University course design and delivery

How to design in-person, hybrid and online courses that maximise student engagement, inclusion and learning. Here, you can find advice on instructional design including lesson planning, creation and organisation of educational materials and effective use of digital technologies; as well as teaching methods and styles to help you achieve specific learning outcomes.

By kiera.obrien, 21 January, 2026

Small shifts to nurture a design thinking mindset in university teaching

A scrunched-up piece of paper is fashioned into a lightbulb

Design thinking, with its focus on problem-solving in a structured way, can help ready students for the workplace – and doesn’t require a curriculum overhaul, writes Asrif Yusoff

Reading time

5minutes

By kiera.obrien, 20 January, 2026

Strategies to promote belonging from the first day of term – and beyond

Create a supportive learning environment for a sense of community among your students, by deploying strategies to lay the foundations and build on them

Reading time

4minutes

By kiera.obrien, 19 January, 2026

Why trauma-informed education could be a university’s smartest investment

Responding to struggling students with empathy and flexibility can benefit the whole campus. Here’s how to create a culture of compassion

Reading time

5minutes

By Laura.Duckett, 19 January, 2026

Guide students through four stages of cognitive development

A woman deep in thought sitting at a desk

Critical thinking does not develop automatically. Using William Perry’s model of cognitive development, Adeola A. Matthew shows how lecturers can help students progress from simplistic, dualistic thinking to more reflective and reasoned judgement

By Laura.Duckett, 16 January, 2026

Tips for running engaging tutorials

A group of students at a table looking at their screens

Practical strategies for turning tutorials into active, inclusive learning spaces, from designing hands-on activities and valuing student contributions to building rapport and providing effective feedback

Reading time

4minutes

By Eliza.Compton, 9 January, 2026

Using design sprints to reimagine university learning experiences

With a human-centred approach and the incentive of a short time frame, design sprints can bring multiple perspectives together to reimagine modules and curricula

Reading time

3minutes

By Eliza.Compton, 8 January, 2026

Effective support means meeting university students where they are

Meaningful student support starts in the classroom, the lab and the everyday relationships that faculty build with learners. Carrie Fearer shares practical strategies – from accessibility to co-creation

Reading time

4minutes

By kiera.obrien, 7 January, 2026

Entrustment-based supervision and assessment: a how-to guide

Two physiotheraphy students work with a patient

Implementing entrustable professional activities into assessment can help transit students to entry-level practice. Here’s how it was done in a physiotherapy course

Reading time

6minutes

By kiera.obrien, 6 January, 2026

Student support in the university classroom

Three students are supported by cupped hands in a classroom

Boost student success with advice on providing support that enables students flourish in their studies

By kiera.obrien, 6 January, 2026

Let’s teach students to see the fingerprints

Does humanities education still have value when machines can generate art at the touch of a button? Yes, if we reframe our thinking, writes Renia Lopez-Ozieblo

Reading time

4minutes

University course design and delivery