Developments in telecommunications have wide implications for education and schools today. It is known that telecommunications technologies improve access for people with disabilities, offer life-long learning, remove time and place constraints, and export education both nationally and internationally. What is unknown is how educators deliver education effectively through these new technologies. Isaacs feels that teachers and unions are afraid that new technology may come and take away the need

for their job, and thus conflict between the educator and the telecommunications provider exists. Yet it is very important that both work together to make sure that the curriculum determines the technology, not vise versa. Other issues for educators and school districts are security and privacy issues, controlling information access, determining who will pay for the access, and most importantly, educational content of that access.

On the university level, even more issues arise. Technologies free up the educational market. Will choices for universities and educational systems overwhelm the learner? And will the learner now be looking at the telecommunications technologies that diferrent university systems offer? As well as who=D5s paying the bill? In addition, if learners are sending assignments via telecommunications, do the professors feel comfortable grading such work?

Because of the many questions and issues on the subject, a case study of schools in Wollongong was done. Three high schools and the University of Wollongong were studied as they became involved in the world of telecommunications. What was discovered was that the teachers were very apprehensive (and even uninterested) in the project. Through many meetings it was decided that no matter how wonderful and user-friendly the technology was, it would not be used unless there was a specific need for it. So needs were assessed at each school. It was discovered that each school needed something different in order to accommodate their curriculum. Links between the high schools and the university were needed because, even though the schools were in close proximity to each other, in terms of communicating they were very far apart. Most importantly, the study taught everyone that teacher input was needed all along the developmental chain for adequate assessment of student needs.

Although this study is somewhat outdated because of the rapid development of telecommunications technology, it still shows that educators and technology providers must work together to make the link between the two effective. There is no doubt that telecommunications technology can benefit teachers and learners. Through telecommunications, students have much more access to information and thus learning. Yet this learning cannot take place if the technology is too overwhelming for both the student and the teacher. Schools must look at their curricula to assess their needs and then develop their telecommunications programs around it.