I recently asked the higher education network on my LinkedIn and in groups as well for some advice and tips on how to create a positive learning environment for students to succeed. 

I received lots of comments and messages with actionable tips, so much so, that I thought I had to group them together to share them an article for others to learn from. Thank you to all of you who share your words of wisdom below! 


Please note: all quotes from higher education professionals that were shared with me below via LinkedIn are their own thoughts and not in anyway indicative of their employer.

Listen to student needs and give them a voice

The comments on the LinkedIn discussion emphasized the importance of attentively considering students’ needs, interests, and aspirations. It's vital to actively engage with their thoughts and provide them with the opportunity to express themselves. This includes involving them in decisions about the overall learning experience at universities and colleges, the learning content, ensuring equity within the classroom, and fostering an inclusive environment. Let's take a look at what the experts said. 

University of College London

Tom Langston, Lecturer

“As Kyle Dewalt mentions, having their voice heard and considered in the conversation helps promote "buy-in" to the process.

How many times have companies "consulted" the staff to implement what they were always going to do, often then alienating those staff, who proactively look for other work, or change?

If we do that to students, they will drop out. They will leave. We have to be considerate to the ever changing job market and cost-of-living factors that also influence how and when they learn. Again, the best way to do that is through conversations. We may not have the ability to change our official time-tabled hours, but we can use them differently to support student needs.”

University of North Dakota

Madison Torgeson, IT Project Manager

“As someone that doesn’t work directly with students but works with those that do, I’d have to say my best tip is to always remember you’re teaching the students, not yourself. As technology advances and methodologies change it’s important to always remember who your teaching. All students will have different learning modalities and while teach a group of students with a singular approach might be easiest for you, it’s a detriment to some students. Being able to identify the needs of students and evolve your teaching styles and materials to benefit all learning modalities is so important in the success of students being able to comprehend the information they’re taught.”

Cal Poly Humboldt 

Kimberly Vincent-Layton, Education Developer/Designer

“Intentionally getting to know your students so that you can best support them 😊.”

Midlands Technical College

Kyle Dewalt, Instructional Designer

“From my perspective, students thrive and succeed when their voices are heard and valued. It's not enough for us to just acknowledge their input; rather, we need to take action by incorporating their feedback and providing 'voice and choice' opportunities such as Socratic seminars or project menus, which foster ownership and deeper engagement. The same goes for us as professionals. We feel more invested when we take an active role contributing our viewpoints and have a level of ownership. The sense of belonging goes a long way, and when students feel valued and empowered, they ultimately succeed!.”
 

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Make learning an adventure!

 

The insights from the LinkedIn conversation also showed the need to infuse education with the thrill of an adventure and utilizing storytelling. Engaging students means framing learning as a series of intriguing stories and real-world challenges that prompt critical thinking. By making each lesson part of an exciting quest, education becomes not only enjoyable but also deeply effective. When students embark on this interactive learning journey, they are more likely to be motivated and invested in their learning, leading to success that feels as natural as the adventure itself. Let's take a look at what the experts had to say on this themselves.
 

University of Chichester


 

James Wilson, Senior Lecturer

  

“A favourite from my teaching toolkit involves transforming stories into interactive scenarios where healthcare students face a tough ethical dilemmas. Using Vevox I ask, “What would you do?” “How does this make you feel?” and this sparks powerful debates, deep reflection and informed action. It reminded me of Brené Brown’s inspiring words: “Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.”

Kal Tire

 

Prabhjot Kaur, Learning Experience Designer
 

“My Top Tip is: Make Learning Feel Like an Adventure! The best learning experiences don’t just give answers they spark curiosity! Create an environment where learners explore, experiment, and discover rather than just memorize. Use stories, challenges, and real-world connections to keep them engaged and excited to learn. When learning feels like an adventure, success follows naturally! In my experience, this approach has boosted morale and achievements by making learners active participants in their own learning journey rather than passive recipients of information.”

California Virtual Campus


 

Marina Aminy, Associate Vice Chancellor

“I love these suggestions around making learning an adventure, but I would also call for balancing the newness with a healthy dose of predictability and clarity. Don’t let the adventure be so big that students are lost as to what is expected, what is due, and where to find expectations, clear deadlines, and course requirements. Most teachers will agree that routines and clear expectations generally lead to less choreography, chaos, and confusion.”

 

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Be human, transparent and build relationships

The comments on the LinkedIn discussion emphasized the importance of attentively considering students’ needs, interests, and aspirations. It's vital to actively engage with their thoughts and provide them with the opportunity to express themselves. This includes involving them in decisions about the overall learning experience at universities and colleges, the learning content, ensuring equity within the classroom, and fostering an inclusive environment. Let's take a look at what the experts said.

Southampton Solent University
 

 

Sabrina Vieth, Head of Learning and Teaching 

 

“Be kind to yourself and your students, set clear boundaries, learn from mistakes and, most importantly, enjoy the experience!”

Bowen Innovation Group LLC & Goucher College


José Antonio Bown, Principal and Former President

“Build trust; relationships first.”
 

Higher Education Research and Development (HERDSA) 

Marie F, Chair of HERDSA & Former Senior Academic Developer

 

“empathetic collaboration.”
 

University Canada West

Shahrzad Parvaresh, Learning Strategist

 

“Put 'care' at the core of teaching.”
 

American University of Armenia

Brent Anders, Professor

 

“Although I champion the importance of developing faculty and students' AI Literacy, the key to developing a thriving learning environment is to ensure the human aspect of the educational experience. Develop a community of inquiry by maximizing cognitive presence, social presence, and teaching presence. Together we can achieve so much more by being approachable, civil, and engaging with one another in our learning journey.”

