History of Distance Education

  • Stenographic practices brought to US by Pitman Shorthand training program

    This training program used the USPS and self-taught secretaries to mail their exercises.
  • Correspondence University was established in Ithaca, NY

  • International Correspondence Schools (ICS)

    Provided instruction for women and early distance learning to the Colliery School of Mines-teach mine safety.
  • DE achieved academic recognition

    University of Chicago created first college-level distance learning program.
  • First educational radio license

    The was granted to the University of Salt Lake City, University of Wisconsin, and University of Minnesota.
  • Over 10% of all broadcast radio stations were owned by educational institutions which delivered educational programs.

    Radio paved the way for DE opportunities through TV technology
  • National Home Study Council was created.

    This was created to monitor and ensure quality control.
  • The Fair-Trade Practice Rules for Home Schools were developed.

    This was developed by the National Home Study Council.
  • Use of TV as a instructional medium

    University of Iowa broadcast courses by TV
  • FCC created the Instructional TV Fixed Service (ITFS).

    The ITFS is a band of 20 TV channels available to educational institutions at a low cost, fixed range, subscriber-based system capable of being utilized for the distribution of broadcast courses.
  • ITFS Licensing used for the first time at California State Univeristy

  • Articulated Instruction Media Project (AIM) was introduced.

    University of Wisconsin was funded by Carnegie Corporation to study AIM Project- This project was the first attempt to Identify, categorize, and systemize DL practices.
  • Public Broadcasting Act was established

    US boosted its commitment to DL with the creation of this act.
  • British Open University was introduced

    Today this University provides 21% of all higher education in England.
  • CPB negotiated with AT&T to interconnect 140 stations- Creating the first true national public TV system.

  • First fully televised college courses were created, licensed, and implemented.

  • The microprocessor was created.

    The microprocessors were created by Intel Corporation.
  • Germany was introduced in the mix of DL

  • First computer Bulletin Board System (BBS) was established

    The computer was the missing piece to the puzzle that would facilitate free flow if information from teacher to learner and introduce the recent missing interpersonal aspects of communication.
  • The first state educational satellite system Learn/Alaska was created.

  • National University Teleconferencing Network (NTU) introduced satellites to transmit programs to its 40 institutional members.

  • NTU offered online degree courses in both continuing and graduate courses using satellite transmission..

    These students were FT employees at corporations and labs throughout the US. The instructional needs of working professionals combined with technology to further the development of the DE business.
  • The information superhighway was born. World Wide Web provided a potential linkage for all the computers in the world.

    World Wide Web was developed by Tim Berner-Lee
  • Distance Learning Education Demonstration was established by the U.S. Department of Education

  • Handbook of Distance Education was written.

    This was written by Michael Grahame Moore and co-edited with Greg Kearsley
  • WebCT and Blackboard merged to become the leading provider of enterprise software applications and related services to the educational industry.