10 ways universities can tackle gender inequalityEllie Bothwell outlines recommendations from THE’s recent report on how universities around the world are performing on gender equalityEllie BothwellÌÇÐÄVlog
The top three engagement challenges facing admissions teams and how to solve themWhether it's due to ‘ghosting’ or ‘student melt’, prospective students are harder than ever before to attract and hold on to, but a combination of tech and human solutions is at handArdis KadiuElement451
Five tips to enhance your institution’s civic engagement by working with public libraries Advice to help universities work in partnership with public libraries to reach wider audiences and enhance their civic engagementMarge Ainsley, Rachel HeydeckerCarnegie UK
10 essential tips for your next academic presentationUsing examples and practical tips, Dorsa Amir explains the techniques that ensure your presentation communicates its message effectively – from slide design to structuring your talkDorsa AmirUniversity of California, Berkeley
Chasing unicorns: can universities shape the edtech space to their advantage?Staying abreast of developments outside the big players in the fast-moving world of edtech can benefit institutions while also ensuring a healthy marketplaceJohn MilesInkpath
How to get a book published outside academia Lexi Stadlen shares advice on how to turn your academic research into a commercially published book and reach audiences beyond academiaLexi StadlenIndependent academic
How universities can support refugee students and academicsAfghan Chevening scholar Naimatullah Zafary, who was among the last people to be airlifted to safety from Kabul, explains how institutions can support refugee students and staff who arrive in an unfamiliar country after experiencing perilous journeys and severe traumaNaimatullah Zafary University of Sussex
Blended professionals: how to make the most of ‘third space’ expertsIntegrated practitioners – staff who bridge the worlds of academia and professional services – are increasingly important to universities. Here’s why this space matters and how to capitalise on itEmily McIntosh, Diane NuttMiddlesex University
Three big ideas to ensure research helps shape the future of businessHigh-quality scientific research and the values it encapsulates, such as a focus on empirical evidence over opinion, must be used to help business for years to comeAndrew StephenUniversity of Oxford
Teaching your students proofreading skills brings them huge benefitsBeing able to produce error-free written communication helps students project competence in class and beyond, says Stone MeredithStone MeredithColorado State University Global
Five ways to apply a creative mindset to educationStudents should be encouraged to create and innovate rather than just accrue knowledge. Alan Morgan shares five approaches to cultivating a creative mindset in classAlan MorganUniversity College Dublin
Eight tips to boost active listening in university studentsActive mental engagement enhances students’ understanding and their ability to remember the ideas we teach. These simple tools and skills can help to move students from passive to active modes of listening and keep them thereDavid GeelanThe University of Notre Dame Australia
Does decolonisation in the West do anything for the developing world?Expanded reading lists do little for the student whose visa is denied because there’s not enough money in their parents’ bank account, says Farish A Noor Farish A. Noor   University of Malaya
Tips for sharing your research and professional expertise with consumer mediaAcademics can offer insight based on research and professional experience that is applicable far beyond the scope of academic journals. Samuel Kim Kwong Kwok shares a guide to engaging with the mainstream consumer mediaSamuel Kim Kwong Kwok Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool UniversityÂ
We need to create a tutoring army to level up education Getting student volunteers to tutor less-privileged children would boost fundamental education for those who need it most and provide a national social mobility service, says Lee Elliot MajorLee Elliot MajorThe University of Exeter
Introducing an activeflex teaching model into pre-existing online coursesSteps for designing and implementing an activeflex model of teaching in pre-existing online courses, shared by Marla WilliamsMarla Williams Athens State University
How to attract and support non-traditional students in higher educationHurdles and obstacles are created from the outset and then vice-chancellors wonder why their student population is not diverse, says Dilshad SheikhDilshad SheikhArden University
