Abstract: Information and communication technologies (ICT) have become
commonplace entities in all aspects of life. Across the past twenty years the use of
ICT has fundamentally changed the practices and procedures of nearly all forms of
endeavour within business and governance. Within education, ICT has begun to have
a presence but the impact has not been as extensive as in other fields. Education is a
very socially oriented activity and quality education has traditionally been associated
with strong teachers having high degrees of personal contact with learners. The use
of ICT in education lends itself to more student-centred learning settings and often
this creates some tensions for some teachers and students. But with the world moving
rapidly into digital media and information, the role of ICT in education is becoming
more and more important and this importance will continue to grow and develop in
the 21st century. This paper highlights the various impacts of ICT on contemporary
higher education and explores potential future developments. The paper argues the
role of ICT in transforming teaching and learning and seeks to explore how this will
impact on the way programs will be offered and delivered in the universiti