Higher education may have gone through a disruptive decade, but many of the theories and building blocks that underpin good teaching remain relevant today. How can we use established theories of learning and pedagogical models to engage the 21st-century student?
This collection of resources looks at how to adapt and apply well-known pedagogies for today’s in-person and online classes. You will find advice on how to make your teaching interactive, foster collaboration and use play to deepen learning, and delve into techniques such as the flipped classroom, and experiential and affective learning.
Starting with a focus on the 'Community of Inquiry' framework, Hannah Shaw and Mike Hackman of Cardiff University offer a trio of resources focused on each of the three tenets of this model: how to develop and nurture social presence to ensure students are fully engaged in their classes; how to develop cognitive presence to aid understanding of course content through critical thinking and reflective discussion; and how to develop and nurture teaching presence as a shared responsibility of lecturers and students in a learning community.
Transforming lectures for better learning outcomes
The chalk-and-talk method of lecturing sits at odds with what is known about student learning – that students need to apply information in context for themselves to gain proper understanding. But there are plenty of ways to make lectures more interactive and engaging, as these resources explain.
Relieve student boredom by ‘activating’ lectures: How lecturers can ‘activate’ traditional lectures to relieve student boredom and stimulate learning, by Simon Brownhill of the University of Bristol.
Why interactive and game-based instruction beats lecturing every time: Going through the motions is easy for experienced lecturers, but we should all go the extra mile to make our classes interactive, challenging and fun, says Nancy Boury of Iowa State University.
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 of Murdoch University explain.
Spruce up lectures to capture the interest of all students: A guide to making lectures more interactive learning experiences that keep students interested, by Vitalia Kinakh of the University of Manchester.
Using fun and interactive micromodules to energise learning: Lee Chien Ching and Tan Kian Lip Erick of Singapore Institute of Technology share the intricate process of producing a micromodule that attracts students through an enjoyable, interactive learning experience
Foster learning and human skills through group work
Working as part of groups has been shown to deepen learning as well as helping students develop valuable transferrable skills, such as teamwork, emotional intelligence and communication skills. Find out how to structure and guide group projects, discussion and collaboration.
Making group work work: how to enable successful student collaboration: How can we help students collaborate without weighing down staff with extra admin? First-year interdisciplinary research projects could be the answer, writes Jillian Terry of the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Successful group work is all in the selection process: For students, group work can boost learning, critical thinking and problem-solving skills, but the benefits of collaboration may depend on how teachers put individuals together, write Temesgen Kifle and Suzanne Bonner of the University of Queensland.
Using the ‘36 questions to fall in love’ to revolutionise group work: Nici Sweaney of the Australian National University shares a simple classroom task rooted in the psychology of interpersonal relationships that anyone can use to help students bond and feel more comfortable with group work.
Four strategies that rethink whole-group discussions: A guide to organising class discussions in different formats so that all students feel able to participate, based on insight from Harvard educators, explained here by Jeremy T. Murphy of the College of the Holy Cross and Meira Levinson of Harvard University.
Moving from individual contributions to team achievements in group projects: Putting the emphasis on a deliberate, reflective approach that emphasises clear goals and active engagement is a better way to prepare students for teamwork in their future careers, write William Owen and Leah Chambers of the University of Northern British Columbia.
Get playful with learning
Young children first learn skills such as communication and information processing through toys and games, and the power of play remains an indispensable tool in higher education. It’s time to get the Lego bricks back out – spark student engagement and deepen their understanding with the techniques shared here.
A play manual for academic development and skills: A three-pronged guide to introducing play into university teaching, based on its successful use in staff training at the University of Exeter.
More play to engage students and deepen learning: Play is a powerful learning tool that boosts engagement, exploration and community. Three University of East Anglia lecturers outline some of the ways it can best be used.
How learning through play pedagogy can develop 21st century business leaders: The proven pedagogy that develops holistic skill sets in young learners can be applied to teaching business school students responsible management tactics, says Meredith Storey of Principles for Responsible Management Education, UN Global Compact.
Let’s play! Using games to teach statistics and economics: Incorporating games into economics classes can enrich the learning experience. Joshua Fullard of the University of Warwick shares factors to consider when designing them.
Yes, and… Using improv to build students’ confidence in the classroom: Through exercises borrowed from improvisational theatre, students can use imaginative thinking and creative problem-solving, learn to think outside the box and embrace ambiguity, writes Joe Conto of Paul Smith’s College. Here, he offers ways to help the post-Covid generation reconnect.