Are your first-year students disengaging? Here’s how to get them back on board From creating distinct spaces on your VLE to discuss first-year study to checking in with absentees, Katherine Mansfield provides tips for re-engaging studentsKatherine MansfieldUniversity of Westminster
Using remote learning technology  to boost student engagement and interaction As face-to-face teaching returns, educational technology can be used to boost student engagement in ways that are not possible in a physical classroom. Andreina Parisi-Amon explains howAndreina Parisi-Amon Engageli
How I plan to get through REF results dayIf the results don’t deliver what we think we’ve earned, it will be a blow, but it won’t change the fact that what we do matters, says John McKendrickJohn McKendrickGlasgow Caledonian University
Why is recruitment and retention in the university sector more difficult than in other sectors?Attracting and keeping the best people is a perennial issue for higher education institutions. Here, Jonathan Lord looks at how the pandemic impacted staffing and strategies for improving processesJonathan LordUniversity of Salford
Rebalancing research and teaching within universities: rethinking recognition and rewardAdrian Lam looks at what changes to recognition and reward in higher education would help academics better balance a focus on research with need for quality teaching Adrian Man-Ho LamThe University of Hong Kong
Writing about the day job: levelling up scholarship across higher educationTutors with full class schedules have little capacity for research but by focusing on the scholarship of teaching and learning, they can contribute valuable insights supported by their day job, write Russ Woodward and Tim VealRussell Woodward, Tim VealUniversity Centre Grimsby: The TEC Partnership
Why does open access make publishing more complicated?The shift towards open-access publishing can leave students and researchers confused. Here, a group of research facilitators answer the most common questions about the new publication landscape – and sum up where we stand Inma Peral, Maël GuennouUniversity of Luxembourg
The good, the bad and the way forward: how UK universities should respond to REF resultsHow should UK universities respond if their REF results are good, bad or offer a mixed picture? New pro vice-chancellor for research Heather Widdows shares her adviceHeather WiddowsUniversity of Birmingham
Coordinating co-authorsCo-authoring with other researchers can result in more ambitious and exciting papers than solo endeavours but is also fraught with potential hiccups. Steven Bateman and Jie Zhang share advice on keeping collaborative work on trackSteven Bateman, Jie ZhangXi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool UniversityÂ
We won’t get anywhere without placing the SDGs in local contextsApplying the SDGs looks vastly different in a Western city from how it does in a rural Asian village. Su Li Chong explains how universities can help us get past a one-size-fits-all approachSu Li ChongUniversiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP)
Tips and apps to encourage better interaction with studentsClassting and Remind are two lesser-known apps that can aid communication with your class when used effectivelyGloria Anahà Molina Barrón , Dania Arriola Arteaga Tecnológico de Monterrey
Mind the gap: how to write career breaks into your CVWhat counts as a career break, and how much information is too much information? Emma Williams provides strategies for filling in any spaces in your academic work historyEmma WilliamsEJW Solutions
Using digital technology to get student affairs and faculty working together for better resultsWhen student affairs staff and faculty work together, it results in better learning experiences for students. Amy Greenstein and Steven Goss explain how digital tools can be used to support such partnershipsAmy Greenstein, Steven GossManhattan College, Northeastern University
Diversity statements: the good, the bad and the uglyDiversity statements can be created with good intentions but still manage to perpetuate inequality. Henrika McCoy and Madeline Lee detail what to look out for and suggested actionHenrika McCoy, Madeline Lee University of Illinois Chicago, California State University San Marcos
How humanities and social sciences PhD programmes can adapt to a challenging job landscapePostgraduate studies in humanities and social sciences help graduates build skills that are applicable across multiple sectors and career paths. Ray Haberski Jr explains how to shape relevant and adaptable PhD programmes in these disciplinesRaymond Haberski JrIndiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)
What to do when an academic journal rejects your articleNobody likes negative feedback but rejection is not all bad. Here is how to see rejection of your article by a peer-reviewed journal as an opportunityCatherine LégluUniversity of Luxembourg
