A digest about how higher education can use new telecommunications technologies, especially to reach students in off-campus settings, is presented. Ten issues of volume 4 of the newsletter "TELESCAN" include information on legislation and trends in the applications of technology-based instruction in postsecondary education. Also included are abstracts and annotated bibliographies of periodical articles, books, and programs which are organized under the technology they address: audio, video, or computer technologies, or combined technologies. Specific categories include: radio, telephone, teleconferencing, broadcast television, cable television, videotex, teletext, satellites, videodisc, videotape, computers, and interactive video. Specific contents cover: awards grants by National Public Radio; 24-hour educational programming provided by Cable 4; an interactive video consortium; current trends in satellite teleconferencing; educational associations' greater focus on telecommunications; a 1985 distance learning conference with representatives from 13 countries; electronic text services; Instructional Television Fixed Service; new distribution systems for telecommunications, including low power television, FM radio, and cable television; and resources in educational telecommunications. (SW)