Building durable links between faculty and educational development teamsLearning designer Alexandra Mihai on how to build bonds between faculty and educational developers that translate into high-quality learning experiencesAlexandra MihaiUCL
How to re-energise your online classroom and inspire creativity Sparking creativity among students learning remotely through a screen can be challenging. Here, Constanza Pacher offers advice for shaking up ideas via online media Constanza PacherMacEwan University
Training students to learn successfully online Universities need to help students develop a whole new set of skills to ensure they get the most out of remote learning, says Nikita Hari Nikita Hari University of Oxford
Recommendations on improving digital higher education from Sir Michael Barber’s review – and the resources to helpTHE Campus has worked with the team behind Sir Michael Barber’s digital teaching and learning review to create a toolkit, presenting their key recommendations for improving digital education alongside practical advice and insight from academics to help institutions meet the proposalsJoshua Fleming, Lara Bird, Miranda PrynneOffice for Students, Campus
Your greatest asset: how to focus efforts to upskill staffOnline teaching demands new pedagogical and digital skills among faculty, so universities need to consider how best to focus training and resources, as Susanna Kohonen explainsSusanna KohonenUniversity of Eastern Finland
Using visual media to enhance online learning Nataša Lacković presents a pedagogical approach to using visual media to activate student learning, rather than simply decorating course content Nataša Lacković Lancaster University
DIY learning analytics: using data to improve online teachingJennifer Lawrence explains how to use small-scale data analytics to monitor student progress and improve digital teaching delivery Jennifer LawrenceUniversity of New England
It’s been emotional: how to manage difficult student interactions Student advisers often bear a heavy emotional burden when trying to assist students. Meg Cohen offers advice on how to manage such emotionally challenging situations Meg CohenGeorgetown University
Lessons in motivating students to learn online Teaching interdisciplinary modules online can be an uphill battle but it offers important lessons in the art of motivating students to learn, as Jonathan Sim explains Jonathan SimNational University of Singapore
Asynchronous discussions – how and whyAsynchronous discussions facilitate deeper reflection and critical thinking about course content. Paul Moss explains how to ensure such online discussions benefit all students on their learning journeyPaul MossThe University of Adelaide
Well-being pedagogies: activities and practices to improve the student experience online With many concerned about the mental health effects of learning remotely, Elena Riva shares helpful practices that can boost student well-being in the online teaching and learning environmentElena RivaThe University of Warwick
Planning assessment to promote academic integrity onlineInstructors can minimise the opportunity for academic misconduct through careful online assessment design. Sarah Eaton shares five approaches to online assessment that promote academic integrity Sarah EatonUniversity of Calgary
Engaging staff to drive sustainable change Universities need buy-in from staff when implementing major change. Phil Collins talks about how to keep everyone engaged and invested in their work for long-term successPhil Collins Brunel University London
Using digital scholarship to enhance public engagementHaving been pushed to the sidelines of academia for too long, public engagement projects can take a central role in digital courses, furthering students’ learning and reaching wider audiences, explains Warren StanislausWarren StanislausRikkyo University
Teaching humanities from a distance Jessica Lee and Tamara Mann Tweel describe how they went back to basics when designing their humanistic online course, focusing on one-to-one mentoring and transformative texts Jessica Lee, Tamara Mann TweelColumbia University , The Teagle Foundation
Improving academic writing skills to boost student confidence and resilience Academic writing skills are fundamental to most university courses. Andrew Struan explains how Glasgow has taken a whole-university approach to ensure all students are well equipped to succeed Andrew StruanUniversity of Glasgow
How a flipped classroom model improves learning in online STEM courses STEM courses can be challenging to master online, but research by Atef Abuhmaid and Tao Tang shows a flipped classroom model improves outcomes. Here they outline the key lessons from their study Atef Abuhmaid, Tao TangThe Hashemite University, Chengdu University of Information Technology
Steer the course: Help students navigate the online learning journey Technology supports a more flexible approach to learning, but it is important that instructors guide students through the course to ensure they engage with content in a logical order, as Kylie Readman, Garth Maker and Astrid Davine explain Kylie Readman, Garth Maker, Astrid DavineMurdoch University
