Using new web technologies in teaching demography

Abstract

Most of higher education in demography is still based on traditional replication of top-down structures of lecture delivery in classrooms. Although transition to using Technology-Enhanced Learning (TEL) approaches can be beneficial for both students and teachers of demography, conservative attitudes and barriers exist that often prevent even initial efforts towards such a transition. This paper recommends a number of practices to start with in efforts to make this transition possible. Specifically, it provides recommendations on how to introduce new Web technologies in teaching demography at the university level, in order to increase students' motivation and interest. The recommendations exceed the boundaries of demography as the area of teaching, and can be extended to other non-technical disciplines as well. © Springer-Verlag 2010.