When the total number of microcomputers is calculated, there are 1,596,715 units, or an average of 19.8 units per school and an average microdensity of 25.4 students per microcomputer. In 1989 there were three times as many articles in the interactive video category as there were in 1988. This reflects growth in the production and use of all forms of laser discs. For Education, it is clear that interactive video is still in its infancy and not ready for wholesale adoption. However, only a small number of schools have videodisc systems, and it is likely that relatively few of these are being used interactively.
Distance education is prominent in the educational technology literature.
While the organization and management of distance education encompasses much more than delivery systems, it is the delivery systems that bring distance education into the realm of educational technology. It is possible that educational technology may be redefined by distance education. Like educational technology, distance education uses a full spectrum of media resources to deliver content, requires a management system that tracks each student, and has a major evaluation component with feedback mechanisms. Conferences frequently serve as a forum for the expression of these concerns, many of which are generated in academic settings. People within the field of educational technology are asking questions about consequences of their efforts on individuals who use the products and systems created by educational technology procedures.