Teaching and learning

Why assessment should not be an afterthought in the teaching process − and how to make sure it serves students as well as possible

Liverpool becomes latest UK university to halt in-person tuition due to Covid-19

Visors, masks and social distancing: staff who have returned to teaching on campus tell us what it’s like

Traditional forms of assessment, such as exams and essays, are largely irrelevant once students arrive in the workplace – we need new methods that relate to jobs, now more than ever

University teaching should be refocused on promoting the common good, say Al Martinich and Tom Palaima

Chemical engineers at Imperial College London have developed an innovative way of teaching real-world experiments at a distance, and say it also improves learning outcomes

Paper finds there is no correlation between perceived good looks and teaching effectiveness among male scholars

Psychologist says scholars are still in ‘emergency’ mode and universities should recognise that the year ahead ‘may not be brilliant’ in terms of teaching quality

White House wants ‘patriotic education’ and directly threatens Princeton

To deflect political attacks, universities should emphasise the transformative effects of engaging with structured bodies of knowledge, says Paul Ashwin

Many students believe that if their instructors did not want them to cheat, they would not make it so easy, say three academics

Study calls for race issues to be embedded into curricula, not taught as an ‘add-on’

From collecting student feedback often and early to alternative assessment methods, four experts from across the globe advise how to switch to online teaching mid-course

Cost transparency isn’t in universities’ DNA, but those who teach and design modules must be able to apply a clear budgetary model, says Terry Young

‘HyFlex’ learning and cutting-edge virtual reality techniques set to help students and staff bridge physical and language barriers

Simone Buitendijk emphasises that efforts to improve diversity must not be left to under-represented groups as she takes top job at Yorkshire powerhouse

Critics complain programmes focus too much on tactics and weapons and avoid cultural diversity issues

Latest NUS survey finds satisfaction with digital learning provision has decreased since beginning of lockdown

With the pandemic triggering greater emphasis on class time, something has to give as teaching-research model collides with sector’s ‘real-world’ problems

Office for Students says survey shows some students in England are being left behind by ‘digital poverty’

As universities renew their pedagogical efforts, there is no case to lower tuition fees, summit hears

The switch to online has hastened the move to high-quality, internationally relevant blended teaching and interactive learning

Bavaria’s rules to keep university tutors on precarious contracts unfairly penalise those who want to work, says a lecturer caught out by red tape

University teaching will change as a result of the forced switch to online, but in-person interactions will still have enduring value, argues Rebecca Blank

Though it’s tiring and challenging, some scholars believe their time in online teaching may make them better university educators, reports Jack Grove

The pandemic has shown how public investment in research and healthcare pays off, argues Ana Mari Cauce

Advocates for virtual labs finding chance to show cost and equity benefits of online experimentation

Group of prominent UK scientists warns that the risk of infection is too high for in-person teaching

THE survey of Covid-19 safety rules finds most UK campuses will require wearing of face coverings, often during teaching, with some universities providing transparent visors for lecturers

The loss of international income makes the improvement of universities’ online offerings all the more urgent

With the Covid-19 pandemic likely to prolong the need for mass online learning for some time, we seek the experts’ advice on how to do it well – from designing courses and maintaining engagement to choosing applications and carrying out experiments remotely

Sustainable changes in digital learning will result from best practice alongside bold experimentation, say Friedrich Hesse, Volker Meyer-Guckel, Bitange Ndemo, Alexandros Papaspyridis, Rahim Rajan and Suzanne Walsh

Polytechnic pilots curriculum, rebuilt from scratch to develop flexible graduates, that principal says could be tailor-made for post-Covid world

Big Ten collaboration, while limited, reflects growing pressure to cut costs

The virtual reality technology market is booming thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. Jack Grove asks whether it might finally catch on in higher education

Stilted and unengaging Zoom lectures must not be allowed to become the new normal, says Nuria López

Authors Carl Bergstrom and Jevin West put the case for scepticism at a time when science has become deeply polarising

Hepi report says universities need to move past the idea that decolonisation is merely an equality and diversity issue

Rather than simply endorsing complaints from the most vocal students and staff, we must react rigorously to curricular exclusions of all kinds, says Steven Greer

Office for Students says results are ‘remarkably positive’ for cohort of students affected by Covid-19 and industrial action

Survey of 4,000 faculty shows first-timers struggling with student engagement

Never assume, never dominate the conversation and always have a Plan B are three of the lessons learned by Milena Head and Michael Hartmann

New intervention by the Copyright Licensing Agency may offer hope to universities struggling to access essential texts

Legal challenges may succeed, but US universities must plan how to maintain physical classes come what may to avoid mass deportations, says Brian Wong

Self-congratulatory messages about online teaching may belie failures to meet learning outcomes, warns Nabil Ghantous

Survey suggests most undergraduates expect limitations on their interaction with classmates next year

Online lectures may enable applicants to broaden their horizons, predicts consultant

Even before coronavirus hit, Hong Kong was investing in new types of online education that challenge teaching conventions

Short courses to be bankrolled through flexibly applied institutional funding ‘envelopes’

As universities accept that online learning is here to stay, we hear from three experts how to ensure students are able to effectively engage with remote teaching

Fee and subsidy reshuffle curbs universities’ capacity to support their research, but proposed funds could help bridge the gap

But local experts lament that recommendations in the US-produced document may be easier said than done   

Institution’s efforts to make teaching more coronavirus-resilient could mean research-led teaching is ‘jettisoned’, critics claim

With Covid-19 imposing huge strain on universities’ digital course development, collaboration is the obvious solution, says Alexandra Mihai

Reform-minded Arizona State University president shares vision for a successful university model in wake of pandemic, saying institutions have done an ‘inadequate job of social empowerment’

Australian university directs academics to spend up to 80 per cent of their time teaching, despite relatively healthy financial position

Exploring the often unsavoury history behind many significant advances can be enlightening and empowering for students, argues Daniel Akinbosede

Guidance confirms most planning blended teaching approach from autumn, but specifics will vary based on location, size and type of university

Model of student-driven flexibility and sharing could aid all institutions, course organisers say

Schools of government have traditionally employed a technocratic approach to preparing public officials. But with polarisation straining political systems to breaking point, Paul Basken reports on calls in the US for more aggressive approaches, while Karthik Ramanna sets out how his Oxford programme attempts to repair the fractures