1892- The University of Chicago offered the first university courses by mail
1920- Radio was emerging
1921- Educational Radio License was issued to Latter Day Saints University
1920-1940- 200 Radio Broadcasting Stations at schools
1930- Correspondence courses were offered at 39 colleges
1930s- Television was emerging
1934- State University of Iowa televised a course broadcast
1950- Iowa State launched first educational television program
1964- PBS was created and education television began its successful journey
1971-/first emails were sent - cable and satellite television
Main reasons behind growth - access, efficiency, stability, cost and technology
1960-1980
In the 1970’s, a California task force was formed to develop and define profitable and educational telecourses. Not long after, a new institution, Coastline Community College, was formed to handle the filming and development of distance education videos that were broadcast to other colleges, libraries and public television channels throughout the country. These courses had to cover entire curricula and conform to the same academic standards applied to traditional schools. In 1976, Coastline had almost 20,000 students. It was the first entirely virtual college.
Computers were also used for distance learning. COURSEWRITER, an online distance learning system, was developed as early as the 60’s by IBM. The system could be customized to deliver a variety of different types of classes, and it was used in 17 different courses—including cardiology training—at the University of Alberta from 1968 to 1980.
Online education was being developed as early as the 1970’s, using very primitive forms of computer networking. The technology improved throughout the 1980’s, and online education began to be popular among companies and government institutions for in-house training of employees. But online education didn’t reach a popular audience until the 1990’s, along with the Internet itself.
1990's
In 1994, CALCampus was developed by a small offline distance learning institution based in New Hampshire, which began offering a completely online school delivering instruction, administration and materials entirely via the Internet. The courses were delivered via virtual classroom instruction, where students and teachers interacted in real time.
Also at the same time Open University, a distance learning institution funded by the British government, began offering a “virtual summer school” where students could take a Cognitive Psychology course online. Students at home could participate in forum discussions, email instructors, receive and hand in assignments entirely online.
1996
The first fully accredited, fully online institution was Jones International University. It was launched in 1996. Today, there are hundreds of online universities based in the United States, many with regional accreditation, and many more throughout the world.
Today
Millions of students today achieve certification, personal enrichment, and advanced degrees through education programs delivered entirely online. Today’s technology allows for many different methods of delivery, from online chat and advanced email services to video and conferencing media allowing real-time instruction. Starting as early as the 1800’s with correspondence courses teaching shorthand and other topics, distance education has evolved to cover multiple subjects from medicine to engineering and art. Along with the Internet, online education has continued to evolve—and is likely to serve an increasingly important role in education around the world.
YouTube video on Distance EducationDiscusses the effectiveness of instructional technology and distance education.
Distance learning began during the agrarian era in the mid-1800s. Disatnce learning grew through the radio and television. In 1970, distance learning began to be integrated with the use of computer. (http://www.brighthub.com/education/online-learning/articles/24126.aspx)
Timeline:
1892- The University of Chicago offered the first university courses by mail
1920- Radio was emerging
1921- Educational Radio License was issued to Latter Day Saints University
1920-1940- 200 Radio Broadcasting Stations at schools
1930- Correspondence courses were offered at 39 colleges
1930s- Television was emerging
1934- State University of Iowa televised a course broadcast
1950- Iowa State launched first educational television program
1964- PBS was created and education television began its successful journey
1971-/first emails were sent - cable and satellite television
Main reasons behind growth - access, efficiency, stability, cost and technology
1960-1980
In the 1970’s, a California task force was formed to develop and define profitable and educational telecourses. Not long after, a new institution, Coastline Community College, was formed to handle the filming and development of distance education videos that were broadcast to other colleges, libraries and public television channels throughout the country. These courses had to cover entire curricula and conform to the same academic standards applied to traditional schools. In 1976, Coastline had almost 20,000 students. It was the first entirely virtual college.Computers were also used for distance learning. COURSEWRITER, an online distance learning system, was developed as early as the 60’s by IBM. The system could be customized to deliver a variety of different types of classes, and it was used in 17 different courses—including cardiology training—at the University of Alberta from 1968 to 1980.
Online education was being developed as early as the 1970’s, using very primitive forms of computer networking. The technology improved throughout the 1980’s, and online education began to be popular among companies and government institutions for in-house training of employees. But online education didn’t reach a popular audience until the 1990’s, along with the Internet itself.
1990's
In 1994, CALCampus was developed by a small offline distance learning institution based in New Hampshire, which began offering a completely online school delivering instruction, administration and materials entirely via the Internet. The courses were delivered via virtual classroom instruction, where students and teachers interacted in real time.Also at the same time Open University, a distance learning institution funded by the British government, began offering a “virtual summer school” where students could take a Cognitive Psychology course online. Students at home could participate in forum discussions, email instructors, receive and hand in assignments entirely online.
1996
The first fully accredited, fully online institution was Jones International University. It was launched in 1996. Today, there are hundreds of online universities based in the United States, many with regional accreditation, and many more throughout the world.Today
Millions of students today achieve certification, personal enrichment, and advanced degrees through education programs delivered entirely online. Today’s technology allows for many different methods of delivery, from online chat and advanced email services to video and conferencing media allowing real-time instruction. Starting as early as the 1800’s with correspondence courses teaching shorthand and other topics, distance education has evolved to cover multiple subjects from medicine to engineering and art. Along with the Internet, online education has continued to evolve—and is likely to serve an increasingly important role in education around the world.From http://www.distance-education.org/Articles/The-History-of-Distance-Education-113.html