Want to be a better teacher? My daughter showed me we need to play more: Testing silly ideas and pushing boundaries are crucial − and liberating − but universities must provide digital spaces where we can do so freely, says visiting professor Andy Farnell.
Serious play - building knowledge with Lego bricks: Using Lego blocks to aid brainstorming has migrated from boardrooms into university classrooms. This guide by Caitlin Knight and Holly Henderson of the University of Exeter explores how to get the most out of it in your teaching – whether virtual or on campus.
The flipped classroom
Nearly five years after Covid-19 changed the world, online and hybrid teaching methods remain in place. This has meant rethinking traditional models of the classroom, teacher and student with the live class now just one component among many in the learning process. University educators should make the most of digital platforms to support pedagogical approaches such as flipped learning, described in these resources.
The flipped classroom - an evidence-based approach: Flipped learning is most effective when it places active learning at its core, research suggests. A new model for flipped learning, developed by Manu Kapur of ETH Zurich and colleagues, aims to do just that.
Reconceptualise the ‘classroom’ for enhanced student engagement: Student-centred learning strategies that will boost engagement holistically across in-person and digital learning spaces by Elena Riva and Heather Meyer of the University of Warwick.
How to induct students into the flipped-classroom model: Jonathan Sim of the National University of Singapore explains how he has designed learning activities to ensure students complete the preparation work necessary to get the most out of the flipped-classroom model.
How to get students to play their part in the flipped classroom: The flipped classroom is the perfect pedagogy for the information age – but our classes must not punish students who struggle to engage when learning independently, write Doug Specht and Gunter Saunders of the University of Westminster.
How to use YouTube videos in a flipped classroom system: With students’ attention spans decreasing, it’s important to find engaging ways to help with pre-class preparation, writes Aravind Reghunathan of Loughborough University.
Flip the classroom to improve practical skills teaching: How educators can use a flipped classroom approach to aid the teaching of practical skills to a wide range of students, writes Louise Smith of the University of Manchester.
Practicalities of experiential learning for university lecturers
Experiential learning is essentially learning by doing. When students interact with an environment, it allows them to put what they’ve learned in class into context and translate theory into practice. Get your students engaged and transform their learning experiences with these tips.
What is experiential learning and why is it crucial in today’s world? Mónica Gárate of CETYS Universidad presents an experiential learning methodology, including characteristics, benefits and how the professor should participate in the process.
Transforming the classroom through experiential learning: A pilot programme aims to expand undergraduate students’ access to high-impact learning experiences to strengthen skills such as teamwork and problem-solving. Kate Williams of Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities looks at its outcomes.
How to teach critical thinking
Is there a skill more essential than critical thinking? In a fast-changing world of AI generated 'facts', digital information overload and deep fakes, probably not. Learn how to use affective learning to foster critical thinking, respond to critical questions, harness the power of humour and develop cognitive presence among your students.
What is affective learning and how can it foster engagement and critical thinking: It takes time, patience and training, but a teaching approach that recognises the role that emotions play in learning can result in a more positive, effective and impactful student experience, as Jyoti Devi (Brinda) Mahadeo of the University of Bradford and Rabindra Nepal of the University of Wollongong explain.
How to embed critical thinking from course design to assessment: Critical thinking is an essential, human skill. This practical advice from M. C. Zhang of Macau University of Science and Technology aims to help university educators nurture and enhance students’ ability to analyse and evaluate information at all stages of teaching.
‘Well…what do you think?’ Responding to challenging questions in the moment: While daunting, tough questions from learners can be a catalyst for collaborative learning and critical thinking. Roma Forbes of the University of Queensland offers practical advice for how to respond in the classroom or the corridor.
Three ways to use ChatGPT to enhance students’ critical thinking in the classroom: The balance between technology and traditional educational values, as well as ensuring that AI complements, rather than replaces, the human element in education, are the keys to maximising AI’s benefits in the classroom, writes Nikolas Dietis of the University of Cyprus.
How humour stimulates critical thinking, creativity and communication skills: After assigning students to write comedy scripts instead of seminar papers, André Martinuzzi and Angelo Spoerk of Vienna University of Economics and Business explain how humour has great potential as a learning method.
Thank you to all the academics and higher education professionals who contributed their professional advice on this wide-ranging topic.
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