Teaching and learning

Students’ talents wear many guises, depending on the person, the field and the judge. But instilling ethics is also crucial, says Howard Gardner

Australian report suggests scholars should ‘focus on areas where AI is ineffective’

More must be done to understand and help students who register for courses but then fade into the ether, says Bret Stephenson

Survey affirms need for boosting human-based concerns in admissions and curricula

External examining will make you rich – in new ideas, that is, writes Robert MacIntosh

Calls for critical thinking from their students are rarely reflected in academics’ own writing or institutional behaviour, says Alex Wright

Landmark development ‘blurs boundaries between education and research’ and aims to deliver work experience for students

Several years on from Rhodes Must Fall, the hoped-for revolution in South African university teaching has not happened, says Saloshna Vandeyar

Provision of teacher residencies and mentoring by universities seen as key to long-term science improvement

UUK report urges government to promote ‘earn while you learn’ courses to meet student, parent and employer enthusiasm

In today’s political and psychological climate, teaching some liberal arts standards has become an abyss to avoid, says Crispin Sartwell

Despite win, academic acknowledges critics of tactic of rapid-fire attacks on president

Only a quarter of biology conferences set rules on attendee behaviour and penalties for misconduct are even rarer, study finds

More than half of academics surveyed said being videoed makes them less spontaneous, but importance to students is clear

Proposed legislation could thwart peer support, universities say

The use of anonymous online student forums alarms many tutors. But Patricia Xavier believes universities can make them work for everyone

If academics want students to see value in course-based activities, we need to make clearer to them exactly what broader skills they will learn by completing them, says Tanya Martini

A punitive attitude towards incarceration limits the access of the US’ uniquely large prison population to college degrees. But there are signs that attitudes are finally shifting. Paul Basken considers the arguments and looks at some prime examples of what can be achieved with a captive audience

The Augar review should prompt the creation of a network of secular synagogues devoted to adult peer learning, says Tom Schuller

Tutors struggle to prepare reporters for public less interested in facts

South Wales lecturer shared incorrect advice on issues such as electrical safety, fire doors, and indoor barbecues

Universities in most nations are now obliged to prioritise graduate career prospects, but how it should be approached depends on your view of the meaning of education. Academics need to think that through much more clearly, says Tom Cutterham

Disengaging from ‘whiteness’ is not alienating: it is an opportunity to reflect on why we are in academia in the first place, says William Barylo

Immersing students in an entrepreneurial and innovative environment will allow them to thrive in an AI world, says Sethuraman Panchanathan

University of Derby project will produce guidance on improving curricula, pedagogy and assessments

Narrowing financial buffers raise questions over Australian universities’ goals of being comprehensive

Hepi/Advance HE annual survey finds improvements, but lower perceived learning gain on some courses will be scrutinised in post-Augar era

Experts say rules are too unclear in light of rise of online commercial checking services

Academics fear women and ethnic minorities will be particularly exposed to abuse on module discussion boards

Shigeru Miyagawa describes how artificial intelligence could transform teaching and assessment

Western ‘settler’ nations such as Canada and Australia are wrestling with how to redress historical injustices visited on their native populations. One proposal is for universities to embrace Indigenous knowledge. But what does that mean in practice? Will it achieve its aims? And where does it leave science? Matthew Reisz considers the arguments

A new approach focused on prevention is needed to arrest rise in number of students facing charges of academic misconduct, writes Rachel Maxwell

Schedule reform refusal points to deeper problem, pioneer tells conference

Reflecting concern about validity of student evaluations, Australian institutions following North American and European move towards greater use of observations

The UK’s TEF experience should be a warning to Australia’s re-elected government not to settle for empty accountability, says William Locke 

Universities need to give staff more support about how to deal with negative comments, say researchers

Event will include launch of THE Europe Teaching Rankings 2019

Consumerism, technology and the culture wars threaten to render critical thinking an unwanted skill, worries Victor Ferrall

The UK’s largest university is respected for its innovative approach to distance learning, but its impact on wider higher education is varied, experts say

Schools take credit for majority of literacy and numeracy development

Experiment that saw students take tests in temperatures ranging from 16ºC to 33ºC finds men appear to score highest in the cold

Like it or not, Wikipedia is used by students around the world – so academics should teach them how to use it, writes Caroline Ball 

Most universities still rely on exams and assessed essays to grade their students. But as the fourth industrial revolution, employability and student satisfaction all rise up the agenda, many experts are suggesting that assessment needs to much more closely resemble real-world tasks. Anna McKie marks the arguments   

Artificial intelligence may be threatening employment but it could also be key to helping humans find alternative jobs, argues Shigeru Miyagawa 

Move follows agreement over ‘statement of intent’ on tackling issues linked to rise in firsts and 2:1s in UK

Software could be adopted across the sector as early warning system for standards issues

University’s emphasis on creativity, not exam scores, aims to help shift China away from ‘degree factory’ model, THE summit hears

David Peña-Guzmán says philosophy undergraduates have enthusiastically embraced experiment designed to ‘reignite their love of attentive reading’

Analysis of capital outposts finds staff are not as well qualified and facilities are typically less impressive

Analysis of nine European universities finds the ‘innovation’ agenda has taken root – often pushed by students who want to solve the world’s problems

They are full of self-esteem and love social media yet crave high grades and safe spaces. What to make of today’s students? asks Felipe Fernández-Armesto

Today’s students have access to vast amounts of information, so how can academics teach them to critically assess what they read online?

Academics fear global reach of new Singaporean legislation could result in censorship of international academic journals

Ford administration is blind to incompatibility of statistical metrics and quality teaching, academics warn

US universities might be world-leading in research terms, but there is scant evidence that this has any bearing on their prowess as educators. Why do institutions of higher education show so little interest and aptitude in instilling genuine learning, asks John Tagg 

The relationship between PhD students and their supervisors is often said to be the most intense in the academy, with huge implications for student success. Yet most supervisors receive little if any training. Here, six academics give their take on how to approach it 

Websites launch new services as they aim to stand out in an increasingly crowded market

Theological institutions and other private and niche providers earn the best ratings

Government proposes law against contract cheating, as it clears the decks for coming election

Despite its tarnished reputation and history of collapsed ventures, the for-profit sector retains a strong foothold on the US academy. Paul Basken tracks its successes and failures