Strong signs are indicating that higher education is finally on the verge of a long-awaited digital shift. Given that experts have been prophesying such a shift for more than forty years, with little if any real change, it's reasonable to approach such a statement with healthy skepticism. Various factors--some cultural, some technological--have indeed retarded progress along this path to the future. Nevertheless, the unprecedented challenges facing the educational system, combined with higher education's cultural success at solving daunting challenges through the widespread application of information technology, have created the conditions for rapid change. In the coming months, people will see major shifts in the role that technology plays in the creation, distribution, consumption, and improvement of learning experiences. How will people know that the digital shift has finally begun? In this article, the author discusses the four signs of change, what he calls "The Four Beyonds": (1) Beyond Textbooks; (2) Beyond Bookstores; (3) Beyond Learning Management Systems; and (4) Beyond School. Within five years, all four of these will be shattered. And when that happens, the world of education will never be the same. (Contains 10 notes.)