Supporting academia’s well-being during Covid-19 and beyond With an unprecedented global mental health crisis and rising stress among university staff, six academics come together to propose how best to support faculty and new ways of working now and well beyond the pandemic June Gruber, Lisa Miracchi, Sabrina Marques, Kirk Ambrose, Becca Ciancanelli, Paulo BoggioThe University of Colorado Boulder, University of Pennsylvania, Western Connecticut State University, Mackenzie Presbyterian University
How strong, stable values can enable sustainable teaching transformationChange can be disorienting but if it is underpinned by strong, stable values that remain constant, it is more likely to get staff buy-in and prove successful, Claire Taylor explainsClaire TaylorWrexham Glyndŵr University
The active lecture: student-centred learning for the futureOnline teaching offers valuable insight into effective pedagogy that will remain useful long after the pandemic is past, according to James Pickering, who outlines the key lessons to improve teaching design and delivery James PickeringUniversity of Leeds
Safely teaching foreign students facing censorshipForeign students studying online in their home countries may be subject to strict press controls, so educators must carefully consider their course content and discussion points, Pavin Chachavalpongpun explainsPavin ChachavalpongpunKyoto University
Use technology to catch students before they fall Working remotely with no face-to-face contact is a challenge for many students. May Lim and Li Siong Lim explain how educators can use technology to identify and help struggling students before they fall behind May Lim, Li Siong LimSingapore Institute of Technology
Seven steps to help students stay engaged online While the same psychological processes are at work online as in the classroom, it is much easier for students to disengage when learning remotely. Here are seven well-researched steps to help students stay focused on their online courses Leonard Houx, André SpicerCass Business School, City University of London
Design online assessment to prevent academic misconduct Traditional proctored exams rarely work when teaching online so instructors must rely on careful assessment design to minimise the risk of cheating, explain Patrick Harte and Fawad Khaleel Patrick Harte , Fawad KhaleelEdinburgh Napier University
Online alone is not the answer – how to design remote courses with accessibility and inclusivity in mind Digital accessibility is crucial in online teaching, says Amy Low. Here, she outlines what universities need to consider when designing inclusive online courses Amy LowAbilityNet
Sage on the screen? Lessons in using technology to enhance learning It’s time for the sage to step down from the stage, according to Steve Davies. Here, he shares simple steps to ensure technology enhances learning outcomes Steve DaviesUniversity of South Wales, Learna
Boosting student employability through virtual experienceFrom digital industry projects to virtual internships, employability can be enhanced online in many ways, but it is how students reflect upon and learn from their experiences that is important, as Dino Willox and Laura-Anne Bull explainDino Willox, Laura-Anne BullThe University of Queensland
The lecture is dead, long live the lecture: Redefining higher education in a digital age The move to online teaching is a chance to redesign higher education delivery to reflect the way students learn, replacing traditional lectures with more interactive material, as Kylie Readman, Garth Maker and Astrid Davine explain Kylie Readman, Garth Maker, Astrid DavineMurdoch University
Virtual exchange: supporting online collaboration to benefit all learnersVirtual exchanges enable group work between students in different locations, but studies show varied learning gains. Irina Rets and Bart Rienties use research to examine how instructors can manage virtual exchanges to ensure everyone benefits Irina Rets, Bart RientiesLancaster University, The Open University
Evolution not revolution: strengthening student services online Digital technologies are more than a short-term emergency tool; they provide an opportunity to enhance student support services long after a return to campus, explain Steven Goss and Amy Greenstein Steven Goss, Amy GreensteinManhattan College, Metropolitan College of New York
Experiment, test, refine: work with students to shape online courses If you want to improve teaching, speak to the learners, explains Pat Tissington, who advocates using student feedback to continually experiment and adjust your online instruction methods throughout the coursePat TissingtonThe University of Warwick
Fair assessment: tackling the rise in online cheating The move to online learning has seen a big increase in academic misconduct such as plagiarism. Camilla Roberts explains how careful planning of online teaching and assessment can minimise cheatingCamilla RobertsKansas State University
I spy what’s in the prof’s study: lessons from students in online learning Student feedback is crucial to improving remote teaching. Here, Roger Austin shares key lessons for effective online course delivery based on a survey of his students Roger AustinUlster University
