Student engagement

Academics and university staff address what student engagement means to them and offer advice on boosting attendance, class participation and building a campus community

Spice up your lectures: engagement strategies for higher education

Ibham Veza and Davannendran Chandran provide an exhaustive checklist of practical strategies for captivating students and retaining their attention

Ibham Veza, Davannendran Chandran

Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP)

Adults playing with constructing a small wheeled object

More play to engage students and deepen learning

Play is a powerful learning tool that boosts engagement, exploration and community. Here three lecturers outline some of the ways it can best be used

Noelia Dominguez Falcon , Kelly Edmunds , Becky Lewis

The University of East Anglia

Poetry can be used in many classes at university

Poetry is a door into many disciplines, not just a literary one

A poem can act as a memory aid, ground facts in individual experience and prompt questions about policy, power and generational impact, says Pádraig Ó Tuama

Pádraig Ó Tuama

Poetry Unbound

Effective feedback techniques for struggling students

Giving feedback on work that does not meet the required standard requires great tact and understanding of your students, says Ilse Mariana Leyva Barrera

Ilse Mariana Leyva Barrera

Monterrey Institute of Technology

line of blocks with arrows on top face against blue background

‘I just wish all lecturers would use the VLE in the same way’

A consistent approach to blended teaching and learning across the whole institution can shift the student experience. Here’s a way to achieve it – from page templates to staff training

Alison Torn

Leeds Trinity University

Online class asynchronous or synchronous

Synchronous or asynchronous? When to use which when teaching online

Eunice Costilla Cruz and Elizabeth Marcial Morales examine the right time to make use of synchronous moments in virtual courses, and when asynchronous ones are more suitable

Eunice Costilla Cruz , Elizabeth Marcial Morales

Monterrey Institute of Technology

Male healthcare working giving a presentation

Advice for lecturers on how to keep students’ attention

Psychology-based rhetoric training is a way to help lecturers counteract the fall in students’ active attention span. This programme aims to give them speaking skills and confidence that will enhance their effectiveness as educators

Kinga Györffy, András Matolcsy

Semmelweis University

Top tips on providing useful feedback to students

From showing appreciation for effort to using game-based learning effectively, Preeti Aghalayam outlines some options for making feedback work for your students

Preeti Aghalayam

The Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Daisy flower representing resilience among university students

The power of failure: a case study to foster resilience in students

Nici Sweaney offers simple strategies to shift focus from outcomes to learning and discovery, helping research students to embrace risk-taking and learn from setbacks

Nici Sweaney

Australian National University

Deforested rainforest now used for cattle farming

We’ve engaged 250 student volunteers to hold climate emitters to account

The Net Zero Tracker taps into students’ passion for climate action, teaches them net-zero literacy and builds their employability. Here’s how we work with them

Camilla Hyslop

University of Oxford

Active learning strategies to boost student engagement

Ibham Veza and Vorathin Epin provide practical advice on implementing active learning strategies in the classroom for enhanced learning outcomes

Ibham Veza, Vorathin Epin

Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP)

Field journals: a deceptively simple solution for improving engagement

Sending students into the field armed with journals (and latterly iPads) has provided pedagogical lessons that can be applied far beyond my field of natural history, says Michael Brunson

Michael Brunson

Kansas State University

Group of young people in a circle all joining hands in the centre

Why we start undergraduate transdisciplinary research from day one

Hands-on knowledge discovery can give students the chance to put learning into action from the beginning of their studies, write Gray Kochhar-Lindgren and Julian Tanner

Gray Kochhar-Lindgren, Julian Tanner

The University of Hong Kong

Young Asian woman in red top happy in front of laptop

Using gamification as an incentive for revision

Novelty, competition and engagement give gamification an edge when it comes to getting students to revise. Here, Teegan Green, Iliria Stenning and Rasheda Keane explain how they use The Chase from H5P in a hybrid course

Teegan Green, Iliria Stenning, Rasheda Keane

The University of Queensland

Illustration of young woman doing an online course

Three features that will make your Mooc stand out

Learning designers and educators should focus on creating value for learners that goes beyond Mooc content. In this article, Temesgen Kifle and Ben Cossalter share innovative features that drive belonging and engagement

