Perspectives on Instructional Communication's Historical Path to the Future

The field of communication education celebrates the centennial year of the National Communication Association. Many conceptual and theoretical advances have been made during these years, and assessing the history of instructional communication provides a clearer appreciation of the field's trajectory. We trace how the boundaries of instructional communication expanded to include theories and perspectives originating in other subdisciplines of the national organization. We also point to secular trends that may complicate and disrupt the prospects of the next-generation scholars. These trends are assessed, and recommendations are proposed for instructional research and theory development in the digital age.