North America

Advice on how to spark remote students' creativity through innovative online teaching assignments

How to re-energise your online classroom and inspire creativity

Sparking creativity among students learning remotely through a screen can be challenging. Here, Constanza Pacher offers advice for shaking up ideas via online media

Constanza Pacher

MacEwan 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 managing strong emotional responses to difficult student communications

It’s been emotional: how to manage difficult student interactions

Student advisers often bear a heavy emotional burden when trying to assist students. Meg Cohen offers advice on how to manage such emotionally challenging situations

Meg Cohen

Georgetown University

How to design online assessment to promote academic integrity

Planning assessment to promote academic integrity online

Instructors can minimise the opportunity for academic misconduct through careful online assessment design. Sarah Eaton shares five approaches to online assessment that promote academic integrity

Sarah Eaton

University of Calgary

Teaching humanities from a distance

Teaching humanities from a distance

Jessica Lee and Tamara Mann Tweel describe how they went back to basics when designing their humanistic online course, focusing on one-to-one mentoring and transformative texts

Jessica Lee, Tamara Mann Tweel

Columbia University , The Teagle Foundation

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

THE podcast: building resilience and well-being among university staff and students

How university leaders and faculty can manage workloads and protect the well-being of staff and students to ensure online teaching is sustainable

Thuy Thi Nguyen, June Gruber

Foothill College, The University of Colorado Boulder

Advice on supporting the well-being of overworked academics

Supporting academia’s well-being during Covid-19 and beyond

With an unprecedented global mental health crisis and rising stress among university staff, six academics come together to propose how best to support faculty and new ways of working now and well beyond the pandemic

June Gruber, Lisa Miracchi, Sabrina Marques, Kirk Ambrose, Becca Ciancanelli, Paulo Boggio

The University of Colorado Boulder, University of Pennsylvania, Western Connecticut State University, Mackenzie Presbyterian University

Michael Crow, president of ASU, shares his thoughts on universities' digital transformation

ASU president Michael Crow on the future of online learning in higher education

Michael Crow, president of Arizona State University, speaks to THE editor John Gill about the future of higher education in a digital world

Michael Crow

Arizona State University

Use digital technologies to enhance student support services

Evolution not revolution: strengthening student services online

Digital technologies are more than a short-term emergency tool; they provide an opportunity to enhance student support services long after a return to campus, explain Steven Goss and Amy Greenstein

Steven Goss, Amy Greenstein

Manhattan College, Metropolitan College of New York

How to design online courses and assessments to minimise plagiarism and cheating

Fair assessment: tackling the rise in online cheating

The move to online learning has seen a big increase in academic misconduct such as plagiarism. Camilla Roberts explains how careful planning of online teaching and assessment can minimise cheating

Camilla Roberts

Kansas State University

Create online courses with equity at their heart to bridge the digital divide

Bridging the digital divide: online courses with equity at their core

Otito Iwuchukwu talks about how to take an equity-first approach to delivering online courses to ensure all students can access the resources they need and have their voices heard

Otito Frances Iwuchukwu

Fairleigh Dickinson University

Basic principles for keeping digital communications clear and concise to avoid information overload for students

Efficient communication that avoids overloading students or staff

Constant upheaval has left many university staff and students feeling overwhelmed. Wendy Zajack talks through basic principles for keeping digital communications clear and concise to avoid information overload

Wendy Zajack

Georgetown University

Creating human connection online

How to create human connection when teaching online

Instructors teaching online must take steps to connect with their students via digital channels and compensate for the loss of natural face-to-face cues and communication. Flower Darby explains how

Flower Darby

Northern Arizona University

How to create a centralised online advice resource for instructors moving their courses online

Creating a centralised advice resource to help faculty adapt to new teaching modalities

To assist staff in adjusting courses to new online and hydrid teaching modes, the University of Arizona created a centralised information and advice resource. Here is a summary of how they did it and the key considerations and lessons learned

Ingrid Novodvorsky , Lisa Elfring

University of Arizona

Step away from your screen over the Christmas break

Five ways to embrace a non-traditional end to a non-traditional year

The overhaul of higher education due to Covid-19 has made 2020 a very challenging year for university staff. Wendy Zajack offers advice on how faculty can put the Christmas break to good use and return feeling refreshed for 2021

Wendy Zajack

Georgetown University

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

The art and science of online discussion forums

The art and science of online discussion forums

Online discussion forums are an effective way to ensure remote students engage critically with their subjects but require careful thought and planning by instructors, as Karen Srba explains

Karen Srba

Saint Francis University

Advice for stressed academics on managing workloads

This is not normal: advice for stressed academics

With the overhaul of teaching, soaring workloads, childcare demands and other challenges presented by Covid-19, many academics are at risk of burn-out. Psychology professor Jay Van Bavel outlines steps that stressed lecturers can take to manage workloads

Jay Van Bavel

New York University

How to incentivise students to complete their reading when teaching online

Pausing playback: training students to read and take notes in online classes

Reading and note-taking are vital to learning, but are too easily overlooked by remote students. Steven Mintz explains how you can boost students’ motivation to read and take notes during online classes

Steven Mintz

University of Texas at Austin

Engaging students in readings and microlectures

Engaging students in readings and microlectures

Three online teaching experts share advice for motivating students to read and engage with microlectures online, then answer questions on key challenges during this ACUE webinar

Ludwika Goodson, Catherine Haras, Flower Darby

LG Education Consulting , Cal State LA, Northern Arizona University

Advice on recording effective microlectures for your online classes

Recording effective microlectures

Two online teaching experts share advice on producing and using effective microlecture videos to keep students interested and engaged with online courses in this ACUE webinar

