Technology without a doubt is the catalyst for the rise of distance education. However, technology should not drive the content nor should it be the sole factor in determining success. Bandwidth is major concern for distant learning hosts. Bandwidth is the amount of information being transferred from the host institution to the student's computer. In some areas, even though a 56K modem is being used only 28K, which is roughly a page of text, a medium sized image, or a few frames of video, is being transferred (Downes, 2001). In the future, bandwidth will be essentially unlimited. Downes (2001) believes that there are already projects in place that uses a network of LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellites that allows for better data compression technology, such as ADSL. Computers will no longer be function based. The trend sees the courses being started up on the computer first followed automatically by the applications that are essential to the course (Downes, 2001).

We have seen computers over time decrease in price. These less expensive machines have also increased in power and storage capacity. The introduction of tablet PC's, desktop laptops, and PAD's will allow for better accessibility. These devices are a shrunken version of a laptop, but with more power. It is light, portable, and packed behind a high resolution LCD screen that you can write on with a specialized stylus. Handwriting and speech recognition software could be added to convert notes to electronic text allowing for people with disabilities to access this type of learning. According to PC World (2002), the future specifications for desktop computers in the year 2004 look something like this:

• 4 - 5 GHZ microprocessor with 512 MB of RAM
• 300 to 400 GB hard disk
• re-writeable DVD
• 3D graphics with 128 MB of video RAM
• 18 to 21 inch flat panel LCD screen capable of 1600X1200 resolution
• USB 2.0 and IEEE 1394 ports
• Window OS
• 802.11b wireless network
• price: $1,500 to $2,000

That was the prediction in 2002. What will your computer and its peripherals look in the future?

Other technologies that are hot include IPv6, which is the latest Internet protocol. Microsoft explains it best when they say, "IPv6 is designed to solve many of the problems of the current version of IP (known as IPv4) with regard to address depletion, security, auto-configuration, extensibility, and more. Its use will also expand the capabilities of the Internet to enable a variety of valuable and exciting scenarios" (Microsoft, 2002). Another important technology that involves copyright is digital object identifiers (DOI) (DOI, 2002). This technology labels and tracks intellectual property online. Distance learning is becoming more of a "broker market" where people developing the material might not necessarily be teaching the content. With this in mind, copyright and legal issues will be on the rise. A DOI can apply to any form of intellectual property in any digital environment. On digital networks, all intellectual property is simply a string of bits. DOIs have been called "the bar code for intellectual property": like the physical bar code, they are enabling tools for use all through the supply chain to add value and save cost (DOI, 2002). A DOI is different from an URL (Uniform Resource Locator), a numerical label used to refer to World Wide Web material because "it identifies an object as a first-class entity, not simply the place where the object is located" (DOI, 2002).
As distance education moves to a more collaborative framework, interactivity will be key to web based learning. Interactivity is cited as one of the most important elements of successful online learning (Burnett, 2001). The collaborative learning framework allows the students to be involved in the learning process and brings with it a new sense of group dynamics. The technology that will bring this all together will be video compression or real time communication. Video compression technology will eliminate the loneliness and the miscommunication that frequently occurs in asynchronous communication. It will offer the need for immediate feedback and develop a strong sense of community.

Modularity or learning in chunks will also be a factor in how distance education is delivered. Online courses will no longer be seen as a single unit, but rather, a collection of component parts, each of which may be replaced or upgraded as the need arises (Downes, 1998). This in effect will allow students to customize their courses to their individual needs and get credit for it. What was once a linear, static collection of text-driven content can be transformed into a well organize, dynamic, and engaging learning experience (Heins, 2002). Traditional education has always followed the linear format where students learn the curriculum in a structured way. It is not flexible to students who can absorb the material faster. Furthermore, it is not flexible to students who want to learn other materials, which meet government guidelines, but is not what other students are learning at that particular time.

The concept of learning objects, which is becoming widely popular among distance education hosts, is a concept where material "objects" can be modified and reused for a particular individual or course. This allows developers and users to leverage databases, Internet, and other digital technologies to prepare learning content in small chunks that can be used alone or dynamically assembled to provide "just enough" or "just in time" learning (Heins, 2002). With this component approach in place, distant learning can be customized and individualized. This distributed design gives learning more meaning and empowers students to pick and choose, just like a menu, on what they want to learn and how they want to be evaluated. This allows for greater accountability, as the methods in which they learn and are evaluated are personal choices rather than fixed tasks.

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