Creating new distance learning environments from contemporary technologies

Over the last decade, rapid technological change and increasing rates of adoption of those new technologies in the community have resulted in widespread acceptance in domestic and commercial applications. Regrettably, such developments have effected little impact within the domain of education and in particular, distance education (DE). We attempt to explore the hitherto unexploited potential of these new technologies in the educational realm and specifically their application to distance education. The authors argue that these technologies could address the inequities that currently differentiate the learning experiences of the on-campus from the off-campus student. Currently available technologies appropriate for enhancing the learning process of the distance education student are discussed as well as possible applications as yet undeveloped in the education sector.