Professional insight from Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) is an international joint venture founded by Xi’an Jiaotong University in China and the University of Liverpool in the UK. As an independent Sino-foreign cooperative university, it captures the essence of both prestigious parent universities and is the first and only one of its kind approved by the Ministry of Education in China. The university offers about 90 degree programmes in science, engineering, business, finance, architecture, urban planning, language and culture, and all are taught in English, except for general and basic courses.

Xi'an Jiaotong Liverpool University campus

An image representing a faculty member calling for IT support on a technical problem

Developing a faculty-IT partnership for seamless teaching support

A simple way to ensure quicker and more transparent handling of technical hiccups that builds trust between teaching faculty and IT teams, explained by Xin Bi

Xin Bi

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Creating interactive online learning that keeps students engaged

Boosting student engagement in an online learning environment

Lack of student engagement creates challenges when language learning moves online. Yuyang Zhao explains how to create an interactive environment that helps mitigate some of the key issues

Yuyang Zhao

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Questions for educators to ask about students use of machine translation

Machine translation: the questions educators need to ask

Language translation software is an increasingly powerful and widely used tool, but how is it used by students learning in a second language, and what challenges does this present to their teachers? Andy McIntosh highlights some practical and ethical considerations

Andy McIntosh

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Advice on moving from printed to digital teaching materials to improve student engagement and sustainability

How using digital workbooks can increase student engagement and help institutions go green

How to move from printed to digital workbooks rich with interactive content such as audio, video and quizzes, to improve online learning outcomes while boosting sustainability

Yan Wei, Paul Tuck

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Advice on applying action learning to student surveys to improve teaching practices

Using action learning to improve interdisciplinary online teaching

A guide to using action learning – questioning knowledge to find solutions – to evaluate and improve teaching practices, based on research by Na Li, Qian Wang, Jiajun Liu and Victoria Marsick

Na Li, Qian Wang , Jiajun Liu, Victoria Marsick

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University , Columbia University

Advice on using music as a way to bring students together and rebuild a sense of community on campus

Play on: how to build community on campus through music

Nick Merwitzer explains why and how music projects can help build a sense of connection and belonging on campus and outlines the key considerations for supporting student ‘bands’

Nick Merwitzer

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Research backed advice on managing different national cultures to encourage engagement with learning technology

How does national culture affect the adoption of learning technology?

Na Li, Xiaojun Zhang and Maria Limniou offer tips to counter the hidden cultural and social factors that reduce acceptance of virtual learning environments, based on their research

Na Li, Xiaojun Zhang, Maria Limniou

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

A framework for guiding students in effective peer review to boost their learning outcomes

Guiding students to learn from each other through peer feedback

Sam Evans and David Collett share a framework to guide students in effective peer review to boost learning outcomes

Sam Evans, David Collett

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Lessons from testing gamification strategies in online teaching

Gamification in the classroom: what have we learned?

Shuhan Li and Olivia Sun share what they learned when testing out gamification strategies and technologies to tackle challenges presented by online learning

Shuhan Li , Olivia Sun

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Creative writing activities that help students develop their critical thinking skills

Creative writing to hone critical thinking

Parag Dandgey shares creative-writing activities designed to improve students’ critical-thinking skills by developing their understanding of multiple perspectives

Parag Dandgey

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Advice on teaching big classes by getting students doing rather than listening

Big-class energy: how to get large groups learning by doing, not just listening

Charlie Reis shares advice on successfully teaching large cohorts by getting students actively involved in learning activities rather than passively listening

Charlie Reis

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Advice gleaned from a survey of students about what is needed for effective online teaching

What can we learn from students about online education?

