Lifelong learning

Caucasian male working at laptop in cafe

Learning shouldn’t have a graduation date

AI’s pace of change is challenging the idea that education is something we complete at the beginning of adult life. Drawing on lifelong learning expertise, Aidan McGowan shares five lessons for extending the university-learner relationship across a career

Aidan McGowan

Queen’s University Belfast

female mature-age online student working at laptop

‘What I learned from being a university student again’

If educators want to understand student confidence, inclusivity, belonging and engagement, they could consider returning to the classroom as a learner

Marianne Savory, Beka Kimberley, Laura Oxley, Afua Kudom

University of Leeds, Graduate Futures Institute

Colourful outlines of people emerging from an illustrated motherboard

Course design for a new age

Learn how to design courses that respond to the evolving needs of both students and employers

Campus contributors, Laura Duckett

Campus

Five principles for designing industry-relevant microcredentials

Microcredentials that respond to student and employer needs require industry-backed, thoughtful design, writes Karla Margarita Banda Martínez, who offers guidance

Karla Margarita Banda Martínez

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Noémi Verbőczi, photo courtesy of Semmelweis University

From ballet to dance medicine: how universities can build healthier training cultures

How can we help dance students achieve technical excellence without compromising their health? A former ballerina turned dance medicine specialist discusses how universities can build healthier, more sustainable dance training cultures

Noémi Verbőczi

Semmelweis University

Course design for non-traditional students: lessons from adult learning theory

Strategies for ensuring relevance, building on existing knowledge and creating flexible learning experiences to better serve increasing numbers of non-traditional students

Catherine Wehlburg

Athens State University

Black female professional working at computer

How to integrate AI-enabled lifelong learning across disciplines

The traditional boundary between a traditional degree and active professional development has permanently dissolved, writes Tim Brown. AI skills need to be taught in a similarly joined-up way

Tim Brown

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

Young indian student using computer remote studying

‘We need to design lifelong learning for the students we will have, not the ones we imagine’

Flexible pathways and modular curricula will only fit into students’ real lives if courses are intentionally designed, co-created and evidence-informed, writes Harriet Dunbar-Morris. Here she shares a leadership toolkit for lifelong learning reform

Harriet Dunbar-Morris

University of Buckingham, University of Oxford

Man with child on his lap working at computer

It’s time to take the well-being of online postgraduate students seriously

As online taught postgraduate provision expands, programme teams need practical ways to support student well-being at a distance. Julien le Jeune d’Allegeershecque shares five ways educators can make a measurable difference

Julien le Jeune d’Allegeershecque

Imperial College London

Students sitting at their desks in a classroom

Why universities must become flexible lifelong partners, not one-time providers

As careers become increasingly non-linear and shaped by rapid change, universities must evolve beyond traditional degree provision, says Sankar Sivarajah. Here, he outlines strategies

Sankar Sivarajah

Kingston University

Why business schools need to rethink how they teach law

In an age of lawfare and regulatory complexity, legal literacy has become a core managerial skill. Yet most law professors teaching in business schools receive no preparation for the job. It is time to change that, writes Maximiliano Marzetti

Maximiliano Marzetti

IÉSEG School of Management

Learner heterogeneity is now the norm in higher education

In an era of lifelong learning and reskilling, undergraduate cohorts include students balancing work, caregiving and studies across life stages. Flexibility should be a foundational design principle rather than an accommodation

Ivy Seow, Tamas Makany

Singapore Management University

A mother works at a laptop while entertaining a small child

Small tweaks to better support part-time students

Part-time learners negotiate expectations across family, work and study. Here’s how universities can design the system to support them

Asrif Yusoff

University of Greenwich

Young female professor taking a question in class

How universities can prepare faculty to teach executive education

Teaching seasoned professionals requires a different approach from undergraduates or even MBA students. This guide aims to prepare faculty to connect academic insight with real-world leadership experience

Konstantin Korotov

ESMT Berlin

How early career lecturers can neutralise age-based assumptions in the classroom

With structure and clarity, new or young university teachers can confidently lead classrooms where students are older than they are. Here, Dikshitha Madisetty offers five strategies

Dikshitha Madisetty

University of Europe for Applied Sciences

Woman with coloured hair in lecture hall

Teaching the professionals: effective strategies for mature learners

Adult students re-enter education with professional knowledge, time constraints and often a need to see direct benefits from their learning. These tips aim to help university teachers give these cohorts an effective experience

