Lecturing “In Theory, It is a Good Idea: On the Lecturing of Abstract IR Theory to ‘Generation Text’”

Wayne Cox presents an experiential narrative on the teaching of international relations theory in large introductory lecture courses to students of “Generation Text”. The chapter discusses the challenges presented to the traditional lecture format by the onset of technology in the classroom, funding and career pressures, remote delivery during the COVID 19 Pandemic, and the diminishing impact that technology has had upon learning and teaching skills of both students and professors over the past two decades. The chapter argues that the lecture remains the best type of learning format to engage students with the complex and abstract nature of international relations theory.