Feature article

Tips for effectively communicating your research’s impact

Finding ways to communicate the impact of your research can sometimes be a hurdle. Here, Lyn R. Keith outlines effective ways to overcome it and extend the reach of your work

Lyn R. Keith

The University of the West Indies

A row of matches becomes increasingly more burnt out

Stamp out burnout early on: how to spot the signs and what to do about them

Academic life has always been a breeding ground for burnout. Şerife Eyüpoğlu of Near East University points out the warning signs of extreme exhaustion

Şerife Eyüpoğlu

Near East University

Animating education: a teaching tool that brings learning to life

Through animation, educators can transform complicated or abstract subjects into accessible narratives, facilitating students’ comprehension and enhancing the learning experience, writes Nigel Bairstow

Nigel Bairstow

University of Technology Sydney

Class full of students with an instructor at the front

Seven ways to tailor your teaching for different class sizes

Useful ways to provide effective learning experiences for all your students, no matter the class size

Gabriela Espínola Carballo , Mariana Estefanía Elizondo

Tecnológico de Monterrey

A buffet table, groaning with food, stretches nearly as far as the eye can see

A smorgasbord of strategies to help international students feel included

Educators are like seasoned chefs with the responsibility to create harmonious classroom environments that celebrate the flavourful cultural diversity of international students, says John Sinclair

John Sinclair

Colorado State University Global

How to engage your staff in just 15 minutes

You need to get updates and other messages to faculty and staff, but they don’t have much time for internal communications. Here, Kelly Hibbs offers tips to reach a busy audience in a quick, engaging, accessible way

Kelly Hibbs

University of Southampton

How to teach primary source literacy skills in universities

Primary source literacy instruction is instrumental in teaching transferable critical thinking and research skills that help prepare students for their academic careers and real-life scenarios, write Ariana Varela and Michaela Ullmann

Michaela Ullmann, Ariana Varela

University of Southern California

A young woman boards a plane in glorious sunshine

What will it take to ensure that international students are treated fairly?

Treatment of international students needs to shift to a social justice approach, and the interim report from Australia’s Universities Accord Panel doesn’t go far enough. Here’s how we can do more

Carly Steele, Sender Dovchin, Ana Tankosić

Curtin University

Don’t keep your distance learners at a distance

Tailored communication, supervision and technology can give distance-learning postgraduate researchers the same sense of belonging as their on-campus counterparts. Here, Richard Thomas offers ways to close the gap

Richard Thomas

University of Leicester

How to support and attract disabled students

What can universities do to attract and support students with disabilities?

How can we effectively support and recruit more students with disabilities into higher education institutions? Husnul Fitri discusses outreach and accessibility

Husnul Fitri

The University of Indonesia

Learning the machine: shaping the future of creative education

Educators should engage with artificial intelligence and other technologies not just as users but as influencers, write Ed D’Souza and Sunil Manghani

Ed D'Souza, Sunil Manghani

University of Southampton

Make universities disability-inclusive, part two: co-creation, workloads and promotion processes

Institutions can become more accessible by co-creating or consulting on their university strategies and strategic changes. Other ways include managing student and staff workloads and making promotion processes more equitable

Meredith Wilkinson

De Montfort University

How hard can it be? Testing the dependability of AI detection tools

Students are using artificial intelligence to write essays and other assessment tasks, but can they fool the AI detection tools? Daniel Lee and Edward Palmer put a few to the test

Daniel Lee, Edward Palmer

Adelaide University

Managing professional jealousy: navigating challenges and fostering growth

Self-awareness, self-improvement, gratitude, open communication and a growth mindset can help you tackle inevitable encounters with jealousy constructively and create a more positive, supportive work environment in the process

Tariq Al-Musawi

Al-Mustaqbal University

A female engineer overseeing a production line

Using simulation games to teach lean manufacturing

Simulation games can improve students’ understanding of lean manufacturing. Here are five tips for incorporating them into your teaching practice

Svetoslav G. Georgiev

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Trauma-informed approaches can help address bullying in higher education

Universities must take a compassionate, trauma-informed approach when tackling bullying in higher education, argues Glen Cousquer