Russell Woodward, Ian Rodwell

University Centre Grimsby: The TEC Partnership

A hashtag with students sitting studying on it

The business of online education

Guidance on how to successfully develop and market higher education teaching and learning online to deliver value to students and drive revenue for your institution

Campus contributors

Campus

Campus Talks: The real-world power of soft skills

How do universities ensure their curricula meet the demands from industry, government and students for career-ready graduates equipped with vital transferable skills? Three experts explain how institutions are working to align higher education and skills development

David Bell, Dawn Bennett, Derek Harding

University of Sunderland, Independent consultant, Swinburne University of Technology

‘Adults bring experience and cognitive strengths to lifelong learning’

The science of adult learning provides a road map for strengths-based, age-inclusive programme design and helps turn classrooms into vibrant hubs of intergenerational learning

Sally Ng Siew Hiang, Adam John Privitera, Annabel Chen Shen-Hsing

Nanyang Technological University

Wind turbines and solar panels across the horizon

Support smaller businesses’ sustainability efforts through education

For businesses to improve their sustainability, they first need to understand how. Paula Whitehouse shares lessons from a programme specially developed to educate executives in environmental strategies

Paula Whitehouse

Aston University

Authentic assessment for inclusivity and employability

Designing an educational studies course for international learners meant rethinking assessment, from traditional exams to a more practical, student-informed approach. Here’s what worked

Xiao Qu

University of the West of Scotland

Blocks with heads and lightbulbs in an arc

What can the university sector learn from block teaching?

Once seen as a pedagogical experiment, the block plan is ready for its researchers and practitioners to move beyond self-examination and share their innovations with the wider higher education community, writes John Weldon

John Weldon

Victoria University

Mature white male student doing online training

Does the Workforce Pell Grant Program offer a reprieve for US higher education?

Government funding for short-term courses could create more affordable, accessible pathways for students, and opportunities for universities to rethink how learning is structured and credentialed, writes Pardis Mahdavi

Pardis Mahdavi

Independent academic

From salary to strategy: why universities must teach financial literacy

Universities teach communication, critical reasoning and research methods, so why not also provide basic financial skills to all students, regardless of discipline?

Manjari Sharma

Christ (Deemed to be University)

Hand holding mortar board, digital credentials

How industry partnerships and digital credentials can close the skills gap

Industry-focused credentials allow candidates to highlight skill sets to potential employers and enable individuals who may not have access to traditional higher educational pathways to display skills acquired over time. Here are examples of how these can work

Veronica M. Godshalk, Janelle Simmonds

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities, Siemens Digital Industries Software

Students raise their hands in a lecture hall

Make interdisciplinary research accessible to everyone

Short courses can give members of the public insight into cutting-edge interdisciplinary research, focusing on issues related to their daily lives. Here’s how to put them into place

Qingyan Chen

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Easing students into higher education at the shallow end

The culture shock of starting university can be acute for those who left school early or who are returning to study after years in the workforce. Here, Gareth Morgan explains a programme that sets students up for success

Gareth Morgan

University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha

Stepping stones to milestones: tap into micro-moments for alumni engagement

To connect effectively with alumni, bite-sized social media content must mirror the complexity of the lives it touches, writes Florence Neo

Florence Neo

Singapore Management University

Turning skills into stories: how longitudinal skills portfolios enhance student employability

Universities are adopting reflective digital tools to help students connect their learning to graduate skills. Here’s what they’re doing and why it matters now

Cat Bailey

Jisc

Using small-scale ChatGPT integration to introduce online students to GenAI

Integration of ChatGPT into online learning does not have to be a huge project. A small-scale, flexible writing task can address your students’ needs. But if they are working professionals, you should know their capacity for using technology

Jonathan Zaccarini

Columbia University

The power of short courses in transforming the workplace

What started out as a business research project into low productivity became a commercially successful short course. Perhaps it’s time to think outside the box and respond to what businesses need

Richard Saundry

University of Westminster

What makes a university extension programme stand out?

A holistic approach to extension courses that includes easy access to information, personalised support, workforce development assistance and end-to-end engagement will help institutions shine in a crowded market

Jaimie Rush

University of La Verne

Universities must evolve from degree-granting hubs to social anchors

Higher education institutions can be incubators for ethical leadership, lifelong learning ecosystems and community partnerships, writes Rahim Somani

Rahim Somani

University of Northern British Columbia

Should universities meet all industry demands?

