-
Pitman taught via postcards mailed to students, who would mail back their work for grading. This established the importance of feedback in distance education. -
One of the first universities to offer degrees to students studying remotely. This program lead to credibility to distance learning. -
B.F. Skinner developed a teaching machine that aimed to teach students new material through a systematic, self-paced approach, rather than just test them. -
Donald Bitzer developed and operated PLATO (Programmed Logic for Automatic Teaching Operations,) the first successful computer-assisted instruction system. It featured discussion forums among other modern features. A direct ancestor of modern e-learning systems. -
Tim Berners-Lee created the core protocol for global information sharing, which is the necessary foundation for all web-based instruction. -
Organizations began uploading course materials to the web, allowing global, asynchronous access without needing physical media.
-
Provided the first enterprise-level, centralized platforms for course administration, content delivery, tracking, and communication. LMS such as: Blackboard, WebCT, eCollege
-
First professional use of the term at a conference, solidifying the new field of electronic learning. Introduced by Elliott Masie -
Martin Dougiamas, Creator of Moodle - Moodle offered an open-source, highly customizable LMS built on social constructionist pedagogy. -
Officially defined "blended learning" - the combination of "face-to-face instruction with computer-mediated instruction." This formalized structure to the concept of blended learning. -
MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) allowing thousands of learners worldwide to enroll in courses for free.
-
Forced a massive, rapid global shift and accelerated the adoption and refinement of blended and hybrid learning models by nearly all educational institutions.