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The World Wide Web became mainstreamed with the dial-up modem, and the ramifications in the field of education had yet to be determined. -
E-Learning models were adopted by colleges and universities, and were utilized with students who were willing to try a distance education approach to higher education.
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*E-Learning gained popularity, resulting in the creation of platforms and standards.
*According to Weller (2018), platforms "could be easily set up to run e-learning programs; a more professional approach to the creation of e-learning" (p. 3).
*Instructional Management Systems (IMS) was the body that determined standards for e-learning, and the Shareable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) became the standard model used in the industry to regulate content used for e-learning. -
Open Educational Resources (OER's) was a concept spearheaded by MIT in 2002. Entire coursework and all learning materials were released on the internet, allowed to be used by others (free of charge), as a result of open licensing.
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Learning Management Systems were implemented and continue to stand as the central e-learning technology. Until this time, various sets of tools were used in e-learning settings; LMS was a collection of the most useful tools needed in an e-learning environment. -
YouTube revolutionized the ability to create and utilize video, and it made a significant contribution to the field of education. It was an easy medium for instructors to use in the explanation of learning concepts in Distance Education.
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In Distance Education, social media changed the way students interacted with academia and instructional institutions. It enabled global connections and interaction between disciplines in education through the medium of meaningful discussion. -
Both learners and educators had a variety of digital tools at their fingertips - the focus for learning changed from providing one LMS for all students, to supporting learners with their own personalized sets of tools and resources within a Personal Learning Environment.
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Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC's) and Open Textbooks gave online access of high quality educational material to millions of people.
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Weller, M. (2018, July 2.) 20 Years of EdTech. EDUCAUSE Review
53(4). In Wes, Richard (Eds.), Foundations of Learning and
Instructional Design Technology Historical Roots and Current
Trends (1st Ed) (Ch.8). EdTech Books. -
*Data privacy needs to be prioritized when so many forms of media are at our fingertips, if we are to maintain Distance Education as a major contributor to quality education.
*Educators need to take care that learning analytics do not become the focus of online learning over the actual students who are being taught.
