Dear Commons Community,

Educational Researcher, a journal published by the Association of Education Research (AERA) has a featured article entitled, “The Lecture as a Transmedial Pedagogical Form:  A Historical Analysis” by Norm Firesen.  Dr. Friesen makes the point that  the lecture has been much maligned as a pedagogical form, yet it persists and even flourishes today in the form of the podcast, the TED talk, and the “smart” lecture hall.  He questions “the sage on the stage” criticism in favor of a “the guide on the side” format made popular by online learning proponents. He further poses that the lecture as a pedagogical genre, is “a site where differences between media are negotiated”.  His  examination shows the lecture as bridging oral communication with writing and newer media technologies, rather than as being superseded by newer electronic and digital forms. He concludes that the lecture is a remarkably adaptable and robust genre that combines textual record and ephemeral event, and that is capable of addressing a range of different demands and circumstances, both practical and epistemological.   The full article is available at: http://edr.sagepub.com/content/40/3/95.abstract but a paid subscription is required.

Tony