Key Findings

Good teaching:

• Good teachers are passionate (or enthusiastic); approachable; and both knowledgeable and able to communicate knowledge effectively.
• Passionate teachers speak in an animated way; relate content to personal stories and experiences; ask questions; proactively invite discussion; provide comprehensive written material; take time to consider new concepts from a range of angles; and use different examples to explain ideas.
• Approachable teachers proactively initiate communication; create opportunities for interaction regardless of class size; foster relationships; invite diverse viewpoints; treat students as equals; use student questions as a teaching tool; affirm students’ contributions; take the stance of both learner and teacher; and are explicit about preferred avenues for student contact.
• Effective communication includes providing constructive and explicit feedback; articulating realistic expectations; and providing clear explanations, access to materials that support students’ study, and guidance on how to learn.

Effective learning:

• Factors that lead to effective learning include actions that help students to: focus and actively participate in class; ‘go deeper’ in their learning; engage with and understand course content; work with others (e.g. discussing ideas and hearing others’ perspectives); recognise (and do) what “works for you”; see learning as a journey; recognise learning as “much more than marks”; and develop everyday practices that sustain and enable learning over time.

Key Recommendations

Recommendations for university teachers

Good teachers demonstrate enthusiasm for their subject area and for working with students | While not everyone is funny, animated, or entertaining in the way they teach, students find it easier to engage with teachers who seem to be personally invested in their subject area and in teaching. They notice when teachers seem happy and interested in their work!

Good teachers demonstrate approachability, or a willingness to engage with students | Small acts make a teacher seem approachable, even in very large classes. Examples include: introducing oneself to students, inviting and affirming teacher-student and student-student interaction during class, explaining how and when you can be contacted, and explicitly acknowledging and inviting diverse viewpoints.

Good teachers show competence and proficiency in their teaching | Students appreciate it when teachers have a ‘clear storyline’, link content to ‘real world’ experiences and examples, explain things clearly, provide a range of learning opportunities, and challenge students to explore ideas and see things in new ways. Good teachers can be seen as ‘translators’, who communicate effectively so that students understand and engage in learning.

Recommendations for university students

Effective learners recognise their role in the teaching-learning partnership and know what works for them | They prepare for and engage in class in ways that allow them to learn (for example, by reading course material and choosing to sit in a place that helps them stay focused). They also experiment with note-taking approaches to find what ‘works’ and feels comfortable, find and create study environments which allow them to both relax and focus, and actively seek out discussion and interaction as a strategic learning approach.

Effective learners focus on learning, rather than marks for their own sake | Effective learners conceptualise university study as a starting point, not an endpoint – as a ‘journey’ of discovery and exploration. Effective learners recognise the importance of time in the learning process. They understand that learning involves ‘sitting on’ information and ideas; and taking time to rest and to do things other than studying.

Effective learners remember where they have come from and where they are going | They keep their short- and long-term goals in mind; and stay connected to people who can encourage them in the learning journey, including family, friends, classmates and teachers.