Integrated Services Digital Networks: How it Can Be Used for Distance Education

Integrated Services Digital Networks (ISDN) is an emerging telecommunications technology that will affect how distance education is designed, developed, and presented. Combined with integrated desktop workstations, it will put voice, text, and video telecommunications at the fingertips of educators and learners. Appropriate use of ISDN for distance education and training depends on the development of a conceptual scheme to integrate models from several closely related areas such as integrated information systems, educational broadcasting, computer assisted instruction, and distance education. In a project funded by Northern Telecom Inc., faculty and students of the Department of Educational Technology at San Diego State University are presently involved in evaluating an integrated telecommunications system and developing an integrated model of distance education.