The Future of Teaching Undergraduate Agricultural Economics: Lifelong Learning in an Era of Rapid Technological Change

• Main Author: Andrew P. Barkley
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Western Agricultural Economics Association 2001-07-01
• Series: Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics
• Subjects: agricultural economics; extension; teaching; undergraduate education
• Online Access: https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/31154

The need for institutions of higher education to teach students of all ages how to think, synthesize ideas, and assimilate new information has become crucial in the information age. Analytical ability is increasingly important, not only for traditional university clientele of young adult residential learners, but also for productive individuals throughout their lives. Agricultural economics teachers must invest in the acquisition of new skills and knowledge, including a willingness to change traditional teaching structures and institutions, to take full advantage of the huge opportunities and challenges of the massive changes in technology and the economy. This paper considers how well teaching programs in agricultural economics enhance student learning.