a diverse range of learning opportunities, an approach that is championed by universal design for learning

Flexibility is key if we want students to connect with their studies

Universal design for learning not only embraces diversity, it also uses it as the basis for providing choice in how students learn – and succeed, says Lillian Nave

Lillian Nave

Appalachian State University

Head in the clouds. Student engagement is used almost universally in HE, but no one seems to agree on what it actually means.

What is student engagement?

The move online compounded matters, but even before that, nobody could agree on what student engagement was – and that needs to change, says Chris Headleand

Chris Headleand

University of Lincoln

Too many devices. Should we be training lecturers to deal with shortened attention spans?

Should lecturers be trained to deal with shortening attention spans?

Would my life be easier if I had received explicit guidance in how to deliver content in TikTok-length pieces? asks Katie Davis

Katie Davis

University of Washington

Diversity faces many challenges in HE, but the Council of Coalitions model at ASU could offer valuable lessons

This model is the future of diversity in higher education

Coming together for support is the only way forward – and the Council of Coalitions is the model for inter-group organising we desperately need, says Pardis Mahdavi

Pardis Mahdavi

Arizona State University

Learning Chinese script. The challenges of teaching students a non-Roman language are manifold, especially online, but it's crucial to preserve linguistic heritage

The trials of teaching a ‘new’ script in a virtual world

Teaching non-Roman scripts online throws up great challenges, but we must preserve the world’s linguistic resources, say Rana Raddawi, Jingjing Ji and Ronit Alexander

Rana Raddawi, Jingjing Ji, Ronit Alexander

Northwestern University

Personal crises can strike students at any time, especially given the pandemic, and those who help them probably need help too.

The sector’s mental health workers need help too

More assistance must be offered to help students survive, let alone thrive – and the same goes for student crisis interventionists like me, says Lula Torres

Lula Torres

InsideTrack

An atmospheric theatre. Beware the futility of wellness theatre

Beware the futility of higher education’s wellness theatre

Surface-level emphasis on self-care without discussing systemic problems in HE runs the risk of gaslighting students who face very real barriers, says Fiona Rawle

Fiona Rawle

University of Toronto Mississauga

Digital poverty is becoming as important an issue as housing, healthcare and education, especially with universities pivoting online

Digital resources now rank alongside housing, healthcare and education

Universities, government, business and local communities must come together and provide strategic action to tackle digital poverty effectively, says Julian Thomas

Julian Thomas

RMIT University

A virtual student competition. These events' move online has resulted in a much greater international spread of participants and collaboration.

Moving student competitions online has made them better than ever

Virtual competitions have flourished and resulted in greater international collaboration, says Gayle DeBruyn

Gayle DeBruyn

Ferris State University

With more and more students achieving high grades, online micro courses can help graduates stand out in the jobs market

Short online courses can grease the wheels of student employability

The degree has transitioned from differentiating factor to basic benchmark. Online microcredentials can help graduates stand out from their rivals, says Madina Tash

Madina Tash

University of Sussex

Made in China. The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated China's position as the world leader in edtech.

Covid-19 has reinforced China’s role as global leader in ed-tech

The country’s giant companies benefit from an ecosystem that supports online learning and a cultural propensity to prioritise education, says Tom C. Varghese

Tom C. Varghese

University of Oxford

Online and blended learning must be stepped up to deliver equitable learning as part of the new "metaverse" that university students will come to expect

The educational ‘metaverse’ is coming

The universities best equipped with digital infrastructure and savvy human resources will emerge as the new leaders − no matter where they are, says Kwang Hyung Lee

Kwang Hyung Lee

Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)

The government and HE sector must think digital-first when offering employability skills and training.

Digital-first thinking is needed to address youth employability

Younger people are geared towards digital channels, so they’re more likely to engage with innovative, online training as part of their studies, says Harminder Matharu

Harminder Matharu

FutureLearn

A computer lover embraces his machine. But cybersecurity is not just for the geeks in the IT department.

Cybersecurity is not just for the geeks in the IT department

Our first-year university students might have received no education on cybersecurity since the age of 13, say Andy Phippen and Emma Bond

Andy Phippen, Emma Bond

Bournemouth University, University of Suffolk

Zoom meetings do not have to be quite so painful for academics and university staff.

Zoom meetings don’t have to be quite so painful

Simple actions can help avoid common pitfalls in the design and execution of online team meetings, say Rob Angell and Ben Marder

Rob Angell, Ben Marder

University of Southampton, The University of Edinburgh

Universities have been taking all the wrong cues when trying to measure engagement.

Forget everything you think you know about online engagement

There’s much interest in how many times students access the virtual learning environment or complete online tasks, but that only provides part of the picture, says Linda Kaye

Linda Kaye

Edge Hill University

Difficult and emotional course content is easier to digest through non-linear, asynchronous delivery

Online micro-learning can transform the teaching of sensitive topics

Non-linear course design means that emotive and uncomfortable content can be paused or skipped and returned to another time, says Gemma Ahearne

Gemma Ahearne

University of Liverpool

An empty university lecture hall. The sector should come together to welcome students back to campus.