Don’t let the REF tail wag the academic dogInstitutions should resist the temptation to use the REF as a tool for competition and self-promotion and, instead, approach the results in ways that support sector-wide efforts to improve research cultureMarcus MunafòThe University of Bristol
Is that overseas field trip you’re looking forward to really necessary?However well-intentioned, outside interventions can have unintended consequences for local communities if carried out without rigorous research, says James DerounianJames DerounianUniversity of Bolton
Tackling climate change requires university, government and industry collaboration – here’s howUniversities must work with government and industry to drive climate action. Anna Skarbek outlines key principles that should shape the approachAnna SkarbekMonash University, Climateworks Centre
Tips for writing a PhD dissertation: FAQs answeredFrom how to choose a topic to writing the abstract and managing work-life balance through the years it takes to complete a doctorate, here we collect expert advice to get you through the PhD writing processCampus teamCampus
Three tips for ‘unbundling’ an aspect of your university services Building partnerships with ed-tech firms and other providers involves ‘unbundling’ elements of university services to share tasks among all parties. Dawn Gilmore and Chinh Nguyen offer three tips on how to do this successfully Dawn Gilmore, Chinh Nguyen RMIT University, Curio
Creating poetry from data to aid analysisPoetry can be used as a tool to re-analyse and present qualitative data through a new lens, as Sam Illingworth explainsSam IllingworthEdinburgh Napier University
Enhancing learning from digital, audio and video resourcesPrint textbooks have serious competitors from digital texts, podcasts, audiobooks and video. The medium – and how each is used – can affect how much students learn, as Naomi Baron explainsNaomi BaronAmerican University
Can there ever be a neat history of colonialism?People today seem to want their history to be linear and totalising, but it is only by addressing the messiness of the past that we can understand the presentFarish A. Noor   University of Malaya
The challenges of creating a multidisciplinary research centre and how to overcome themHow to overcome the challenges of setting up a collaborative research centre designed to break down institutional silos and structuresAndrew Tobin, Laura TylerUniversity of Glasgow
Using communities of practice to drive teaching innovationIn the lead-up to Digital Universities Week US, we asked four university leaders about the barriers, ambitions and faculty needs when it comes to supporting the adoption of digital teaching methodsCampus teamCampus
Is your teaching and learning ‘not supported’?Are you Google or Microsoft? WhatsApp or Signal? The incompatibility driven by Big Tech obstructs research and teaching, so Europe’s mooted Digital Markets Act may be good newsAndy FarnellVisiting professor
Using ‘spaced learning’ to aid students’ retention of new information Repeating information in chunks with breaks in between improves students’ ability to remember it. Stephen Braybrook explains how to translate this into the classroomStephen BraybrookBrain Move
Digital citizenship: creating safe and inclusive online learning spacesDigital citizenship, or the ability to use and connect via technology responsibly, is now a vital life skill that educators must foster among students. Vicki Madden explains how to start by creating respectful online environmentsVictoria MaddenThe University of Edinburgh
Don’t lose sight of learning outcomes in pursuit of digital innovation, counsels task forceInstitutions should also think carefully about what is considered ‘innovative’Campus teamCampus
Academics must resist the creeping degradation of academic freedomUnless an academic is exceptionally bloody-minded, they will eventually take the path of least resistance, which is subtle erosion in action, says Arif AhmedArif AhmedUniversity of Cambridge
Block teaching: what it is, how to do it and whyWith its short, intense courses, is block teaching the way to boost student success and engagement? John Weldon gives seven tips for switching to the block model and examples of what it offers university educatorsJohn WeldonVictoria University
Revolving roles: creating inclusive, engaging, participant-led learning activities ‘Revolving roles’ is a simple, adaptable method for designing learning activities that challenge and change conventional ‘leader’ and ‘participant’ responsibilities, embrace students’ diverse needs, and develop their unique attributes, as Pablo Dalby explainsPablo DalbyThe University of East Anglia
