Professional insight from Colorado State University Global

Established in 2008, Colorado State University (CSU) Global is a 100 per cent online state, non-profit institution in the CSU system. CSU Global offers over 30 career-relevant degrees and certificates to more than 18,000 undergraduate and graduate students each year.

Colorado State University Global

Fake news and bias can infect social media feeds, so university teachers need to educate students on how to read their platforms critically

Students aren’t giving up social media, so teach them how to question it

Whatever our own opinions on social media, we must educate our students about locating bias and reading their preferred platforms critically, says Stone Meredith

Stone Meredith

Colorado State University Global

University teachers must work hard to ensure students become comfortable with the process of peer review

Fostering student collaboration rather than competition using peer review

When students are involved in peer review, they can more easily see the ‘problems’ with classmates’ writing – and this creates opportunities in their own work, too

James Meredith

Colorado State University Global

The way university teachers and lecturers speak to first-generation students can make a huge difference to how they get on in higher education

Gatekeepers or greeters? We must demystify university for first-gen students

Stone Meredith gives advice on using positive introductory phrases and how this can help first-generation students navigate university

Stone Meredith

Colorado State University Global

Academics who practise what they preach will always be more effective in the classroom

Professors who ‘practise what they preach’ help humanise research management

There is a need in academia for professors to match teaching and research with professional practice – and be fairly compensated for it

James Meredith

Colorado State University Global

The stress continuum is a traffic light system that might help university staff and students discuss well-being

Conversations around stress must move beyond ‘I’m fine, how are you?’

Sara Metz offers practical advice on adopting the ‘stress continuum’ – a shared language and system to help staff and students reflect upon and discuss their well-being

Sara Metz

Colorado State University Global

Freewriting is a useful exercise for university students to help cure writer's block

Focused freewriting is the cure for students’ writer’s block

Freewriting for five minutes warms up the brain and begins to fill students’ blank screens with material that gets their writing going. Anne Carlisle talks through the process

Anne Carlisle

Colorado State University Global

The higher education sector in the US is using an antiquated system of judging student metrics

IPEDS and the trouble with student metrics in the US

The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System surveys hold great weight in the higher education system, but they are not inclusive enough and thus no longer fit for purpose, says Elizabeth Harris

Elizabeth Harris

Colorado State University Global

Teaching students to self-assess their written work as a crucial academic skill

Vivid language: teaching online students to assess writing

Audra Spicer explains how online classes can provide opportunities to make student self-assessment visual, engaging, immediate and comprehensible

Audra Spicer

Colorado State University Global