With higher education institutions adapting their programmes to prepare students for future jobs, they risk producing corporatised graduates to a detriment of innovation or even business’ best interests, writes Stéphane Bouchonnet

Stéphane Bouchonnet

École Polytechnique

How to transition from a student to a researcher mindset

Tips for developing a professional network, building resilience and making a realistic research career plan

Noman Mahtab

London College of Contemporary Arts

Imagine an age-inclusive university sector

Age inclusion should be part of universities’ mission, as well as their day-to-day operations. To not support staff and students at all stages of their academic life is an opportunity missed

Paul Harpur, Brooke Szücs, Nancy A. Pachana

The University of Queensland

A tutor helping her postgraduate students

How can we better support our postgraduate students?

The challenges postgraduate taught students face are different from those of their undergraduate counterparts. Here are some ways to help them overcome them

Ellen Bell, Kelly Edmunds

The University of East Anglia

Older students at their desks at a university

How can universities encourage active ageing?

As life expectancies rise, universities must prepare to welcome more older students. Here are some ways to ensure institutions are inclusive spaces for these learners

Husnul Fitri

The University of Indonesia

A student at her laptop with earphones on

Key strategies for successfully marketing an online course

Highlighting multimedia aspects, networking opportunities and the value of your course’s credential value are some of the ways institutions should be marketing their online education offering

Valeria Adriazola

Dalhousie University

Joining hands across institutions makes light work

Communities of practice can help overextended faculty and staff maximise programme impact and bandwidth for career practitioners

Karena Nguyen , Paola Cepeda, Anne-Sophie Bohrer, Matthew Warner

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities, Washington University in St Louis, University of Wisconsin–Madison, North Dakota State University

How I pioneered a graduate apprenticeship programme in architectural technology

Launching a graduate apprenticeship programme has provided an alternative route to graduate-level education for mature, female and employed students. Here’s how to do it

Suha Jaradat

Edinburgh Napier University

What are students paying for when they learn online?

Understanding the time investment, industry input and subject matter expertise that go into creating quality online content should give learners a sense of confidence, write Mick Grimley and Lisa Burdes

Mick Grimley, Lisa Burdes

University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha

A woman holds up a bar chart to an iPhone camera

19 ways to promote your online course

In a crowded marketplace, marketing online courses can be challenging. Here are 19 proven strategies to get the word out

Shefa Mostafa Gawish

Dubai Medical University

How to enhance teaching skills in a multidisciplinary environment

Technical challenges as well as the personal demands that teachers face make support programmes at higher education institutions all the more important. Here’s how self-paced, modular training can boost teacher engagement and student satisfaction

Borbála Kozma

Semmelweis University

A blue set of steps with a white arrow pointing upwards

Teach the skills required for a future we can’t yet imagine

Times are changing too quickly for any of us to accurately predict what the future employment market will look like. But we can still prepare our students. Hajer N. Sheikh advocates for a more agile approach

Hajer N. Sheikh

Dubai Medical University

A woman in a mortarboard, holding a scroll, looks off into the distance

For the future of higher education, we need to educate the whole student

In this extract from his book ‘The Learning-Centered University’, Steven Mintz lays out his vision of higher education’s future, and proposes a new way of learning

Steven Mintz

University of Texas at Austin

Let’s give learners on all levels the skills for a green future

To support the switch to a green economy, educators need to update sustainability education programmes to meet learners’ needs. Ethan Chong Yih Tng offers his tips

Ethan Chong Yih Tng

Singapore Institute of Technology

Leverage large language models to assess soft skills in lifelong learning

Leadership and critical-thinking skills are difficult to measure. Here, Jonna Lee offers case studies that test the idea of integrating large language models into assessment practices as a feedback tool to empower both students and instructors

Jonna Lee

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

A woman holds a lightbulb with a holographic rendition of a mortarboard,

Seven things driving the evolution of the university in the 21st century

How can we align higher education with the changing demands of society? Urbi Ghosh identifies the seven factors involved in transforming the university

Urbi Ghosh

Colorado State University

Build a framework of support for open and distance learners in three stages

Open and distance learning may offer a way for graduates to separate themselves from the herd, but some struggle with online learning practices. Cheng Yee Ng details how she developed the framework to address these challenges

Cheng Yee Ng

Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP)

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