Included in this thorough overview of the probable future developments in videodisc technology and its role as an educational medium are (1) a review of current educational technology literature on videodiscs, which summarizes a U.S. Navy Delphi Study of videodisc technology use through 1986, discusses a National Institute of Education (NIE) study on learning and teaching, and outlines various other studies on microcomputers and videodiscs and their likely impacts on educational practices; (2) descriptions of the characteristics and capabilities of the major contemporary videodisc systems, in particular the Matushita JVC Videodisc System, the RCA SelectaVision System, the MCA-Philips-Magnavision System, and the MCA-Pioneer DiscoVision Industrial/Educational Player; and (3) technical accounts of such future technological prospects as the emergence of videodisc erase and re-record capability and the rapid increase of microcomputer information storage and retrieval capability. A 23-item reference list, a 108-item educational technology bibliography, and a 58-item engineering technology bibliography accompany the text. (JL)