Glen Cousquer

The University of Edinburgh

People in an office collaborating on a project

How to collaborate effectively to support care-experienced students

It’s clear there is still work to be done to support young people with care backgrounds coming into higher education. Here are lessons that Louise Harrison, Kate Murray and Alison Shaw have learned

Alison Shaw , Louise Harrison, Kate Murray

Newcastle University

How to help postdocs take a holistic look at career choices

After their terminal degrees, many postdocs find themselves at a career crossroads. Here, Karena Nguyen offers four key considerations across background, skills, values and interests to help determine what’s next

Karena Nguyen

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

Teacher in front of a classroom full of students

The joy of simplicity: techniques that motivate, engage and foster learning in lectures

The rise of AI and VR offers educators an array of innovative ways to engage students in lectures, but let’s not forget the simple methods that don’t require any technology, writes Alison Zimmer

Alison Zimmer

The University of Manchester

Detail of many drawing circle on screen around icons

HARKing forward: an argument for a polarising research practice

Hypothesising (or proposing) after results are known is seen as going against scientific principles. Here, however, Yehuda Barach argues for its use in the name of unhindered enquiry and discovery when the scholarship is transparent and properly reported

Yehuda Baruch

University of Southampton

Universities need to get better at using Instagram – here’s how

Instagram is the most effective social media channel to engage students, argues Ned Potter. In this resource, he outlines ways to produce successful content and increase reach

Ned Potter

University of York

How to lose a grant in 10 ways

Want your funding application to be rejected? Have we got some advice for you. But, seriously, don’t do these things and you might just find your perfect grant match

Kathryn Mackinven

University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha

Helping international students in their transition to US institutions

International students enrich and add value to American campuses. Here, Ashlee Toomey-Flinn offers practical tips for helping them transition successfully into their US university experience

Ashlee Toomey-Flinn

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

Student at a laptop smiling with a notebook in her hand

Partnering with students to build belonging in a blended learning environment

A sense of belonging and community plays a major role in maximising student engagement. But how can educators cultivate an authentic community?

Reimala Sivalingam

The University of Manchester

Advice for effective cross-team collaboration for research

Research teams that might not usually work together are increasingly required to collaborate. Here, Rob Kadel offers five principles that underpin effective project delivery

Rob Kadel

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

Two students outside campus smiling to camera

How can we create accessible and inclusive learning environments for neurodivergent students?

How can we actively engage neurodivergent students in the classroom? This resource offers practical guidance for fostering accessible and inclusive learning environments that honour diverse thinking and learning styles

Emilie Edwards

Middlesex University

Why get a PhD by publication (and other career tips)

Finding the ‘golden thread’ in your academic path can offer an opportunity to reflect and grow, writes James Derounian

James Derounian

University of Bolton

How to initiate conversations about belonging

Belonging may not always look the same for all students, but creating opportunities for organic conversations can foster partnerships between staff and students and help us understand what students need

Emma Palmer

University of Hull

Interdisciplinarity is a core part of AI’s heritage and its future

To train students to engage responsibly with artificial intelligence, a genuinely interdisciplinary perspective – from the language used to recognising that human and machine work in concert – is essential, write Elvin Lim and Jonathan Chase

Elvin Lim , Jonathan Chase

Singapore Management University

Book with tree and compass green concept

How storytelling boosts environmental impact and engagement

Presenting sustainability research in a story – with a protagonist, goal and resolution – can bridge the gap between complex theory and real-world results for wider audiences and policymakers alike

Denise Baden

University of Southampton

Cooperation and partnership between robot and human stock illustration

Roles for AI to play in the classroom

From supporting classroom debate and discussion to problem-solving and decision-making, here are ways that artificial intelligence can enhance teaching and learning

Carl Follmer

University of Iowa

Asian woman holding vintage video camera

Using primary sources to tell queer histories

Public records and private lives? In uncovering LGBTQ+ stories in personal archives and impersonal documents, historians should ask questions about how each source engages with gender and sexuality, writes Isabell Dahms

Isabell Dahms

Goldsmiths, University of London

Calculator and hands writing down calculations on a desk

In trust, we trust: ensure transparency in university endowments

Endowment funds are important financial safeguards for universities, but transparency on how they are run and governed is an imperative. Here are some ways institutions can inspire confidence in these fiscal safety nets

