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 have "gained traction" (Mangan 2016a). Trends project high school graduation and student composition figures by states and regions (WICHE 2016) and indicate a greater need to attract and retain students and faculty from diverse backgrounds. Instructors are encouraged to maintain high teaching evaluations to attract and retain students in undergraduate majors and to increase student learning. Faculty may shift to entry-level and large lecture courses so that they can develop a following that would assist in growing student major and retention numbers. The context within which lecture and student learning take place is complex and multilayered with short-term and far-reaching implications. Given these discussions about learning and higher education, this forum comes at an opportune time. Its essays provide a twofold opportunity for education researchers and instructors by offering different perspectives on lectures and learning, and by beginning a dialogue about Communication's unique contributions to the lecture and learning. [Other articles in this forum include: The Lecture's Absent Audience (EJ1132073); The Lost Art of Lecturing: Cultivating Student Listening and Notetaking (EJ1132054); Lecture and Active Learning as a Dialectical Tension (EJ1132004); What Is the Place of Lecture in Student Learning Today? (EJ1132078); Sage on the Stage or Bore at the Board? (EJ1132063); Sound Decision Making about the Lecture's Role in the College Classroom (EJ1132068); and The Lecture and the Learning Paradigm (EJ1132080).]