Feature article

Where the Nile’s waters meet: creating value through interdisciplinarity and collaboration

Effective interdisciplinary collaboration hinges on four principles: focusing on the problem, understanding how disciplines interact, fostering relationships and recognising power dynamics, writes Ben Kei Daniel

Ben Kei Daniel

University of Northern British Columbia

Advice on launching co-created humanities modules

It can be daunting designing and introducing a new module. Be brave and take chances, says Alyson Mercer, who shares tips on the process from conception to implementation

Alyson Mercer

The University of Exeter

Why a laboratory is more than a room full of equipment

The laboratory is at the centre of a university’s academic infrastructure. Here’s how to define laboratory excellence for the future

Imtias Amir Bahauddin

Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP)

Man pushing pound coin up a hill in Sisyphys metaphor for research funding

The Sisyphus trap: surviving plummeting funding success rates

Building a research programme absolutely depends on winning grants, but early career researchers also need to be able to distinguish which opportunities are worth pursuing and where their finite time is best spent

Meysam Qadrdan

Cardiff University

An online learner smiling at classmates on his laptop screen

Five design principles for meaningful online global learning

As digital technologies transform access to both information and education, how can universities offer distinctive educational value for professional learners online? Maria Cross offers advice

Maria Cross

UCL

‘Great teaching does not mean more work. It means better choices’

Effective teachers connect students to the ideas and knowledge that matter to them. Urbi Ghosh explains how educators can demonstrate clear links and interrupt their own practices when autopilot has kicked in

Urbi Ghosh

Colorado State University Global

Success in academia is more than a citation count

Academic communities have long relied on citations, publication counts, the journal impact factor and the h-index as indicators of scholarly achievement. These metrics capture only part of the story, as Rachel Miles explains

Rachel Miles

Virginia Tech

A group of smiling students standing outside on university campus grounds

What can traditional degrees learn from apprenticeships?

Three stages for embedding apprenticeship-informed practice, with strategies collected from degree apprenticeship educators across the UK

Multiple authors

The University of Exeter, Manchester Metropolitan University

An academic surrounded by books looks stressed

Does your university workload allocation model support gender equality?

Workload allocation models can fail to reflect the reality of female academics’ workloads and unintentionally compound gender inequality. Find advice for making the process more transparent

Noreen O’Leary , Hannah Christie, Ioana Tistea

RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences

How a silent card game helps students develop intercultural communication skills

A game built on gesture can speak volumes about hidden norms and the skills to navigate them because it converts an abstract concept into personal experience

Nasreen Sultana

The University of Queensland

A student taking notes on a notepad while looking at her laptop

How to prevent free riding in online group work

When collaborative assignments lack structured guidance, levels of contribution among team members may vary. Gabriela Espínola offers insight into building community and accountability online

Gabriela Espínola Carballo

Tecnológico de Monterrey

A teacher gestures to a screen in a lecture hall

Six ways to design a class students look forward to

Give students a clear reason to pay attention to your content. Here’s how to design courses to spark curiosity

Ricardo A. Ramirez-Mendoza

Universidad del Caribe (UNICARIBE)

Four engineers considering an automotive problem

Great teachers simplify before they complicate

Students often overcomplicate challenging concepts, so educators should break complexities into parts, use real-world examples and introduce uncertainty to simulate industry environments

Jeff Warfford

Virginia Tech

Preparing students for the workplace? Alumni could be the key

The alumni community have been exactly where students are now. Here’s how harnessing their expertise and guidance can be invaluable

María Manson

Universidad Austral

‘Close your laptop, use your brain’

How thoughtful technology use and analogue activities can engage distracted students and reduce overreliance on AI

Lauren B. Clark

UCL

AI literacy as habit, not bolt-on

Let’s avoid teaching students that AI is a topic separate from the rest of the course content. Instead, embed it in course design. Find out how

Lucy S. Méndez Santiago

Universidad del Caribe (UNICARIBE)

Human and robot hands making a curve shape

How applied theatre can help students examine the ethics of AI

Why not harness theatre to spark students’ exploration of the ethical dilemmas embedded in AI design, deployment and regulation? Jon Catherwood-Ginn explains how educators can do just that

Jon Catherwood-Ginn

Virginia Tech

A teacher advising a student on a reading in the library

What sets great teachers apart?

