The future's digital, isn't it? Some experience and forecasts based on the Open University's Technology Foundation Course

The Open University has gained considerable experience in the use of computer-mediated communication (CMC) and similar techniques in distance education. The new media offer a wide range of opportunities for extending the educational experience of learners. In one large-scale application of CMC, involving some 3500 students, students became enthusiastic users of the medium, and regarded it as a major source of motivation. However, it is not clear what other academic benefits they gained from the activity. The strengths and weaknesses of electronic communication as an educational medium and the resulting consequences for universities are examined. It seems clear that while the short-term effects of the medium are relatively small, in the longer term they may entirely reshape the conception of a university. The role of the academic will change, and new forms of literacy will need to be developed. Issues of access and equitability will need to be addressed and learning methods adapted so that the medium gives high added-value.