Firstly, university students need to develop skills needed for independent study and critical thinking. Secondly, university biology courses are increasingly being structured around an understanding of evolutionary biology, yet studies show students who have studied biology at school level often have a relatively poor grasp of evolutionary principles. By teaching evolutionary biology in an enquiry-led approach in schools, students can gain a better understanding of biology, and also develop a greater appreciation of science as a process of testing claims about the world. In this article I discuss my experiences teaching evolutionary biology to entry-level university students, and briefly describe some of the ways in which I used simple online learning activities to encourage active learning, engage independent study skills and foster critical thinking.