Abstract
In this article, Tony Bates, Professor of Educational Media Research at the United Kingdom Open University (UKOU), provides an overview of the new technologies likely to be widely available for distance teaching in Europe within the next 10 years. He also considers the decision‐making and organisational requirements necessary to ensure that technology is properly used, and looks at the implications of technological developments for European‐wide co‐operation and delivery of distance teaching materials. This paper was originally written in late 1987 for the European Association of Distance Teaching Universities (EADTU).