Timeline & Evolution of Distance Learning in the U.S.

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Click to view the   family tree of distance learning

 

Agrarian era (19th century-circa 1930): One can trace the evolution of distance learning in the United States from the late 19th century, where based on our society’s egalitarian approach to education, had its early beginnings in correspondence courses [Note: Correspondence courses originated much earlier in Europe]. This timeline traces the genealogy of instructional media by depicting its early origins over 120 years ago to the application of modern communication media to meet today’s demands. By 1930, correspondence courses were offered by 39 universities.  

Industrialization era (late 1920's - early 1970):   As the country grew and evolved from an agrarian society to an industrialized nation, the demand for education increased significantly. With the ensuing emergence of radio and TV, the education community quickly realized the potential of these new media and adopted them to distribute education programs to reach a geographically dispersed workforce.   As the demand for access to higher education increased, the education community looked to the emerging technology-based media market as alternative methods to distribute education to a growing workforce. As the technology evolved, more instructional delivery tools emerged to support the deployment of distance learning solutions.

Digital era (1970+): As the nation entered the digital world, the education and training communities began to focus on harnessing the power of the computer . With its ability support individualized instruction and high levels of interaction wrapped in a media rich learning environment, computer assisted instruction (CAI) and computer-based training (CBT) soon arrived on the distance learning landscape. As the computer become more ubiquitous, combined with the development of the Internet and World Wide Web, the next generation of   distance learning appeared. Learning communities quickly realized the potential of this powerful new technology and adopted it as another delivery tool. As bandwidth continued to increase and instructional authoring software and collaborative tools became more powerful, a new generation of the computer-mediated instruction arrived, and online learning experienced rapid growth.

Beyond 2008--the new millenium: Change is inevitable, and tomorrow will bring newer and better technologies, accompanied by a new set of challenges, but the goal is the same as it was first applied 120 years ago: Provide increased access to learning opportunities through distance learning.

e-learning 2.0 emerges as a new term in the distance learning lexicon

John Chambers, CEO Cisco, speaking to the PC industry, states "e-learning will make e- mail look like a rounding error."

The term "e-learning arrives' appears on the landscape

First virtual K-12 "Cyber School" launched in Eugene, OR

1st online, accredited university launched (Jones Int'l Univ)

Los Alamos National Lab organizes 1st Nat'l conference on distance learning

US Dept. of Education creates Star Schools Program. The American Journal of Distance Education founded at Pennsylvania State University

USDLA founded

National Technological University founded

National University Teleconferencing Network (NUTN) created

British Open University founded

PBS is created and launches educational TV

Iowa State launches first educational TV program

1st educational radio license issued to Latter Day Saint's University

International Correspondence School launched in Pennsylvania

University of Chicago launches correspondence school

Chautauqua Correspondence Institute founded in NY

Establishment of first correspondence school in Europe