The sector should come together to welcome students back to campus

Universities wasted a lot of time developing individual online transition resources last year. Let’s not make the same mistake again, says Donna Murray

Donna Murray

The University of Edinburgh

Sharing knowledge and becoming 'intellectually dependable' are intertwined and should be placed at the forefront of education

Teaching students to think for themselves is not enough

The critical thinking ideal is too individualistic and self-focused − students must learn to help others think well, too, says T. Ryan Byerly

T. Ryan Byerly

University of Sheffield

Doing science at home. Harvey Mudd College in California devised many innovative methods to teach lab work online

Rethinking remote labs to deliver during Covid and beyond

Our faculty has devised truly innovative methods to replace the in-person lab experience, says Maria Klawe

Maria Klawe

Harvey Mudd College

Getting creative in the classroom is crucial in helping stave off online adversity.

A bit of creativity can go a long way when teaching online

It’s crucial to shake things up to stop online delivery from homogenising even the most disparate teaching styles, says Constanza Pacher

Constanza Pacher

MacEwan University

Huge uptake of science subjects is expected in the wake of the pandemic, and we must utilise online learning to serve the demand.

Only a digital drive will allow us to capture the boom in STEM interest

We certainly don’t want to turn away thousands of enthusiastic STEM students due to a lack of capacity, says Steve Davies

Steve Davies

University of South Wales

A robot marks a book. Aritificial intelligence has been trumpeted as our saviour, but the truth is much more complicated.

AI has been trumpeted as our saviour, but it’s complicated

Time saved by lecturers on marking assignments could indeed be used to enrich teaching, but unfortunately many silver linings have a cloud, says Harin Sellahewa

Harin Sellahewa

University of Buckingham

Philosophy and other humanities are at the heart of making sustainability work on a national and international scale

Social sciences, humanities and arts are critical for sustainability

The neglect of social sciences, humanities and arts is at the heart of why the shift to sustainability has been slow − and why it may eventually fail, say Eric Neumayer and Charles Joly

Eric Neumayer, Charles Joly

The London School of Economics and Political Science

A student takes part in a virtual internship

Impostor syndrome can strike even in virtual internships

It’s worrying that students who do internships online underestimate their contributions when employers rate them as valuable, say Chloe Severn and Katie Stote

Chloe Severn, Katie Stote

University of Plymouth

Loudspeaker design. One key takeaway from the Covid crisis is the proven ability of leadership to communicate effectively.

Covid proved that HE can change quickly and effectively after all

Much discussion has focused on what to do better, but we should also recognise strengths that had not been seen prior to the crisis, say Jon McNaughtan and Hugo García

Jon McNaughtan, Hugo García

Texas Tech University

The campus of the future will need to take into account the likely use of hyflex pedagogy

The campus is dead, long live the campus

Potential post-Covid changes to campus design will slide along a spectrum from optimising space to rethinking academic structures, says Jay Deshmukh

Jay Deshmukh

IBI Group

Asian student learning about virtual exchange. There is a need to be clear on the outcomes of virtual exchange as it becomes more common.

Virtual international exchange needs a sharpening of practice

For committed international educators, there is a need to clarify the purpose of virtual exchange before the trend takes hold, says Benjamin Tak Yuen Chan

Benjamin Tak Yuen Chan

Hong Kong Metropolitan University

A photograph of a war zone. When teaching to diverse groups overseas, there are many circumstances to consider.

Lessons learned teaching online, from wi-fi woes to war zones

Human issues, particularly willingness to contribute to discussions, were more significant than tech issues when teaching across borders to diverse audiences, says David Mould

David Mould

Ohio University

Rural America suffers from a lack of high-speed internet access, which in turn hinders social mobility

Biden’s next big deal must include expanded broadband access

The pandemic helped expose an insidious digital divide that imperils efforts to reduce inequality and promote social mobility, says Jem Spectar

Jem Spectar

University of Pittsburgh Johnstown

Co-creation is still possible even though most teaching and learning is taking place online.

Co-creation does not need to stop because we’ve moved online

Co-creation is far more about mindset than suitability for a particular setting, and the evidence demonstrating its benefits is growing, says Catherine Bovill

Catherine Bovill

The University of Edinburgh

Virtual learning, book and laptop merged

Virtual learning environments mustn’t lead to module silos

We must ensure modules complement one another by establishing consistency in their form and functioning, says Maurice Kinsella

Maurice Kinsella, Niamh Nestor, John Wyatt

University College Dublin

A scantron sheet. Do we dehumanise students when we put them into spreadsheet rows?

Grades are dehumanising, but ‘ungrading’ is no simple solution

There is nothing ideologically neutral about grades, and nothing ideologically neutral about the idea we can neatly and tidily do away with them, says Jesse Stommel

Jesse Stommel

University of Mary Washington

A student takes part in an online work placement. Given the huge backlog of placements created by Covid-19, universities should consider e-placements.

It’s time for the sector to embrace online work placements

Placement capacity has been shaken to its core by the Covid-19 pandemic, creating a huge backlog. We must look for sustainable alternative solutions, says Gilly Salmon

Gilly Salmon

Swinburne University of Technology

A shy student. Many young people do not want to see their likeness on-screen.

Teaching in the hall of mirrors: should faculty ever mention appearance?

Educators must pay attention to why young people are using platforms that allow social interaction without visual scrutiny, says Elizabeth Losh

Elizabeth Losh

William & Mary

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