Temesgen Kifle, Ben Cossalter

The University of Queensland

Penalising students who struggle with the flipped classroom doesn't help

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

Doug Specht, Gunter Saunders

The University of Westminster

Giving away all content online does not encourage student attendance

Want students back in the classroom? Don’t give everything away online

Empty classrooms are an unfortunate reality of post-pandemic universities. To stop this, we need to explain the fundamentals of learning and tempt students back

Harriet Dunbar-Morris

The University of Portsmouth

A lecturer sitting on a desk speaking to students in an informal manner

The hows and whys of improved interactions with international students

Strategies for overcoming potential cultural differences and supporting better academic-international student relationships

Lenka Janik Blaskova

The University of Exeter

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

Eleanor Cook, Emma Norman, Tian Yan

The University of Exeter

Online teaching competencies to get started

Five key competencies for successful digital teaching

From energising your class to encouraging collaboration, these tips from Carolina Lara Robles and Cynthia Enciso Centeno will help make your online classes a success

Carolina Lara Robles , Cynthia Enciso Centeno

Monterrey Institute of Technology

University Challenge quiz show helps degree courses

Your starter for 10: how can a TV quiz format help courses avoid extinction?

With some courses struggling to recruit, John Warren explains how a University Challenge-style quiz can breathe new life into ailing degrees and empower the student voice

John Warren

Independent academic

What should universities think about when redesigning their campuses?

A university is a multifunctional space where collaboration is increasingly important, so new designs must consider who will use it and how

Denise Medcraff

Arcadis IBI Group

Universities must think smarter when devising edtech strategies for the future

The ideal vision is one where AI and faculty work together to deliver the best outcomes, rather than a two-tier system where the less privileged are left with a low-cost, automated education

Sarah Grant

Imperial College London

The five key steps for getting the best out of a flipped classroom

From planning properly to understanding cognitive load, Aaron Taylor reveals how to engender greater student engagement and motivation through the flipped classroom

Aaron Taylor

Arden University

Encourage students to turn on their cameras

Cameras on: how to overcome a key challenge in digital courses

Promoting a good relationship between teachers and students is crucial in digital courses. Gabriela Espínola Carballo shares tips for encouraging virtual presence in your courses

Gabriela Espínola Carballo

Monterrey Institute of Technology

Young woman with laptop looking at paper and gesturing frustration

Can asking for students’ perception of assessment improve fairness?

Clear, fair assignments and grading criteria can improve not only students’ perceptions but also the reputation of the whole university, writes Philipp Sonnleitner

Philipp Sonnleitner

University of Luxembourg

Using the metaverse to teach about the library

The library and the metaverse: a match made in heaven

A group of librarians and education specialists from Monterrey Institute of Technology share their tips after designing a virtual escape room that inculcates library skills

José Vladimir Burgos Aguilar , Lorena Guadalupe Rodríguez Leal , Lorena Quilantán García

Monterrey Institute of Technology

Young woman recording audio on her phone

Hear this: a guide to writing an academic English listening test

Listening scripts need to replicate authentic lectures – but you also need to factor in subject matter, tone and question types as you go test

Anna Ziomek

University of Reading

It’s worth rethinking how we engage graduates – they can be teaching gold

National teaching fellow James Derounian highlights the potential for recycling graduate contributions back into university teaching

James Derounian

University of Bolton

What’s next for university admissions?

With the impact of AI on applications as yet unknown and affirmative action in the US at risk, Rick Clark speculates on the future of college admissions. His hope? That the student voice finds new ways to be heard

Rick Clark

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

Black student points at a computer screen

Touch is a simple and effective way to manage learners’ cognitive load

Studies from educational psychologist Paul Ginns show that students who point and trace learning material results have greater comprehension and retention

Paul Ginns

University of Sydney

Questions beyond majors: developing mental maturity in students

When undergraduates build their own course plan, reading list and thesis project, the benefits extend beyond the individual student’s mindset to teaching faculty, write Ryan Derby-Talbot and Marjorie Wonham

Ryan Derby-Talbot, Marjorie Wonham

Deep Springs College, Quest University

Autonomy, fun and other benefits of student-centred learning design

Putting students at the core of learning design can bring business and commerce studies to life, writes Guan Wang

