Distance Education Technologies

  • First correspondence course offered through written letter exchange

    Caleb Phillipps advertises first correspondence course in the Boston Gazette.
  • Shorthand taught by mail

    Sir Isaac Pitman, an English instructor mailed written postcards to students and students mailed back their assignments.
  • University of London becomes first university to offer distance learning degrees

  • First correspondence schools in the U.S.

  • Education is broadcast over radio

    Pennsylvania State College begins broadcasting course over the radio.
  • Education through television broadcast

    University of Houston offers college credit for TV courses.
  • Phone-based education

    Statewide phone-based education program for physicians developed by University of Wisconsin.
  • Open University in the U.K. becomes first to offer only distance learning through radio and TV

  • University of Phoenix first virtual college

  • WebCT is first LMS released

  • Blackboard LMS

  • MIT's Open Courseware project is available

  • YouTube founded

  • iTunesU offers downloadable lectures

  • First MOOC is created

  • Moodle releases

  • MOOCs are being offered by MIT, Udacity, and Harvard