A survey of literature and information sources disclosed the overall trends for telecommunications technology in education. This report describes both hardware and software aspects of these trends. Hardware trends include microminiaturization, increased message transmission capacity, interactive information flow, more complex and complete information grids, faster and longer long distance communications, and multimedia use of technologies; while self paced instruction, the interdisciplinary approach, greater student involvement, increased stress on relevance, team teaching, and time flexibility are included under software trends. A number of telecommunications systems or devices provide the basis for the discussion of the trends: educational television, closed-circuit instructional television, instructional television fixed service, videotape recording, satellite, cable television, radio, telephony, and information networks. These systems are discussed and evaluated in terms of current developments, applications, and potentials for education, and a final section of the report projects future trends for each of the systems. (Author/SH)