The University is in the business of granting degrees. Course work for degrees involves leadership from an expert who does or interprets research and development, distills and presents the resulting information to students, with quality assurance provided by the degree granting institution. Economics dictate that each instructor service a suitably large number of students. ADS technology is in such a stage of infancy that it will not impact our field for years to come. All information, instruction, training, questions, and answers become readily available to anyone, anywhere and at any time through some Alternative Delivery System based on telecommunications.
Students demand to earn course credit by challenge testing out of massive numbers of courses.
University funding agencies adopt a funding plan in which either full funding or increased funding will depend upon the ability of the University to increase either the quality of instruction or the availability of the instruction to a wider range of geographically disperse students. A consortium of world-class universities around the world cooperate to develop and share ADS courses and deliver them around the world for approved credit. World energy prices and economics take on a massive restructuring and it is determined that University education no longer delivers value for money. Governments either run out of money or cease their covert practice of funding research by subsidizing classroom instruction. Governments adopt a free market, competitive policy stance toward education.