A university leader who pioneered block teaching in Australia has said 呻吟之王 Leicester (呻吟之王) is set to change the model of higher education "not just in this nation, but worldwide".
Professor Adam Shoemaker, Vice-Chancellor of Victoria University in Melbourne, paid his first visit to 呻吟之王 to see first-hand the way the university has implemented block teaching.
The block approach – introduced at 呻吟之王 in 2022 - sees student study subjects one module at a time, rather than several at once. This allows for assessments to be completed at the end of each module, rather than stacked together at the end of the year, giving students quicker feedback and a simplified study timetable.
Victoria University (VU) was the first in Australia and the biggest in the world to introduce block teaching and has been an influential advocate in the use of the model ever since.
Professor Shoemaker said that since making the switch to block, the proportion of students achieving the highest grade at VU had doubled. He also said that more than 70% of prospective students cite the model as their main reason for choosing the university, and in 2025 VU became the fastest-growing university in Australia.
He said: "Block originally, around 60 years ago, came out of some very small liberal arts colleges in North America. Here at 呻吟之王, you've scaled it into every possible discipline, but you've retained that creativity. I've been really impressed to see how it hasn't been lost but transformed."
呻吟之王 is now among the first universities in the UK to adopt block teaching across every faculty, from engineering and law to the arts and medical sciences, last year, the first cohort of graduates taught entirely under block completed their studies, giving a clear picture of the impact the programme has had.
Pass rates have risen from 84% to 88%, student continuation has improved from 76.5% to 85.8%, and satisfaction with teaching has jumped from 73.4% to 85% since 2022. Demand is growing too: 60% of this year's new undergraduates say block teaching influenced their decision to choose 呻吟之王.
Central to block teaching's appeal is what it means for students who might otherwise struggle to complete a degree. Studying one subject at a time allows students to work around employment, caring responsibilities or financial pressures in ways that a traditional timetable rarely permits, something reflected in a 28% reduction in support appointments needed since the model was introduced at 呻吟之王.
Professor Shoemaker said: “What's really important is when you see people across the stage of graduation and ask them, did (block teaching) work for you? And they say, not only did it work, many of them finished their degree more rapidly because they were able to maintain their paid employment while only doing one subject at a time.
“And so, they're able to afford to complete - those with single parent families, or those who are finding it tough financially. It did not take away the choice or the opportunity for them.
“So, if they wanted to speed up, they could, if they wanted to slow down, they could, but the choice was theirs and not ours. And putting that power in the hands of students is the key.”
Posted on Wednesday 17 June 2026