Higher education pedagogy

Learn more about pedagogy and how different theories of teaching and learning work across higher education. Here, academics offer insights into a variety of pedagogies, drawing on their own teaching experience alongside research, to provide practical advice on what instructional methods work best for different university contexts, disciplines and classes.

Podcast discussing building resilience and protecting well-being among university staff and students

THE podcast: making the case for better faculty training

How should the role of academics evolve to ensure students receive the high quality teaching they deserve?

Brian Schmidt, Alexandra Mihai

Australian National University, UCL

Using visual media to activate student learning

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

How academics can foster digital skills in their students and themselves for better online learning outcomes

Bringing teaching and digital together: skills needed to teach online

Sean Morris talks about how academics can foster digital skills in their students and themselves for better online learning outcomes

Sean Morris

University of Colorado Denver

Advice on getting the most out of asynchronous discussions when teaching online

Asynchronous discussions – how and why

Asynchronous 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 journey

Paul Moss

Adelaide University

Developing students academic writing skills

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 Struan

University of Glasgow

Advice on reframing lectures for teaching in a digital age

The active lecture: student-centred learning for the future

Online 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 Pickering

University of Leeds

Advice on designing online assessment that reduces the opportunity or temptation to cheat

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 Khaleel

Edinburgh Napier University

Redefining higher education for the digital age

The lecture is dead, long live the lecture

The move to online teaching is a chance to redesign higher education delivery to reflect the way students learn in our digital age, replacing traditional lectures with more interactive material

Kylie Readman, Garth Maker, Astrid Davine

Murdoch University

Using the Community of Inquiry to improve online learning outcomes

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 Cassidy

RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences

Julianne Law offers insight on how she has adapted her ‘lectures’ for the digital classroom

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 Law

Bangor University

Selecting digital tools that support your pedagogy and teaching strategies

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

Research shows forum based online learning helps keep students more engaged

Forum-based online teaching to improve student engagement and motivation

A 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 found

Xiaowei Kang, Wen Zhang

Capital Normal University, New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark

Students learning online must be encouraged not to fear getting things wrong

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 Lovejoy

University of Alabama

Designing online courses for effective remote teaching and learning

Organising your online course

Three digital teaching experts share advice on how to organise an online course effectively and answer questions about some key challenges during this ACUE webinar

Alyson Snowe, Michael Wesch, April Mondy

Community College of Rhode Island, Kansas State University, Delta State University

Research on effective digital course design and implementation

A guide to effective digital course design and delivery from four online teaching experts

Chrysi Rapanta consolidates the knowledge of four online teaching experts to produce guidance on what pedagogical content knowledge faculty need in order to develop effective digital courses

Chrysi Rapanta

NOVA University Lisbon

Asking remote students questions in online classes

Top online teaching tip: ask your students questions

Asking students questions during online classes provides insight into what they understand and where they need support. David Martin explains how to do this effectively when teaching remotely

David Martin

University of Dundee

Adapting teaching to get the most out of your synchronous online classes

Optimise your synchronous online classes

Teaching online requires adaptations to in-person teaching, whatever your level of experience. Jesper Hansen explains what key changes he has made to his teaching practice to optimise his synchronous online classes

Jesper Hansen

UCL

Activating internal student motivation through curiosity when teaching online

Curiosity: activating internal student motivation when teaching online

Appealing to students’ curiosity boosts their motivation to learn. Jose Vazquez explains how educators can use this in their online teaching strategies

Jose Vazquez

University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

Creating instructional videos that works for remote learning

Instructional videos: Creating multimedia that works for learning

Best practice in creating instructional videos that efficiently impart knowledge to students learning remotely, from Judy Brooks

Judy Brooks

Carnegie Mellon University

Why a flipped classroom approach to online teaching is so effective

Using an adaptive active model to promote student success

Susan Holecheck explains why flipping the traditional classroom teaching model with an adaptive active learning approach has proven so effective at Arizona State University

Susan Holecheck

Arizona State University

Using evidence based practices in online course design

Ask the experts: Evidence-based practices in online teaching and learning

Find out about using evidence-based practices in online teaching and learning in this Q&A with Ryan Luke, programme director for adaptive learning at the University of Louisville

Ryan Luke

University of Louisville

How and why to apply evidence-based practices to digital learning

Ask the experts: Evidence-based practices in digital learning

Learn about how and why to apply evidence-based practices to digital learning in this Q&A with Nina Araujo, instructional designer at Northeastern University

Nina Araujo

Northwestern University

Expert Q&A: Designing online classes

Brandon Karcher, instructional technology manager at Bucknell University, and Douglas Wilson, instructional designer at Dallas College, answer fellow academics’ questions about how best to design online classes

Brandon Karcher, Douglas Wilson

Bucknell University, Dallas College

Breaking online lectures down into chunks aids learning outcomes

Chunking lectures – it’s a no brainer

Students respond much better to manageable packages of information. Here Paul Moss explains why and how to go about ‘chunking’ online lectures to get the best results from students

Paul Moss

Adelaide University

How to build outstanding pedagogy for zoom teaching

How to build outstanding pedagogy for teaching via Zoom

Too many educators still view online as a second-rate form of teaching, but it does not have to be. In this video, Stephen Hersh offers advice on how to offer first-class teaching via Zoom

Stephen Hersh

Northwestern University

Design an online course that promotes interactive learning

How to design an online course centred around interactive learning

Interactive learning is an effective way to keep remote students engaged with online courses. Sara Wolfson offers four tips on how to design classes with a strong focus on interactive elements

Sara Wolfson

The Open University

Create a welcoming online learning community

Creating a welcoming and inclusive online learning community

Creating a sense of community among students is vital for effective online teaching. Here, Miral Gibson explains how fostering this welcoming online learning environment should be pedagogy-led

Miral Gibson

University of Roehampton

How to encourage peer to peer learning when teaching online courses

The power of peer to peer: how and why to encourage your students to learn from each other

Peer-to-peer learning brings major benefits for students and instructors. Here, Zachary Walker explains how to encourage your students to learn from each other and why this can be so effective when teaching online

Zachary Walker

UCL

Tackling fake news claims about online teaching and learning

Tackling ‘fake news’ in online education

Higher education remains awash with claims and theories that are backed by little evidence. Here, Celia Popovic and Fiona Smart debunk some of the more common ‘fake news’ myths in relation to teaching and look at how to apply this knowledge in online courses

Celia Popovic, Fiona Smart

York University, Edinburgh Napier University

Think-pair-share: how to structure online classes

When students discuss ideas and learn from one another, they absorb far more, which is the rationale behind the think-pair-share teaching model. Here José Guzman explains how he translated this to the online setting

José Guzman

University of Washington

Illustration of students interacting with the web

Top five strategies for integrating active learning into virtual classes

It is all too easy for remote learning to become a passive experience for students, sitting on their own at home. Here, Steven Mintz outlines strategies for ensuring students remain actively engaged with their online courses

Steven Mintz

University of Texas at Austin

Using Blackboard learning journals as a form of online assessment

Translating creative assessment styles online: Blackboard learning journals

Traditional exams can inhibit students, while more creative assessments provide a forum where their talent and knowledge can shine. Madeleine Davies discusses a technique to offer creative assessments online

Madeleine Davies

University of Reading

Online course design using strong pedagogy

Expert Q&A: Course design with strong pedagogy

Sophia Strickfaden, eLearning technologist for Colorado Colleges Online, talks through how to design online courses with strong pedagogy

Sophia Strickfaden

Colorado Community Colleges

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