I've chosen to focus on higher education in the year 2020 and what changes I see taking place as a result of technology.  I will not pretend to even begin to know what will really transpire in the way of technology in the next thirty years.  Based upon the past 50 years and the exponential explosion of technology that has taken place it is hard for me to really imagine what will be the cutting edge or even the everyday in the year 2020.  As for the impact that I believe technology and the availability of information will have on higher education as we know it, I see our American universities remaining a significant cultural institution.  The technology that will evolve over the next few years will not be able to replace higher education as an institution.  I believe that it will supplement current tools used in education such as text books, video and audio equipment.  I see paper becoming more and more obsolete.  The cost of posting material on the web for students and others to use as educational resources is infinitely more economical than mandating the purchase of text books either by the students themselves or the institutions in which they are used.  Paper for "handouts", exams and written assignments will also be used less and less when people can transfer the information without the clutter and debris of paper.  That makes me wonder about the debris on the web or even in a computer system.  As you have stated the assignments from as far back as 1994 are still around from this class.  At what point does this begin to present a problem?  Where does all of this paper less "trash" go?  How long do things stay active and available?  Indefinitely?  If there were to be some overseeing body at every teaching institution that decides what stays versus what gets "thrown away" as you have suggested in class how would that governing body be determined?  How would the presence of such an entity affect student moral?

Much like the paper debris, computers and the free flow of information between them will continue to minimize traditional expenses as we know them.  The Chemistry lab here on campus has had virtual experiments for years.  This eliminates the risk of novice students using active chemicals plus the cost of the chemicals and materials needed to conduct experiments.  These simple and basic lessons can be learned through virtual experiments, but the true spirit of experimentation and discovery cannot be found in a virtual replication of an experiment.  Universities and other institutions for higher learning are where this research, development and discovery take place and this I do not believe will be replaced by telecommuting to a virtual campus.  The funding for higher levels of experimentation and discovery in all fields is significant and will continue to require management which I believe will still primarily take place on the  campuses of universities.  This facet of higher education will not be replaced by the availability of information to mass peoples through technology.  Other aspects of universities that I don't believe will be eliminated by technology are the "social integration and rites of passage" dicussed in the Come the Millennium, Where the University? article presented in class.  This tradition of campuses providing opportunities to "cross bridges" cannot be replaced by technology.  Students will continue to gather together to learn more than just professional training or to receive a degree for a better job.  The development of our culture is dependent on people continuing to have the opportunity to interact with a wide variety of different people.  While this can be accomplished through technology with geography presenting less barriers than ever before in communication, the face to face interaction will still need to be nurtured and the university will still be the institution to provide this opportunity.

Those students who are strictly interested in receiving professional training or a degree for a better job (or who have been directed by their employer to do so) are the people I believe will most benefit from technology and the changes it will bring about in higher education.  The availability of information will help people who aren't what we would consider "typical" college students attain their goals.  Classes can already be taken anytime and anyplace by students who have the technology and are willing to spend the effort.  I believe that it will become the role of employers and community colleges to take advantage of the technologies and provide enhanced opportunities for more people within their communities.  If employers were to provide the facilities for telelearning or even structured in house programming for their employees it would benefit all those involved.  The access to vast amounts of information increases the scope of what can be provided at a minimal cost.  Instead of having to invest in instructors or even specialized software, the initial investment in hardware will provide almost limitless information.  Encouraging employees to take a telecourse on specific work related skills or even basic skills such as languages will again benefit both employer and employee.  The traditional community college I believe will also play a similar role in that the investment in technology by them that is made available to the community as a whole will provide educational opportunities to the less traditional students.

Basically, I see the technology continuing to enhance education to a certain level.  Many of the vocational and basic educational opportunities will become more available due to technology and the increased availability of information.  I do believe that this is only applicable to a certain degree.  There will continue to come a point where an individual will have to experience learning first hand to truly further his or her education.  I also firmly believe that universities as a resource for research and development will continue to flourish as technology does the same.