What is needed to gain solid empirical insights into good teaching and learning in higher education?

Due to current political developments in the tertiary sector, there is a growing demand for empirical evidence about good teaching and learning in higher education. However, there are surprisingly few solid empirical findings. In this paper, we will discuss problems faced by research in higher education, which can be divided into six key areas: criteria, predictors, specifity, causality, samples, and measurement instruments. We will also explain what is needed to address these problems and thereby generate valid evidence (e.g., definitions of good teaching and learning at universities, well-established specific measurement instruments).