A great teacher is there to inspire students, not through theatrics of personality but because of a burning love of their subject, writes Steve Lambert

Steve Lambert

University of Chester

A student raises a hand in the classroom

How to spot bias in your own teaching – and what to do about it

Bias can materialise as a set of habits no one thought to question. Here’s how to look at your own teaching with clear eyes

Dami Folayan

Arden University

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

The world is not a case study: teaching business judgement with the Bloomberg Terminal

A software program can give students a better proxy for business environments and help them make better decisions. Learn how

Irina Gokh

De Montfort University

A student and careers advisor discuss options

Three steps to introduce transfer students to career services

Students who arrive at university midway through their studies often miss out on vital introductory courses, and the opportunity to discover the career services centre with confidence. Here’s how to remedy that

Roxanna M. Ruiz-Vázquez , Adrienne L. Provost

University of Florida

Male Asian student writing on laptop in common area

International scholars’ real-world strategies in academic writing

Students writing in English as a second language bring a practical and targeted approach to research, reading and writing. Xinqiang Li explains how he integrated these lessons into his teaching

Xinqiang Li

Michigan State University

Teachers and students working on a project together in the library

Co-creation isn’t simply asking for students’ views

How to prepare, support and work with student co-creators so that diverse perspectives can genuinely shape change

Manjula Patrick

UCL

Give students space to practise the soft skills they’ll need for the workplace

Don’t leave the development of soft skills up to chance – they can be the difference between one graduate candidate and another. Here’s how to build them into teaching

Hanene Duprat

Al Akhawayn University

Why AI literacy must include supporting student – and faculty – well-being

In embedding artificial intelligence into curricula without considering how it shapes students’ thinking, relationships and sense of self, educators risk switching one problem for another. Amy Allen and David Hicks offer an approach to help ensure well-being in the age of AI

Amy Allen, David Hicks

Virginia Tech

Muslim law students discussing a case in class

How can we ease Muslim law students’ transition into the workplace?

Muslim law students might feel a sense of belonging at law school but what happens when they enter the profession? Maria Bhatti and Sandy Noakes outline tips for making that transition more inclusive

Maria Bhatti, Sandy Noakes

Western Sydney University, University of Sydney

A mechanical robot hand writes on a notepad

A tool for teaching argumentative writing to EFL students

Even students with a solid grasp of English can find it hard to construct coherent arguments in their academic writing. A six-week training course centred around an AI-powered corpus platform could help, writes Liu Kanglong

Liu Kanglong

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Jon Batiste at NYU Skirball for the launch of the Jameel Arts & Health Lab-Lancet Global Collection on Arts and Health

What the movement to integrate the arts and health can teach us about making research matter

Moving research into action requires more than publishing evidence. Stories, images, trusted messengers and examples of uptake can build public acceptance, shift what people see as possible and help evidence become practice and policy

Nisha Sajnani

New York University

Young female student looking confused at laptop

How to turn students’ smartphone confidence into academic digital literacy

Confidence using apps and social media doesn’t always indicate that first-year students can use university systems. Here are four ways how to make sure their practical computing habits are up to scratch

Nassir Ibrahim, Jameson Tucker, Imran Khan

Birmingham City University

A hand holding a magnifying glass over a stack of papers

Don’t ban GenAI: teach students to question it

By turning AI output into an object of collective enquiry, educators can teach a valuable habit: rather than simply asking whether an answer is correct, asking what makes it credible, writes Mert Can Atar

Mert Can Atar

Istanbul Aydin University

Research staff in a library working on a digital huimanities project

How to build a sustainable digital humanities ecosystem

Digital humanities is about more than adopting new technologies. It depends on bringing people, expertise and ideas together – and creating the structures to help them thrive, says Mara Oliva

Mara Oliva

University of Reading

A professor teaches from the front of class

We promise our graduates will be employable. Are we keeping that promise?

How can our degree programmes prepare future graduates to be employable and equipped? Chathura Sooriya-Arachchi envisages a better way

Chathura Sooriya-Arachchi

University of Westminster

Candidate in wheelchair in job interview

Beyond lived experience: choosing effective candidates for identified roles

Roles that centre diversity, equity and inclusion research and practice should be filled by candidates with lived experience. For recruitment teams outside these communities, however, it is not always clear what to consider or what to ask in an interview

Brooke Szücs

The University of Queensland

How can we better support female autistic students?

