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1. Birth of Correspondence Education
Sir Isaac Pitman founded the first correspondence college in England, enabling distance learning via postal mail. Students learned independently with limited communication. -
2. Global Spread of Correspondence Learning
By late 1800s, correspondence education expanded to Germany, Canada, U.S., Japan, Australia, and USSR, supported by rural mail delivery. -
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3. Educational Radio Era Begins
Educational radio stations flourished; 200+ stations licensed. Ohio State's “School of the Air” launched in 1929. -
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5. Television in Education Takes Off
Purdue and others experimented in the 1930s–40s; Iowa State launched first educational TV station in 1950. In 1951, Western Reserve offered credit courses via TV. -
4. Radio-Based Learning Phases Out
Despite early promise, most educational radio initiatives ended by 1940. -
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6. Public TV for Education Grows
U.S. reserved 242 channels for educational TV, boosting televised college credit and learning programs. -
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7. Satellite and Cable Education
Distance learning used cable and satellite TV to reach learners in rural/remote areas. -
8. Rise of Computer-Mediated Learning
Introduction of computer-based instruction like PLATO system; laid the groundwork for digital learning. -
9. Two-Way Video Conferencing Begins
Real-time two-way interactive video systems enabled synchronous remote instruction. -
10. Internet Transforms Learning
Explosion of online learning driven by internet and World Wide Web growth. Email, LMS, and forums became standard. -
11. Western Governors University Founded
A pioneering fully online, competency-based university launched to serve working adults. -
12. Blackboard Revolutionizes LMS
Blackboard Inc. launched, creating scalable, structured digital classrooms for higher ed institutions. -
13. MIT Launches OpenCourseWare
MIT’s OCW project began offering free course materials globally, advancing open education. -
14. Rise of MOOCs
Coursera, edX, and Udacity popularize Massive Open Online Courses. 2012 marked the “Year of the MOOC.” -
15. Online Learning Goes Mainstream (COVID-19)
Due to the pandemic, schools worldwide shifted online. Platforms like Zoom, Google Classroom became essential. -
16. Micro-credentials and AI Integration
Platforms like NEA launched stackable credentials; AI tools now assist in content delivery and assessment.