Guan Wang

Macau University of Science and Technology

Students responding to a question in the classroom

An examination of student engagement in the classroom

An exploration of what student engagement means for different individuals and how to support and assess it in the classroom

Stephanie Foster, Kirk Ambrose

The University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado State University

Neuroeducation can help students learn better at university

Five ways to use neuroeducation to improve student learning

Understanding what happens in the brain when it learns can help teachers plan their lessons, attitudes and words for maximum learning impact

José Alberto Herrera Bernal

Monterrey Institute of Technology

How to support multilingual international students in the classroom

Multilingual students face unique challenges that affect their participation and communication in the classroom, but educators can take steps to make them feel welcome

Andrea Feldman

The University of Colorado Boulder

Tips from university students on filming videos to keep them engaged

Tips from students on how to film videos that keep them engaged

A discussion thread on making videos became Keith Pressey’s most successful post in 13 years of teaching – here he shares the key takeaways from the exercise

Keith Pressey

Colorado State University Global

The National Student Survey changes could harm higher education

The changes to the National Student Survey could prove disastrous

The removal of well-being-centric questions and the ability to compare with previous years will impede universities’ ability to offer adequate support

Harriet Dunbar-Morris

The University of Portsmouth

Image of a person hidden behind a large question mark

My teacher’s a robot: beating negative perceptions when teaching online

Students on online courses complain of a lack of interaction, motivation and familiarity with teachers, research shows. Wendy Cowan looks at how to build ‘instructor presence’ into online courses

Wendy Cowan

Athens State University

Amplify the authentic student voice in university marketing

Any university can claim to be the best, but in the end, people will believe the students who study there. Here are tips on collaborating with students to create marketing content that amplifies their authentic voice

Ari Badlishah

The University of Edinburgh

How to shift the power dynamic between lecturer and students

Calling all authoritarians: how to shift the power dynamic in your classes

Using the empowerment framework helps build shared purpose, meaning and respect between professors and students, leading to reciprocal growth and learning

Catherine Whaley, Jon McNaughtan

Texas Tech University

Lights, camera, action: how to get students to turn on their cameras

Strategies to strengthen student engagement and build community in virtual learning environments by encouraging all students to turn on their cameras, by Clara Chapdelaine-Feliciati

Clara Chapdelaine-Feliciati

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

The basics of building engagement and motivation for learning online

The fundamentals of effective course development and communication when teaching predominantly online, shared by Hasti Abbasi

Hasti Abbasi

La Trobe University

The pronoun y'all as inclusive language in universities

Embracing inclusivity with ‘y’all’: why this pronoun deserves a fresh look

In a recent online meeting, a colleague told me that using that word made me sound uneducated. So I set out to see if it is really sending a bad message

Stone Meredith

Colorado State University Global

Engage your students with these feedback strategies

Angeles Aguirre and Jorge Mosqueda provide simple introductions to four methods of feedback, from video summaries and social media posts to rubrics

Angeles Carolina Aguirre-Acosta , Jorge Mosqueda

Monterrey Institute of Technology

A tutor talking to a student in the library

Data analytics to target student support and address problems early

How higher education institutions can incorporate data analytics into student support strategies to pinpoint risk factors that could disrupt a student’s progress and target assistance

Elise Awwad

DeVry University

Image showing icons linked to online messaging and social platforms

Boost learning with online student discussion forums

How to scaffold class online discussion forums to ensure participation from all students and maximise the benefits to learning

Adrian Man-Ho Lam

The University of Hong Kong

Three blended learning challenges and how to overcome them

Tips to improve student retention, engagement and participation drawn from teaching blended and online introductory computer programming courses, which cannot rely on in-person labs

Erick Purwanto, Thomas Selig, Na Li

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Image showing someone trapped in a glass jar, trying to be heard

Breaking language barriers: supporting non-native English-speaking students

Steps that tutors can take to better support students who are non-native speakers of English and ensure they feel included and able to play an active role in their university community

Jiajun Liu, Qian Wang , Shuai Wang

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Making students comfortable in class without coddling them

Comfort without coddling: how to make students comfortable in the classroom

How do educators foster a safe environment for students while encouraging their independence? Brooke Wilson discusses why this is important

Brooke Wilson

Colorado State University Global

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