Videotex in Tertiary Education: The Missing Links.

Overview & Synopsis

This paper briefly reviews the changing circumstances of Australian tertiary education, describes 10 areas of potential and current Australian activities in videotex, and explains how the lack of popular access to a public videotex system like Viatel, together with the lack of a coordinating body equivalent to the British Council for Educational Technology and Prestel Education, have retarded the growth of videotex in Australian education. The term "tertiary" is used to cover the 19 universities in Australia, the Colleges of Advanced Education, and the Technical and Further Education Colleges. The transitional state of Australian tertiary institutions is discussed in terms of curriculum redesign, staff and student development, educational applications, and management structure. A review and comparison of the British and Australian educational systems includes the British government's policy toward microcomputers in schools; its move into continuing education programs and the development of Prestel education; and Australia's lack of a videotex supporting environment on tertiary campuses. Several philosophical and practical solutions to the problem are proposed. (DJR)