Dewey, I agree with you here! The process of engaging students in
meaning-making is what it's all about, and that process is not
isomorphic with a given instructional format (e.g., lecture vs.
seminar). I wonder, however, if certain formats are more conducive
to this process than other formats--or can we really make no
such general statements? I've always felt that a seminar format
is more conducive to student engagement than a lecture format;
of course, engagement or nonengagement can occur in either setting,
but is it more likely to occur in a seminar than in a lecture--or
are all such attempts to generalize specious?
Robin