Teaching and learning

Could US moves to measure undergraduates’ improvements in critical thinking, writing and other skills spread to the UK?

Viral Thakerar dissatisfied with an OIA judgement restricted by university’s destruction of relevant exam documents

Their lack of protest over reforms means that universities have lost the chance to transform the sector, laments Anthony Kelly

A London comprehensive is to offer a degree to encourage more students to pursue higher education and a career in teaching

Newcastle scholar Sugata Mitra’s $1 million prize helps fund self-organised learning environments worldwide

A rift will always separate digital natives from others, Shahidha Bari believes

A comparison of student-to-staff ratios and spending per student across Europe

Nothing is out of bounds when it comes to higher education, it seems – with the launch of Scotland’s first degree in professional golf

The number of students awarded a first-class degree soared by 14 per cent last year.

Researchers argue that nature of teaching in subjects means that they cannot score highly in survey

By Colleen Flaherty, for Inside Higher Ed

More study divided between college and university could be on the horizon, expert says

Discoveries made off-campus are as valuable as lectures, says Christopher Bigsby

More further education colleges should have the equivalent of degree-awarding powers to ‘redress’ the technical and academic education balance.

Knowledge, not exotic travel, should be students’ number one priority, argues Felipe Fernández-Armesto

Matthew Reisz talks to academics about their experiences of teaching older learners, while Holly Else analyses the decline in the number of mature students

Students will join prisoners in what the institution says is a European first

Why keep on assessing how students feel? asks Joanna Williams

A new approach to teaching economics being piloted at eight leading universities has been criticised by campaigners

Could training schemes for teachers help to improve student learning? asks Graham Gibbs

Edinburgh Napier finds that student-led teaching and unconventional classroom settings can boost satisfaction and outcomes

In today’s brave new world of university learning, students aren’t allowed to be shy, says Bruce Macfarlane

Dale Salwak on how he creates a space where students can focus, safe from life’s distractions

Chris Longman argues for universities to hold mandatory pre-course exams

UK adults with tertiary education ranked 12th among the OECD despite the reputation of its universities

Students and lecturers no longer seem able fully to engage with each other, writes Tom Palaima

Despite scaling back, the organisation has much to offer universities seeking to improve the student experience, says Don Nutbeam

By Scott Jaschik, for Inside Higher Ed

It’s time for lecturers to hand out viewing lists alongside reading lists, argues Chris Willmott

Study suggests that unannounced oral exams can encourage integrity and engage students

Lecturer finds a way to make the ‘social loafers’ in class pull their weight in group assignments

Conference hears from academics about the benefits of building Wikipedia into higher education teaching and learning

Bryn Glover on his psychogeographic experience alongside author Will Self

Head of Swansea University School of Management also complains about external examiner’s behaviour

We must change the way we educate students to counter rising scientific misconduct, say Tim Birkhead and Bob Montgomerie

Apple director and Open University v-c tell Universia International Presidents’ Meeting 2014 in Brazil to think pedagogy, not technology

Academic says the move is a ‘huge change’ for the institution

‘Shiny’ projects and disjointed policies criticised in report on Hefce spending

By harnessing the power of images, academics can fully exploit students’ learning potential, says David Roberts

A drive to make colleges more research active must take in students, say Mick Healey, Alan Jenkins and John Lea

More universities introduce teaching professorships but rewards still lag behind those for research

We asked scholars about the topics they find hardest to teach

New workstreams, fewer events and push to attract subscribers could help organisation to achieve self-sufficiency, chief says

Body has impressed rank and file but must convince institution heads of the impact and value of its work, says report

UK’s only professor in education for deaf children among those winning fellowships

The provost-elect of Gresham College examines the institution’s long and surprising history

It is possible to measure the quality of university teaching in a useful way, argues Graham Gibbs

Lecturer Emma Rees has 65 essays to mark. But first, Iced Gems, tea, more tea…

Scholars who share their knowledge in creative ways need not fear being upstaged by Moocs or TED talkers, says John Gilbey

Why are undergraduates still kept at arm’s length from the world of research? asks Stuart Hampton-Reeves

Can students teach their lecturers a thing or two? Austin Fitzhenry thinks so

Lecturer’s contract not renewed after he set up out-of-hours module to broaden curriculum

Graham Gibbs asks what the term really means, and whether it is likely to help improve learning

The Higher Education Academy must regain sight of its original priorities and reconnect with its members, says Sally Brown

A leading drama and music school has been given the right to award its own degrees.

A University of Sheffield scientist is using pole dancing to make his subject more accessible

Students’ use of plagiarism software is educational, firm and some scholars say

University boosted by three-year model as young flock to evening classes

Revamped schemes could bypass institutions unless they get aboard, sector warned

Redundancy talks start as body prepares for loss of grant support by 2017