In this month's Vision article, Philip Clark tells readers about "The Future That is Already Here." The author looks at technology developments and population demographics and their possible implications on the future of education. Clark asserts that widely-heralded changes in higher education have already occurred. "The debate should no longer be about the possibility of change?the future of higher education is already in place," he argues. "Instead, the debate should focus on how to harness, where possible, the driving forces behind this change."

Mike Sosteric discusses academic alternatives to traditional publishing in this month's Commentary. The International Consortium for Alternative Academic Publication (ICAAP) is an organization designed to flex academic IT muscle in order to provide a publication forum other than cumbersome print media. The Consortium studies and implements concepts in programming, database management, and information distribution so that access to academic resources may become less costly and proprietary.

In this month's Case Study, readers travel to Wake Forest University for a look at the implementation of the "Plan for the Class of 2000." Ross Griffith examines the school's attempt to promote academic excellence by lowering the student-faculty ratio, increasing student funding for research and study abroad, and distributing IBM laptop computers to all faculty and entering freshmen.

In the Virtual Universities section, Scott G. Rosevear offers eight suggestions on how to successfully start a VU. "No virtual university can hope to succeed without answering some basic questions," Rosevear warns. Within his article are answers based upon his examination of the political, technological, and economic struggles of a state-sponsored virtual university.

In the April Critical Reading section, Gary Brown and Mary Wack survey three articles that trace the development of technology tools as they have begun to transform not only education, but also the workplace, our notions of space and time, and even the way the brain processes and structures information.

April's Faculty and Staff Development section, by Bobby Hobgood and David Walbert, acquaints readers with the Learners' and Educators' Assistance and Resource Network of North Carolina (LEARN NC). Designed to be an "electronic performance support system," the network currently provides Web-based resources such as lesson plans, curriculum information, and discussion forums to all educators, but particularly to those teaching grades K-12.

The Corporation for Research and Educational Networking (CREN) is an impressive resource for IT-conscious educators and other tech-savvy professionals. Participate in virtual seminars with experts and top innovators in IT. Or check the site's archives for the latest information about subjects such as Web security, distance learning, and education networks.

Glenn Ralston protests the popular press' frequent use of anecdotal argumentation in discussions of educational technology. He praises the TS Critical Reading section and other forums that may be used to refute the growing misrepresentations of the value of technology in education.

Eric Flescher replies to Steven Stahl's March Commentary article, "Bringing Old Ideas to New Times: Learning Theories of Kurt Lewin Applied to Distance Education." Flescher proposes a multifaceted approach to integrating technology and expresses hope that this approach will eliminate the educational process he calls "regurgitation station."

Editor James L. Morrison regrettably informs readers of the death of editorial board member Thomas Creed.