Michael Wesch, Viji Sathy

Kansas State University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

How to plan and facilitate student discussions via online classes

Planning and facilitating quality discussions

Three online teaching experts share advice on how to foster quality discussions among students online to aid learning during this ACUE webinar

Flower Darby, Viji Sathy, Ludwika Goodson

Northern Arizona University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , LG Education Consulting

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

Managing your online presence when teaching remotely

Managing your online presence

Three remote teaching experts share advice on building an authentic and engaging instructor presence online to support effective communication with students during this ACUE webinar

Flower Darby, Kevin Gannon, April Mondy

Northern Arizona University, Grand View University, Delta State University

Guidance on creating a welcoming online learning environment for students

Welcoming students to your online environment

Three online teaching experts share advice on creating a welcoming virtual learning environment for students then answer questions about transitioning to remote courses during this ACUE webinar  

Flower Darby, Kevin Gannon, Michael Wesch

Northern Arizona University, Grand View University, Kansas State University, ACUE

Strategies for scaling up quality online courses in higher education

Strategies for scaling up quality online courses in higher education

As remote and blended learning models look set to remain in place, universities need to consider how to scale online courses while maintaining quality. Michael Fried and Jenna Joo outline three effective scaling strategies

Michael Fried , Jenna Joo

Ithaka S+R

University leaders discuss the challenges and lessons from rapidly moving their services online

On the leading edge? Transitioning to digital campuses during a global crisis

Four university and college leaders share insight on transitioning to digital services during the Covid-19 pandemic and discuss what they have learned

Douglas Becker, Freeman Hrabowski, Susan McCahan, Thuy Thi Nguyen

Cintana Education, University of Maryland Baltimore County, University of Toronto, Foothill College

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

Three questions to ask when selecting new technology for online teaching

Three questions to ask before using a new digital resource

What should educators consider before adopting a new digital resource to support their online teaching? Michael Windelspecht outlines three key questions to ask

Michael Windelspecht

Inspire Edventures

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

Engage remote students by developing an authentic voice for your online classes

Instructor presence: How to engage students through building an authentic ‘voice’

Lessons in how to use an authentic instructor voice to keep students engaged when teaching remotely, from Shannon McCarty of National University

Shannon McCarty

National University

Effective assessment of written work when teaching online

Efficient and effective assessment of written work remotely

Hear about some tried and tested methods for effective assessment of written work when teaching online from Sara Clarke and Katy Dumelle of Oregon State University

Sara Clarke, Katy Dumelle

Oregon State 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

Engaging students online when teaching remote courses

Expert Q&A: Engaging students online – every learner, everywhere

Patricia O’Sullivan, project coordinator of academic innovation at the University of Mississippi, offers insight on engaging students in the online environment

Patricia O’Sullivan

University of Mississippi

Advice on designing online classes

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

Engaging learnings across modalities in online classes

Expert Q&A: Active learning – engage learners across modalities

Peter van Leusen, director of adaptive and personalised learning at Arizona State University answers questions on how to engage students when teaching across different modalities

Peter van Leusen

Arizona State University

Creating a home studio to record engaging online classes

Building an effective home studio for remote teaching

Recording classes well from home can be a challenge but by getting the basics right you can create a simple studio set up which will support effective online teaching. Here, Sean Willems explains how

Sean Willems

University of Tennessee, Knoxville

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

How to establish a robust quality framework to ensure top quality remote teaching

Establishing a robust quality framework for online education

How can universities monitor and guarantee the quality of their online courses? Here Geo Laws talks about how establish a robust quality framework for online teaching

Georgianna Laws

United States Distance Learning Association

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

Teachers stay present - don't take yourself out of your online classes

In defence of old-school teaching during a worldwide crisis

The rapid move to online teaching risks lecturers becoming over reliant on technology and steadily disappearing from their own courses. Here Glenn Geher argues the case for instructors remaining at the heart of their classes and only using technology to support their teaching

Glenn Geher

State University of New York at New Paltz

Advice on designing online courses with lots of interactive elements boosts engagement

Transform engagement: Interaction and online course design

Advice on designing online courses with lots of interactive elements to boost engagement from Michele Hampton, professor at Cuyahoga Community College

Michele Hampton

Cuyahoga Community College

Illustration of an online class

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 some strategies for ensuring students remain actively engaged with their online courses

Steven Mintz

University of Texas at Austin

Rules to put in place to keep students engaged in the virtual learning environment

The rules of engagement for virtual learning

It can be a challenge to keep students’ attention from wandering when teaching online. Here Bill Boulding talks through key rules to put in place to keep everyone engaged in the virtual learning environment

Bill Boulding

Fuqua School of Business, Duke University

How universities can harness technology to address systemic inequities and build anti-racist practice in digital learning

Anti-racist practice for digital and online learning

Jessica Rowland Williams, director of Every Learner Everywhere, looks at how institutions can harness technology to address systemic inequities through digital learning

Jessica Rowland Williams

Every Learner Everywhere

How universities have tried to enhance the student experience after moving virtually all their campus activities online

THE Student success forum: taking student life online

Student affairs leaders from four US universities share insight on how they enhanced the student experience after Covid-19 forced virtually all their campus activities to move online

Martino Harmon, Erin Hoffman Harding, Nancy Young, Beth McCuskey

University of Michigan, University of Notre Dame, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Purdue University

What faculty need to know when designing online courses

Ask the experts: What faculty need to know when designing online courses

Find out what faculty need to know when moving their courses online in this Q&A with Kayla Jutzi, instructional designer at Tulane University

Kayla Jutzi

Tulane University