The educational benefit of the traditional didactic lecture to learners in Higher Education is hotly debated. Given increasing student numbers, existing technical set ups and many logistical concerns, lectures remain the norm in many Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). In this personal view piece, we discuss the benefits, opportunities, and…

Lecture remains a valuable tool in the student learning toolbox--one that at its best helps students unpack what they read for class, place course material in context, and see how a subject matter expert solves problems. It may be useful to think of lecture and active learning as a dialectical tension satisfied by the interactive lecture. Just as…

According to the "Oxford English Dictionary" ("OED"), the noun "lecture" dates from the 14th century and means the "action of reading, perusal. Also, that which is read or perused." This definition, while accurate and resonates today in many college classrooms, ignores a key feature of any lecture. The…

Resulting from the collaboration between five practicing professionals and an LIS faculty member, this article illuminates the experiences of librarians and archivists who engage with LIS students on a continuous basis as guest speakers in LIS classrooms. The phenomenological approach helps to elicit first-hand accounts that encapsulate…

As this forum's call for papers notes, lecture represents one of the more "controversial forms of instructional communication," yet remains a predominant instructional method in academia. Ironically, instructors face increasing pressure to abandon lecture at a time when these classes are popular and students readily enroll in lecture…

This brief forum article reviews texts on lectures and reveals that not much has changed on this topic. What has happened over the years is that lectures have often been maligned and alternatives that promote student engagement, active learning, and experiential learning have been promoted as the (only) way to reach today's students. The use of…

The essays in this forum demonstrate how the shift from an instructional to a learning paradigm is in full motion and is happening in scholarly conversations about communication and instruction. When asked about the role of the lecture in today's educational context, responses varied from some form of "none at all" to "the lecture…

College instructors use lecture and its current counterpoint--active learning--widely and often rely on both strategies, but the question of which best promotes student learning has become a debate that ignores the fact that learning can result from both. Students still listen to and learn from lectures. They pass exams, obtain degrees, and…

This response discusses why the essays in this forum are of particular interest for instructors in light of recent articles in "The Chronicle of Higher Education" and trends in student populations and higher education. "The Chronicle" recently featured several articles on innovative ways to "shake up the lecture" that…

This column shares reflections or thoughtful opinions on issues of broad interest to the community. This month's issue discusses the value of traditional lecturing.

Many medical schools offer pre-professional programs to undergraduate students. The main purpose of the university pre-professional program (UPPP) is to equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills required to successfully cope with the academic demands of further education provided by professional colleges. The aim of this commentary…

The author of this brief forum article argues that it is time to encourage faculty members to rethink student learning: encourage the scholarship of teaching and expose faculty to key research articles about student learning. Then, building on this knowledge, the academy needs to offer assistance to faculty in designing student-centered…

The author was invited to write this opinion piece following a presentation at the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) conference on Methods in Education Chemistry Research related to translating creative teaching ideas and innovations into chemistry education research outputs. With a keen interest in learning and teaching and a solid training in…