Innovative approaches to moving practical learning onlineA major challenge of the move to remote learning has been how to teach practical subjects. Here, Lesley Saunders and Lucy Kirkham discuss how they adopted a combination of online, blended and socially distanced teaching for a large nursing courseLesley Saunders , Lucy KirkhamSheffield Hallam University
Netiquette: encouraging good behaviour in online classesOnline teaching can blur boundaries between home and university, so lecturers must take steps to ensure a safe and respectful online learning environment through good ‘netiquette’. Sam Smidt and Joanna Stroud explain howSam Smidt, Joanna StroudUCL
Making the implicit explicit: improve online learning through ‘presence’ Dara Cassidy explains how the Community of Inquiry provides a framework to help translate teaching strategies that come naturally in the classroom to the online learning environment where they require more deliberate planning Dara CassidyRCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences
From lecture theatre to living room: adapting teaching techniques to the online classroom The move to online education has required a major rethink of traditional teaching practices. Julianne Law offers insight on how she has adapted her ‘lectures’ for the digital classroom Julianne LawBangor University
Do unto students as they would have done to them Maha Bali offers practical advice on building equitable learning communities online no matter what students’ bandwidth or synchronicity of the class Maha BaliAmerican University in Cairo
Tech tools to help enhance online and blended learning With thousands of educational apps all promising to enhance online learning, choosing the right technology is a challenge. Miral Gibson explains why how pedagogy and teaching strategies should inform these decisions Miral Gibson University of Roehampton
Creating a centralised advice resource to help faculty adapt to new teaching modalities To assist staff in adjusting courses to new online and hydrid teaching modes, the University of Arizona created a centralised information and advice resource. Here is a summary of how they did it and the key considerations and lessons learnedIngrid Novodvorsky , Lisa ElfringUniversity of Arizona
New frontiers of higher education competition Hamish Coates provides insight on how universities can navigate changing competitive frontiers in higher education Hamish CoatesTsinghua University
Building peer support networks to help staff navigate digital teachingKay Yeoman and Alicia McConnell explain how the University of East Anglia has used peer support networks to ensure all university staff have access to the advice, support and training they need to deliver quality online teaching Kay Yeoman, Alicia McConnellThe University of East Anglia
Forum-based online teaching to improve student engagement and motivationA key challenge with online learning is maintaining student engagement and motivation. A forum-based teaching system, in which all students could see and compare their work within a shared online space, helped mitigate this challenge, researchers foundXiaowei Kang, Wen ZhangCapital Normal University, New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark
Five ways to embrace a non-traditional end to a non-traditional year The overhaul of higher education due to Covid-19 has made 2020 a very challenging year for university staff. Wendy Zajack offers advice on how faculty can put the Christmas break to good use and return feeling refreshed for 2021 Wendy Zajack Georgetown University
Immersification – a fresh dimension to learning designMany online courses can benefit from immersive technologies to enhance the learning experience. Here Chek Tien Tan and May Lim outline their method for ensuring technology is chosen to support the desired student outcomesChek Tien Tan , May LimSingapore Institute of Technology
Give students confidence to 'be wrong, loudly’ in online classes For students to learn effectively online, they must be willing to get things wrong and be corrected. But speaking up in an online class can be intimidating so instructors must take active steps to promote fearless class participation, explains Riley Lovejoy Riley LovejoyUniversity of Alabama
Why and how to gather ongoing student feedback right from the start By gathering student feedback throughout your course, you can make ongoing micro-adjustments to resources and teaching methods to improve online teaching and learning, Leonardo Rolla explains Leonardo RollaThe University of Warwick
Instant messaging for improving instructor feedback in distance learning One of the biggest challenges to online learning is lack of immediate instructor feedback, Justin Fendos’ research revealed. So his team trialled instant messaging to enable prompt responses Justin FendosDongseo University
Strategies for scaling up quality online courses in higher education As remote and blended learning models look set to remain in place, universities need to consider how to scale online courses while maintaining quality. Michael Fried and Jenna Joo outline three effective scaling strategiesMichael Fried , Jenna JooIthaka S+R