Teaching and learning

The number of assignments per term has been going up and up; is continuous assessment now harming, rather than helping, students’ learning?

Ad-hoc modules that bear little relation to a student’s degree are too easily forgotten – especially if they aren’t road-tested, says Boris Walbaum

Survey finds UK undergraduates appear a lot less supportive of free speech than they were six years ago

Peking and Tsinghua join drive to smooth journey from undergraduate to postgraduate studies

One-word responses such as ‘excellent’ and ‘perfect’ been given to those taking assessments

Academics urged to be more present while teaching to foster better learning environments

The myths underlying politicians’ insistence on a blanket return to face-to-face teaching must be busted carefully, says Alistair Jarvis

Rather than repeating other institutions’ mistakes, universities should embrace established ‘modalities’ for collaborative online international learning – and appreciate it as more than a Covid stopgap

A reliance on critical thinking alone will fall foul of students’ cognitive biases, says James Southworth

Global survey conducted by THE finds far fewer students turning up and engaging in lectures and seminars

Lifelong Learning Commission says proposals to exclude microcredentials from loan entitlement are a mistake

Helping students is not just about securing more counsellors and money for mental health support, according to bereaved family

By helping colleges deliver degrees, the OU will be fulfilling its founding mission, say Nadhim Zahawi, Tim Blackman and David Hughes

Disabled, disadvantaged, introverted and international students may all appreciate ongoing online options, says Robert Phillips

Eye-popping results from Australian study warrant complete overhaul of how teaching subsidies are distributed, researchers say

Free online courses have much to offer professors, including feedback on their own performance

Language is a powerful tool for breaking down resistance and normalising unhealthy cultural change, says Bruce Macfarlane

Mahidol University is focusing on nurturing academic talent and introducing more flexible education in a bid to attract a wider pool of students, says its president Banchong Mahaisavariya

THE questionnaire explores whether half-empty classrooms are the new normal, and what students and academics really think of in-person and online teaching

Universities seek to win over staff with bonuses and consider subcontracting assessment

Without practical teaching at their heart, many departments of music technology, drama and dance could face closure, says Ian Pace

Ditching digital provision will waste pandemic progress and make life harder for students who are disabled or carers, says Meredith Wilkinson

Jeff Grabill says lifelong learning will bring thousands more students to higher education, and universities must be honest about what they can expect

Interactions with his student neighbours have convinced Harvey Graff that they crave a supportive, broadly based, interactive education

Six in 10 firsts awarded in England last year would get lower classification under historic marking standards, claims Office for Students

Virtual tools have unprecedented power to bend teaching towards research-proven ideals, yet opportunity of lockdown getting squandered, MIT experts tell colleagues

Funding reforms set to drive up demand, but institutions uncertain about likely intake and course interest

Universities must ‘recalibrate promotion criteria’ to place more value on teaching, says scholar

Universities seen as lacking capacity and strategy to embrace blended learning long-term

Academics at 44 institutions to refuse to mark work or set exams in midst of busy summer assessment period, in ongoing row over pay and pensions

The King’s College London president says universities are ‘not in any way toxic places’

Higher education is key to reassessing who we are as a nation and why we’re tolerating such extreme division and deception, says Vincent Rougeau

Well-meaning initiatives that prioritise student satisfaction over educational objectives deny students access to the type of rich learning experience that universities were designed for, argue Rebekah Wanic and Nina Powell 

Some institutions embracing in-person assessment again after lifting of Covid-19 regulations

The University of Leeds vice-chancellor discusses why UK higher education should go Dutch and the national scandal that drew her to academia

Singaporean students are focused on grades, but their skills and attitudes are just as important for their success, says Thanusha Raj