University of Saskatchewan

Jerome Cranston, Vice-Provost of Students & Learning 

 

“Show up for students. You can’t mail it in ‘cause they know it when you do. You’ve got care deeply about them as leaners; what truly engages them or disengages them? What kind of learning approaches motivate them to want to know more and/or what destroys their souls?”
 

North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University

 

Assistant Vice Provost Distance Education & Extended Learning, Tonya Amankwatia

 

“Empathy and representation are essentials. Use design thinking to create psychologically safe spaces where learners recognize they belong. People tend to engage when they sense: “I care and you count. This curation of wisdom and insights from your crowd will help many. Thanks for posting.”
 

Core Education 

Susan Poglinco, Senior Vice President

 

“Creating opportunities for students to develop both a sense of belonging in academic domains and in non-academic pursuits. Would also recommend that Career Services find ways to engage with students in some of those non-academic pursuits as fertile ground to capture the attention of a sector of students who might not be frequent users of Career Services.”

 

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Your own growth and faciltation skills

Higher education experts emphasize the critical role of personal growth in teaching. As a professor, expanding your skillset is essential. Being fully present in the classroom, engaging with students without ego, and genuinely caring for their success are fundamental. Continuous self-improvement and reflection on teaching methods can greatly enhance the educational experience, demonstrating a commitment to not only impart knowledge but also to foster a supportive and dynamic learning environment where every student feels valued. Here are some of the tips that were sent in to me below around this theme. 

University of Hertfordshire

 

Sylwia Holmes, Head of Department 

“That may sound a bit strange but one of the most important things I noticed in over 30 years of working in education is: Leave your ego at home, it's not about you. Teaching is a service, one needs to give themselves up to lift others. That's particularly important in HE where fragile egos do a lot of damage.”

Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) 

Andrea Grainger, Instructional Designer

“My top tip is to accept opportunities to learn whenever possible, including mentoring and shadowing, participating in employee resource groups and leveraging free training, such as industry webinars. In my experience, the mentorship and support of my colleagues has been invaluable for accelerating my own professional growth and development, making me more effective in my role and my contributions to learners.”

Online Learning Consortium 

Jennifer Mathes, Chief Executive Officer

“My top tip is to be present. Just like in a traditional classroom, in online learning, your learners want to know that you are in the classroom too. They can't interact with you like f2f classrooms, so you can establish your presence by starting the class with a welcome video, add in weekly announcements (or videos), respond in a timely manner and give them valuable feedback.”

Aberystwyth University

Bruce Wight, Lecturer in Business Management 

“Be "Unhinged" - take what may be a boring mundane concept and use any ounce of "Unhingedness" to bring it to life (e.g. Sam the Skibidi Seal and the unforseen impacts of climate change). Asked for a prompt, that being the seal then turned it into a dramatic monologue.”

Pinellas Technical College

Dr Nerina Stepanovsky, Emegerncy Services Instructor

“Model the way.”

The use of interactive technology to make classes inclusive

Higher education experts highlighted the transformative impact of interactive technology in leveling the academic playing field. By incorporating innovative tools into the classroom, educators can create an inclusive space where all students have equal access to learning. This approach ensures that content is not only engaging but also accessible to everyone, thereby catering to diverse learning styles and abilities. Interactive tech has the power to bridge gaps, making education a more equitable and immersive experience for every learner. See what the pros had to say on this below. 

University of Central Lancanshire

Jane Fitzgerald, Senior Lecturer

“My top tip is to use Vevox in ways that make the students think, not just respond (though just responding for an icebreaker is ok)...... give them choices, not closed questions, and give them the time to think about it, and then use the outcome for discussion rather than just an output...... thank goodness Vevox enables that really well in all sorts of ways! And isn't it exactly that which makes the difference for students? Engaging students in active thinking and learning means they are learning at a much deeper level and helps to embed that learning in their psyche...... the ability to think critically is essential for future success!”

South East Technological University 

Emmett Cullinane, Learning Designer

“Give learners a "way in, instead of a way out". Use tools like Vevox to give learners an easy way into the session/class Lovely slogan Emmett - what does that mean in practice???? Glad you asked... And it looks something like this.....

Brandeis University 

John McCormick, Associate Director of Learning Design

Skills for Care

 

Nick Black, National LMS Lead

 

“I don't currently work in Higher Ed, but when I did I must say my top tips to lecturers and staff that I was assisting with Learning Design were.

1. Manage expectations - be clear with students from day 1 what you expect them to do.

2. Engage yourself - you can't setup fancy interactive and collaborative content such as discussion boards and then expect the students to post on there while you ignore their comments and posts.

3. Believe in the tech - don't go into courses with a negative attitude in front of your students. Even if you find the tech difficult to use you should always be positive about it to your students.

4. Think about the end user - it's about how they are going to access it, not how you want it to look

5. Learning about accessibility. It doesn't take much.

• Font (size and typeface and limit the amount of words on slides)
• Colours (avoid low contrast)
• Captions (provide them for video content)
• Format (use accessible documents such as PDF)”

The future of higher education 

The discussion with higher education experts highlighted five pivotal themes: understanding student needs, giving everyone an equal voice, interactive learning, fostering human connections, and educator growth. As we move forward, it is clear that the collective wisdom of educators, learning designers, administrators, and policymakers will be instrumental in shaping the future of higher education.

Thank you to all contributors for offering their invaluable insights, enriching our dialogue, and reinforcing the collaborative effort to enhance learning for students everywhere. Please do continue to add to discussions where you can. You can find me creating discussions and collating tips over on LinkedIn here.