Inspiring the next generation of teachers and learners

Contributing to society is a key driver for Cambridge University Press in the higher education teaching and learning space – as well as improving the teaching and learning experience and student outcomes.  

In response to changing needs, the Press’s offerings such as the Higher Education platform and courseware from Cambridge have been developed to meet customer demands, driven by extensive research to understand instructor and learner needs.   

Ben Denne, Director of Publishing for Academic, describes how the Press continues to invest in and develop teaching and learning tools and resources to further the University of Cambridge’s mission to contribute to society through the pursuit of education, learning and research at the highest international levels of excellence.  

He says: “We were keen to embrace lots of the high-quality things that textbook publishers do, such as online platforms, good digital ancillaries and courseware, but to make our products affordable and accessible. Obviously, there are plenty of other publishers out there with different models, but I don’t think anyone else is offering such flexibility and value with such a breadth of content.

“Our role is to support instructors to deliver better outcomes for learners, providing flexible tools to aid their teaching. Students in 2023 rightly expect to be able to access the materials they need for a course easily – this has not always been the case and is a clear example of the changing expectations of the market.” 

Driven by adaptability 

A new part of the Press's teaching and learning offering takes into account the flexibility and ease of use instructors look for in their course materials to engage today's students. Cambridge courseware - a digital course solution with built-in learner support - goes beyond a textbook with interactive content presented in small chunks to help students achieve learning objectives and build their understanding.

Chelsee Pengal, Senior Marketing Manager, explains: “Within a module there may be text to read, videos to watch, perhaps some graphing tools or matching activities, as well as formative assessments with multiple-choice questions, for example. The product supports the learner as they progress and responds to what they are doing at any given moment – so, if they are struggling with a specific concept, they will be prompted in different directions such as a video explainer, or another practice activity, to help close the knowledge gap.

"It also helps instructors embrace a ‘flipped learning’ model, whereby the students complete activities within the courseware so that much of the content acquirement and grasping of key objectives can be carried out before class. Using this structure, the educator has time to go into more depth and engage students in more collaborative activities – real, active learning instead of passively listening to a lecture.”

Whether institutions choose ready-made or custom-designed courseware, the focus is on improving student outcomes; differently prepared learners are supported to understand the key concepts and progress through the course, empowering them to succeed.

The question of insight 

The design and ongoing development of the suite of teaching and learning products has been driven and inspired by customer research with instructors, librarians, and learners. Insight and Brand Strategy Director Anne Brisby explains that the customer insight informs decisions both around the broad needs of teaching and learning, as well as around specific products. 

She says: “The needs of our customers – instructors, learners and the librarians who support them – drive all our product and service development. We use a variety of approaches to ensure that we understand customer needs, including panels, advisory boards, surveys, focus groups and in-depth interviews. Our insights range from understanding the fundamental changes happening in teaching and learning, to the specific needs in particular subjects.”

Ben concludes: “We publish extensively across a range of disciplines in the sciences, social sciences and humanities, and the breadth and depth of our resources spark curiosity and drive a deep engagement with learning.

"As a university press, we are in service to the community first and foremost, and I believe that our ethos and mission is reflected in our impact in teaching and learning."