Under this heading, perhaps one of the most important (and least practiced) forms of educational research is the "futures study." In some respects the scenario presented in the section called "A Look to the Future" is an example of a futures study. The need is for more rigorous futures research that may evaluate, in advance, the impact of potential changes in the workplace or in society that may be brought about by technological progress or other change.
These in turn should be evaluated in terms of two factors. The first factor is in terms of the direct impact of societal changes on education, that is, on the goals, the content, the delivery methods in the macro sense (for example, to what extent will the demand for distance education grow and in what sectors of the market?), and so on. Secondly, the study should investigate in what way new technological developments can offer solutions to some of education's current or anticipated future problems and challenges.