Powerful new technologies promise to transform education and training in ways previously unimaginable. Rapid advancements in educational technologies in the years ahead could enable new learning environments using simulations, visualizations, immersive environments, game playing, intelligent tutors and avatars, reusable building blocks of content, address distributed communities of learners, and many more.

There are many challenges in the process of educational innovation that must be addressed in order to take advantage of these technologies to improve learning. Advanced technologies developed to meet other purposes must be translated into affordable tools for learners to use. Technical standards must be deployed to help guide the development of educational content that will be drawn from countless sources throughout the world. The technology community has to form stronger partnerships with the educational community. The educational institutions need to prepare for rapid technological change.

In this framework, the symposium aims to bring together individuals and teams from a wide range of technology and education fields to look into the future and to share their visions as to what the learning experiences and educational technologies could be like. A rich collection of examples of futuristic scenarios and visions will be presented and discussed in detail. These will offer a glimpse of a future in which learners could explore worlds and cultures beyond their own, both in distance and time, as if they were there. And they will serve to remind us that we must strive to apply the power of technology in ways that empower people, enlighten the mind and enrich our lives.