ABSTRACT
The concept of tele-education or tele-learning raises many issues that are inherent in the educational institution itself, its function in the society and the process of educational change. Educational institutions are perplexed by the struggle because their mission is to prepare citizens for economic, social and political participation. The demand for tele-education grows out of the need for educational institutions to provide the kind of experiences that enable people to develop the skills for participation in the “post-industrial” age. Since the mid-nineteenth century the economic, social and political assumptions of an industrialized society have dominated thinking about the meaning of progress and visions of the future in the developed world. Satellite projects in India, the Caribbean and Pacific countries have already demonstrated the potential of tele-education in providing educational services to peoples who are geographically isolated. The Office Of Technology Assessment’s Information Technology and Its Impact on American Education presents an optimistic view of the potential benefits of educational technology.
