Feature article

Using the Community of Inquiry to improve online learning outcomes

Making the implicit explicit: improve online learning through ‘presence’

Dara Cassidy explains how the Community of Inquiry provides a framework to help translate teaching strategies that come naturally in the classroom to the online learning environment where they require more deliberate planning

Dara Cassidy

RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences

Julianne Law offers insight on how she has adapted her ‘lectures’ for the digital classroom

From lecture theatre to living room: adapting teaching techniques to the online classroom

The move to online education has required a major rethink of traditional teaching practices. Julianne Law offers insight on how she has adapted her ‘lectures’ for the digital classroom

Julianne Law

Bangor University

Practical advice on building equitable communities when teaching online

Do unto students as they would have done to them

Maha Bali offers practical advice on building equitable learning communities online no matter what students’ bandwidth or synchronicity of the class

Maha Bali

American University in Cairo

Selecting digital tools that support your pedagogy and teaching strategies

Tech tools to help enhance online and blended learning

With thousands of educational apps all promising to enhance online learning, choosing the right technology is a challenge. Miral Gibson explains why how pedagogy and teaching strategies should inform these decisions

Miral Gibson

University of Roehampton

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

New frontiers of competition in global higher education

New frontiers of higher education competition

Hamish Coates provides insight on how universities can navigate changing competitive frontiers in higher education

Hamish Coates

Tsinghua University

Build peer support networks to help staff navigate digital teaching

Building peer support networks to help staff navigate digital teaching

Kay Yeoman and Alicia McConnell explain how the University of East Anglia has used peer support networks to ensure all university staff have access to the advice, support and training they need to deliver quality online teaching

Kay Yeoman, Alicia McConnell

The University of East Anglia

Research shows forum based online learning helps keep students more engaged

Forum-based online teaching to improve student engagement and motivation

A key challenge with online learning is maintaining student engagement and motivation. A forum-based teaching system, in which all students could see and compare their work within a shared online space, helped mitigate this challenge, researchers found

Xiaowei Kang, Wen Zhang

Capital Normal University, New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark

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

How to measure how much ‘immersification’ is needed in online courses

Immersification – a fresh dimension to learning design

Many online courses can benefit from immersive technologies to enhance the learning experience. Here Chek Tien Tan and May Lim outline their method for ensuring technology is chosen to support the desired student outcomes

Chek Tien Tan , May Lim

Singapore Institute of Technology

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

Ask your students for feedback right from the start of your online course

Why and how to gather ongoing student feedback right from the start

By gathering student feedback throughout your course, you can make ongoing micro-adjustments to resources and teaching methods to improve online teaching and learning, Leonardo Rolla explains

Leonardo Rolla

The University of Warwick

Using instant messaging to deliver feedback to students learning remotely

Instant messaging for improving instructor feedback in distance learning

One of the biggest challenges to online learning is lack of immediate instructor feedback, Justin Fendos’ research revealed. So his team trialled instant messaging to enable prompt responses

Justin Fendos

Dongseo University

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

Research on effective digital course design and implementation

A guide to effective digital course design and delivery from four online teaching experts

Chrysi Rapanta consolidates the knowledge of four online teaching experts to produce guidance on what pedagogical content knowledge faculty need in order to develop effective digital courses

Chrysi Rapanta

NOVA University Lisbon

Designing online classes for students with ADHD

Making online classes work for students with ADHD

Online learning can be particularly challenging for students with learning difficulties such as ADHD. Kate Lister offers some simple steps every instructor can take to help students with ADHD stay engaged

Kate Lister

Leeds Trinity University

Communicate your online teaching structure to students before the course starts

How to communicate your online teaching structure to students – and why it matters

It is important to explain your online teaching plan to students at the start of the course, so they know what to expect. Here, Dawn Gilmore explains why and how to do this.

Dawn Gilmore

RMIT University

How university staff can avoid digital burnout when teaching online

Tips on avoiding digital burnout after moving all your teaching online 

Many academics are at risk of "burnout" after working around the clock to move their courses online. A tweet on this subject sparked a flurry of responses offering advice and solutions to faculty overwhelmed by heavy workloads

Miranda Prynne

Campus

How Southampton University supported staff across all departments to design quality online courses

How to support staff across all departments to design quality online courses

The sudden shift to online forced university staff to rethink and redesign classes often with little experience or knowledge of remote teaching. Helen Carmichael and Bobbi Moore explain how the University of Southampton supported all faculties to ensure high-quality online courses

Helen Carmichael, Bobbi Moore

University of Southampton

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

How to design asynchronous online teaching to foster high levels of spontaneous student discussion

How I fostered multilingual student discussion in asynchronous online classes

Ioannis Gaitanidis explains how designed his asynchronous online teaching to foster the same level of spontaneous student discussion as his in-person classes

Ioannis Gaitanidis

Chiba University

Negotiated assessment boosts student engagement online and lowers the risk of cheating

Negotiated assessment in online teaching – the same learning outcomes measured in different ways

Authentic assessment is one of the biggest challenges associated with online teaching and learning. Here Katherine Baverstock explains why negotiated assessment engages remote students and lowers the risk of cheating

Katherine Baverstock

RMIT University

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 strategies for ensuring students remain actively engaged with their online courses

Steven Mintz

University of Texas at Austin

What has been learned so far in the rapid transition to digital teaching and learning?

Lessons from navigating the digital pivot

Having reopened for a new academic year, universities are looking ahead to how they can deliver the best possible online teaching for the longer term. Here, Robert MacIntosh highlights what has been learned so far in the rapid transition to digital teaching and learning

Robert MacIntosh

Heriot-Watt University

Illustration of a man sitting on an hourglass

How Duke Kunshan University transitioned to online learning in two weeks

Faced with the rapid spread of Covid-19 on its doorstep, Duke Kunshan University in China decided to move all its teaching online in just two weeks to finish the third term. Here, we look at how this was achieved and the lessons they learned

Kevin Guthrie, Catharine Bond Hill, Martin Kurzweil, Cindy Le

Ithaka S+R , Duke Kunshan University

Selecting tools to promote personalised teaching and to encourage more self-regulated learning online

How to use online tools to offer more personalised teaching

There is no one-size-fits-all model for effective online teaching. Rupert Ward offers advice on selecting tools to promote personalised teaching and to encourage more self-regulated learning online

Rupert Ward

University of Huddersfield

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