Yidan Qin shares some key lessons from a survey of students regarding what is needed to make online teaching effective

Yidan Qin

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Advice on how online review exercises can be used to improve student performance

Online review exercises to improve student performance in large courses

Online review exercises, used in combination with other learning activities, improve student engagement and learning performance in large online courses, Peng Cheng and Rui Ding explain

Peng Cheng, Rui Ding

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Advice on using stock footage in instructional videos for teaching

Upgrade your explainer videos with stock footage

Kelvin Ke Jinde offers a step-by-step guide to creating instructional videos to support your teaching with the help of stock footage

Kelvin Ke Jinde

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Engaging students in readings and microlectures

Turning a new page: information literacy goes online

Xiaowei Li and Lulu Wang explore how to take an on-campus institution such as a university library online to deliver hands-on information literacy skills to students around the world

Xiaowei Li, Lulu Wang

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Advice on developing effective HyFlex teaching for the longterm

Solving future problems today: Making HyFlex learning work for all

Trent Montgomery shares the key considerations for developing effective hybrid flexible teaching that will boost universities’ educational offering in the long term

Trent Montgomery

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Advice on setting up a global virtual exchange that enhances your students intercultural knowledge

Global virtual exchange: promoting international learning

Christopher Brighton presents a model of global virtual exchange that could be easily replicated at any institution to enhance its students’ intercultural knowledge and skills

Christopher Brighton

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Advice on using existing online resources to support your teaching

Making the most of online educational resources: a case study

Pascal Grange explains how online educational resources can be used to complement teaching and enhance students’ opportunities for learning

Pascal Grange

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Self directed learning is effective among Chinese students coming from a different educational and cultural context, research shows

Supporting self-directed learning across cultural boundaries

Academics from Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University draw on their research showing the Western teaching model based on ‘self-directed learning’ is effective among Chinese students coming from different educational and cultural contexts

Qian Wang , Chang Xiong, Jiajun Liu

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Advice on fostering collaboration among students more used to competing

How to foster collaboration among students trained to compete

Collaboration is a vital life skill but can be challenging after an education infused with competition at every step. Jie Zhang, Qing Ye and Steven Bateman explain how they overcome this when setting group work

Jie Zhang, Qing Ye, Steven Bateman

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Designing and delivering courses to meet students emotional needs

Supporting students’ emotional needs in distance learning

Yanfang Si shares simple online teaching methods to make students feel connected and supported and so help meet their emotional needs from a distance

Yanfang Si

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

How online education platforms can facilitate progress to address the sustainability development goals

How to ensure online education is a clear win for the SDGs

Online teaching offers many opportunities to drive education and awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals. Ellen Touchstone explains how

Ellen Touchstone

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Move marking online to reduce waste paper at your university

Greener assessment: transitioning to online marking

Universities should lead by example on sustainability issues, looking at what they can do to shrink their environmental impact. Here, Ling Xia and Yao Wu outline a project that could herald a major reduction in their institution’s paper consumption

Ling Angela Xia , Yao Wu

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Delivering blended learning for students on campus and overseas

Delivering blended learning to work for all students, everywhere

Blended learning enables universities to serve students on campus and overseas with a quality education but requires careful planning and delivery, as Eddy S Fang, Ewout van der Schaft and Patricia Pieterse explain

Eddy S Fang, Ewout van der Schaft, Patricia Pieterse

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Applying flexibility, inclusion and empathy to your hybrid teaching model for on-campus and overseas students

Guiding principles to support students on campus and overseas through hybrid teaching

Markus Davis explains how three guiding principles of flexibility, inclusion and empathy have helped shape a hybrid teaching model that serves both on-campus and overseas students effectively

Markus Davis

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

How to use digital communications to speed the spread of ideas and knowledge

Using digital technology to assist the spread of knowledge and ideas about the SDGs

Gisela Loehlein on how digital communications can assist in spreading knowledge and awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals, through virtual global events and building connections between experts and institutions all over the world

Gisela Loehlein

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

How use online teaching to enhance university's international education offering

Boosting international education and collaboration through online delivery

With its lack of physical boundaries, online teaching can be used to boost access to learning for international students, as Stuart Perrin explains

Stuart Perrin

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

How can faculty get the most out of their collaboration with educational technologists

How to enhance collaboration between faculty and digital teams

Educational technologist Roland Sherwood explains how faculty can get the most from their work with digital experts to enhance online teaching

Roland Sherwood, Tamara Kaup

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University