Siri Terjesen, Ahmad Al Asady

Florida Atlantic University, North Dakota State University

Two scientists in a lab looking at a laptop

How to drive change in a research group, part one: Using McKinsey’s 7-S framework

Embracing change is vital for research groups that want to make an impact, writes Daniel Moraru. Here, he outlines ways to do this while aligning with shared values that ensure consistency

Daniel Moraru

Shizuoka University

Bring the SDGs into the classroom through role play and gamification

A case study showing how simulations, role playing and gamification can develop students’ global citizenship and help grand challenges feel more surmountable

Shelini Surendran, Kat Mack, Anand Mistry

University of Surrey

Will ChatGPT change our definitions of cheating?

We can’t yet know if we have a full taxonomy of ChatGPT-enhanced mischief, or whether certain uses should be classed as mischief at all, writes Tom Muir

Tom Muir

Oslo Metropolitan University

What is your academic writing temperament?

Many early career researchers struggle to write enough. The key is to move away from an abstract notion of productivity and towards a productive writing process, explains Rachael Cayley. Here, she offers questions to help ECRs find their writing rhythm

Rachael Cayley

University of Toronto

Navigating the choppy waters of intercultural differences in an international classroom

Farish A. Noor draws on three decades of teaching across different continents to offer advice on the challenges inherent in teaching students from diverse backgrounds

Farish A. Noor  

University of Malaya

Cartoon of a detective with a magnifying glass analysing a piece of paper being held by a robot

Can we detect AI-written content?

A look at common features of large language model-created writing and its implications for how we might assess students’ knowledge and skills in the future

Cesare Giulio Ardito

The University of Manchester

Black academic presenting at medical conference

Lots of talk about diversity in corporations, but what about universities?

Why real progress won’t be made unless universities solve three persistent issues: access to networks, unconscious bias and insider culture, writes Blane Ruschak

Blane Ruschak

The PhD Project

Large lecture room full of students and a lecturer

Effective assessment methods for large enrolment classes

Tips on how to assess students in large classes effectively, including how to use specialist technology to increase efficiency

Stephanie Foster

Colorado State University

How to help international students prepare for university life ahead of and after their arrival

Ayten Ordu provides five top tips that will help ensure international students have a smooth transition to their new surroundings

Ayten Ordu

Near East University

How to support international students’ smooth transition to a new country

Orientation is an ongoing process for international students, so welcome programmes need to extend further than a single day. Here, Mengping Cheng explains how to support new arrivals throughout their adjustment

Mengping Cheng

University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha

Two students sitting on the grass outside working at a laptop

Three strategies for fostering a culture of belonging on your campus

Three practical steps you can take to cultivate a campus culture where everyone feels welcome and students can thrive, whatever their background

Penny MacCormack

Association of College and University Educators

Nurturing advanced problem-solving skills with integrated projects

Integrated projects can be a powerful tool for bolstering problem-solving capabilities and encouraging students to integrate knowledge from various courses

Man Kee Lam , Yee Ho Chai

Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP)

Advice for university staff on working successfully with HR

How can faculty ensure that all the touch points they have with human resources within their employee lifecycle are efficient, transparent and the best experience they can be?

Lisa Smith

University of Southampton

Advice on fostering interdisciplinary learning in large scale doctoral programmes

Fostering interdisciplinary learning in large-scale doctoral programmes

Corina Sas highlights key insights for design and delivery of large-scale doctoral training programmes that foster supportive and cooperative interdisciplinary learning environments

Corina Sas

Lancaster University

How to create and run pre-sessional courses to enhance future success

A team from the University of Nottingham Ningbo China outline the starting points for providing short-term English proficiency courses for non-native speakers

Multiple authors

The University of Nottingham Ningbo China

How to strengthen your metacognitive skills to collaborate effectively with AI

To follow their previous piece on why metacognition is crucial for collaborating with Generative AI, Sidra and Claire Mason reveal how to boost those specific metacognitive skills

Sidra, Claire Mason

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)

Two young women at a laptop having a conversation

Five steps to finding effective mentors in academia

Five steps to help you find a mentor who aligns with your goals and can help you achieve academic success

Lyn R. Keith

The University of the West Indies

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