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The first recorded reference to ‘correspondence courses’ was introduced by Caleb Philipps, whose advertisement in the Boston Gazette promoted a private course to those willing to learn through weekly mailed lessons (lsbf.org.uk, 2019). -
Jagiellonian University in Kraków opened in 1776 the correspondence courses program designed to teach crafts to workers (courses.dcs.wisc.edu, 2019).
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The University of Warsaw ran a correspondence course in physics for the general public (courses.dcs.wisc.edu, 2019).
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Widely regarded as the father of distance learning, Sir Isaac Pitman offered his shorthand correspondence courses in the 1840s - over a century later. Pitman Shorthand is still used today, and the success of this course was helped by two great innovations – the introduction of uniform postal rates, and his utilization of feedback: he corrected, and returned their work - a first (lsbf.org.uk, 2019)! -
The University of London delivered degrees through its External Programme. Distance learning took off. Credited as instrumental to the formation of British Higher Education, external learning schemes were widely copied, and allowed students in other Commonwealth countries to study for less. Enrolment increased steadily over the years (lsbf.org.uk, 2019).
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Boston became the site of the first United States correspondence school that opened in 1873. Funded by Anna Eliot Ticknor, a pioneer of distance education in our country, the school was called the Boston Society to Encourage Studies at Home and offered higher education (exclusively) to women (courses.dcs.wisc.edu, 2019).
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In the United States, the Chautauqua Correspondence College was founded (courses.dcs.wisc.edu, 2019).
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Chautauqua Correspondence College was authorized to grant diplomas and degrees (courses.dcs.wisc.edu, 2019).
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Colliery Engineer School of Mines (currently called the ICS Learn, International Correspondence Schools), established in Scranton (PA) in 1889 targeted primarily men, focusing on technical and practical education (courses.dcs.wisc.edu, 2019).
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William Rainey Harper, the founder of Chautauqua Correspondence College, established a similar program at the University of Chicago, where he became the president in 1891 (courses.dcs.wisc.edu, 2019).
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The University of Wisconsin coined the term ‘distance education’ in 1892 (lsbf.org.uk, 2019).
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Several countries incorporated widespread distance learning initiatives. Australia, South Africa, and several US states created supportive curriculums, designed to fit the needs of their widespread and rural communities (lsbf.org.uk, 2019).
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The University of Wisconsin started sending out phonographs in 1906 to listen to recorded lessons (lsbf.org.uk, 2019).
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Ohio State University professor Sidney Pressey designed the very first electronic learning device, the “Automatic Teacher”. The device was designed to replace standardized testing through an automatic machine. Due to a lack of interest and investment, the device failed to reach the masses (e-student.org, 2019). -
The University of Iowa televised instructional content as early as 1934, and other institutions followed suit. Their innovative inclusion paved the way for later advancements. This allowed learners in distant places to study simultaneously; materials could be mailed, and students would tune in to the ‘master teacher’ at given times. This was the first medium that enabled teaching en masse and inspired a series of broadcasters, from the BBC to NBC (lsbf.org.uk, 2019).
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The US Army created educational programs for personnel serving abroad during WWII and after, and The Ford Foundation offered grants to create televised educational materials (lsbf.org.uk, 2019).
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Harvard University psychologist B. F. Skinner created the “Teaching Machine”. Skinner’s type of learning machine, called the GLIDER, differed from Pressey’s machine in that it aimed to instruct students rather than just test them. The device saw moderate success (e-student.org, 2019). -
Professor Don Bitzer from the University of Illinois created the first computer-based education tool, called the PLATO (Programmed Logic for Automatic Teaching Operations). PLATO was used to deliver computer-based education to improve student literacy. However, the device quickly outgrew its strictly educational purpose and became a cornerstone in modern multi-user computing. PLATO is the direct ancestor of modern E-Learning systems such as Blackboard and WebCT (e-student.org, 2019). -
The telephone also played a key role; telephone-based instructional courses for physicians were introduced by The University of Wisconsin, and phones are still an essential component in providing student support (lsbf.org.uk, 2019).
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Patrick Suppes of Stanford University pioneered CMI (computer-managed instruction) with IBM 1500 hardware. He tutored elementary school children with individual CMI sessions in mathematics to supplement teacher instruction. Suppes argued that the greatest value of computers in education is individualized instruction and the supported dialogue (e-student.org, 2019).
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Founded by Harold Wilson’s Labour government in 1969, this was the first institution dedicated exclusively to providing distance learning, and vastly altered UK higher education. Learning materials were delivered primarily through television and radio broadcasts and resonated with post-experience adults who had not previously considered their education (lsbf.org.uk, 2019).
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ARPANET, the technical foundation of the Internet, was created by interconnecting four university computers. The original purpose of ARPANET was educational, with the intent of sharing resources among scientific users at connected institutions. Today it is widely regarded as the originator of the modern Internet (e-student.org, 2019).
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In 1977, the Apple II personal computer is released, with Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak highlighting education as the primary intended application for the new hardware. Apple II featured color graphics and sounds, which was highly impressive for the time, and which made the devices particularly appealing to the young demographic (e-student.org, 2019). . -
In 1979, Apple partnered with Bell & Howell and established the Apple Education Foundation. The foundation donated computers to students and awarded grants to those who developed software for educational purposes (e-student.org, 2019).
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The Electronic University Network (EUN), an online educational network, is launched by the former president of Atari, Ron Gordon. It was established to help universities and colleges start utilizing online courses (e-student.org, 2019).
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The first online programs launched in 1985, and the inception of virtual universities hosted online soon followed, beginning with the Open University of Catalonia (lsbf.org.uk, 2019).
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By 1986, 25% of high schools are already using personal computers for college and career guidance (e-student.org, 2019).
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British scientist Tim Berners-Lee invents the World Wide Web (WWW). The WWW’s original purpose was information-sharing between academic institutions around the world (e-student.org, 2019).
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In 1994, the first accredited completely online high school, CompuHigh, was established. It serves U.S. nationals and international English-speaking students from grades 9 through 12 (e-student.org, 2019).
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Online enrolment increased, and many private and public institutions offered programs at all levels up to the first online doctorate (lsbf.org.uk, 2019).
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The very first fully accredited online university, Jones International University, opened its doors in 1999. It offered students online courses and diplomas in business and education until the year 2015, when it was officially closed (e-student.org, 2019).
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The term “e-learning” was first used in the professional context by Elliott Masie during the TechLearn conference at Disneyworld (e-student.org, 2019).
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A US figure concluded 41% of home-schooled students used distance learning (lsbf.org.uk, 2019).
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The dot-com era term ‘eLearning’ came to represent computer and internet-based education, and another term - Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) - defines free and accessible international online education, first offered by MIT (lsbf.org.uk, 2019).
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A 2017 figure placed the number of online distance learning students in the US at over six million. The number of countries and organizations promoting online education grows constantly (lsbf.org.uk, 2019).