Autism can manifest differently in women and girls. Learn how small changes, such as warning students before making changes to classroom layouts, can make all the difference

Sarah Guest

University of Chester

Students developing a model aeroplane at an event

Universities create structured opportunities for students – but what happens in the spaces between?

Closer attention should be paid to what happens once students walk out of an event or workshop or complete a project – this is where the real impacts can be seen and further developed, writes Tosin Adebisi

Tosin Adebisi

The London School of Economics and Political Science

It’s time to stop celebrating resilience

When universities ask their staff to do more with less, is it really a test of individual fortitude? Rachelle McKay explains why we should stop praising endurance

Rachelle McKay

Dalhousie University

Female student examining a computer chip with a magnifying glass

What is authentic about ‘authentic learning’?

The catch-all term ‘authentic’ can distinguish certain teaching, practical and assessment tasks as being more valuable than others, but educators need to ask what assumptions underpin the label, writes J. Patrick Williams

J. Patrick Williams

Nanyang Technological University

A woman wearing a headscarf in an office

Beyond access: what Muslim women can teach universities about inclusion

Universities have made significant progress with widening participation, but access alone does not create belonging. Here are four ways to build environments that recognise and support Muslim women

Amena Amer

UCL

An illustration of a figure balancing on a tightrope

The balancing act involved in teaching a class of mixed-ability students

Have you faced a situation where half of your class are subject-matter experts, and the other half are absolute beginners? Find practical strategies for bringing novices up to speed while keeping experts motivated

Lolita Edralin

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Team meeting with lightbulb in foreground

Don’t just assemble an interdisciplinary research team, design one

Being intentional about collaboration across fields results in a more responsive, open and effective research project. Seyedahmad Rahimi shares advice for ensuring the right people are working together in the right way

Seyedahmad Rahimi

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

Man tries to find his way through a maze

What students need to learn beyond the curriculum

Universities cannot assume students know how to engage in self-directed study and campus life. Clear direction and signposting can help arrivals flourish inside and outside the classroom, colleagues at Manchester Metropolitan University write

Katharina De Vita, Lucy Pittaway, Melanie McHale

Manchester Metropolitan University

A student on a zoom call in her home office

Make tech work in large online courses

Students on large online courses can sometimes feel like a face among the crowd. Keep them engaged with interactive activities such as digital escape rooms or business simulators

Nelly Ramirez Vásquez

Tecnológico de Monterrey

University staff clasp hands in a show of solidarity

Three lessons that outreach can teach us about enriching our own work

University staff can benefit from outreach as much as its participants. Oliver Rossetti explores three principles that can drive positive change within institutions, as well as beyond

Oliver Rossetti

Arden University

Three people working in an industrial design studio

‘Collaboration is not a slogan or aspiration but a deliberate educational practice’

Higher education leaders often praise interdisciplinary collaboration, but their systems make it difficult to achieve. For innovation to flourish, universities must teach students and faculty to work across disciplines – and differences

Lu Liu

Virginia Tech

Female author doing a reading in a bookshop

Before you write a trade book, consider a reality check

Thinking of turning your research into a book for general readers? Two consultants who guide academics through the publishing process share what to weigh before you begin

K. Anne Amienne, Daniela Blei

Scholars & Writers

A hand pulling out a book from a library shelf

Helping students find and learn from high-quality sources

From celebrating your university library to demonstrating your own source selection process, learn strategies to help students confront increasing misinformation and disinformation online

Tom Hayward

UCL

Two students have fun recording a podcast

Listen up: why audio assessment needs better design

Without intention, an assessment based on podcasting can end up confusing students. Here’s why intention is key

Eleanor Roseblade

University of Westminster

Asian female financial student doing calculations

If a chatbot can pass your assignment, you are grading the wrong thing

Any task whose assessed object is a final number or tidy conclusions is not measuring students’ thinking, writes Lucas Long. He shares three ways to put the reasoning back at the centre of learning

Lucas Long

University of West Florida

Diamond open access publishing: what it is and how to do it

For researchers interested in publishing their work with no fees for authors or readers, diamond open access publishing could be the answer. Here is a guide to the basics

Rebecca Wojturska

The University of Edinburgh

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