A philosophical overview of the place of technology in higher education and especially in teaching is presented. Research can be viewed as the acquisition of knowledge; teaching as its transmission; and service as its application. Technology affects the transmission of knowledge in both the teaching process and the content of teaching. The computer permits scientists to share work with one another through networking and enables research teams to span institutions. However, networking among a highly select group of collaborators narrows the community with access to the latest research. The impact of computer technology on instruction and testing in the humanities will remain limited. Except for introductory language instruction, the humanities disciplines do not easily lend themselves to sequential instruction or to true-false and multiple-choice examinations. However, word processing software will renew the importance of writing and editing in the humanities by eliminating the laborious side of rewriting and allowing the teacher to provide substantial editing aid. Additional topics that are addressed include: Francis Bacon's views on power acquired through knowledge, medical ethics and technology, and the influence of the printing press and television on the teaching process and the humanities. (SW)