How We Got Here: An Evolution of Distance Learning

By Twilson5015

  • Caleb Phillips

    Placed advertisement in the Boston Gazette for postal correspondence shorthand lessons. Never confirmed if any correspondence was sent in response to this advertisement. (Kentnor, 2015)

  • Sir Issac Pitman

    Confirmed teaching shorthand by postal mail. Progressive educator who is credited with first conceiving and implementing distance learning. (Dewey, 2017)

  • 1843

    Phonographic Correspondence Society Founded (Kentnor, 2015)

  • 1873

    Society to Encourage Studies at Home founded in Boston by Anna Eliot Ticknor (Kentnor, 2015)

  • 1873-1874

    Illinois Wesleyan College offered first degree 'in abstentia" (Kentnor, 2015)

  • 1874

    -Chautauqua Movement of 1870's
    -Lewis Miller and John Heyl Vincent herald the movement in NYS with a training program for Sunday school teachers during the summer.
    (Kentnor, 2015)

  • 1878

    John Heyl Vincent established the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle in Chautauqua, New York.

  • 1883

    -Chautauqua University formed offering extensive summer and correspondence courses.
    -University of Chicago used Chautauqua University model and opened correspondence model.
    (Kentnor, 2015)

  • 1906

    University of Wisconsin extension program was founded as a distance teaching unit.

  • 1915

    National University Extension Association 'formed in an effort to develop and advance ideals, methods, and standards in continuing education and university extensions" (Kentnor, 2015).

  • 1919

    WHA radio station formed. First federally licensed radio station dedicated to educational broadcasting. (Kentnor, 2015).

  • 1922

    73 other educational radio broadcasting stations created.

  • 1932-1937

    Television broadcasting for educational purposed utilized. (Kentnor, 2015)

  • 1966

    Over 600 FCC approved television stations were created for educational purposes. (Kentnor, 2015).

  • 1970's

    British Broadcasting Company began to set the template standard for American Broadcasting in education. (Kentnor, 2015)

  • 1980's

    Personal computers were integrated into corporations for training and program support. (Kentnor, 2015)

  • 1987

    United States Distance Learning Association was formed as "an international platform for both distance learning programs and distance learners themselves" (Dewey, 2017).

  • 1989

    University of Phoenix began using CompuServe; and electronic mail and correspondence system. (Kentnor, 2015)

  • 1991

    The World Wide Web was created by Sir Tim Berner-Lee. Allowing a new process of accessibility.

  • 1991-1992

    University of Phoenix created the first online educational program through the world wide web. (Kentnor, 2015)

  • 1992

    Alfred P. Sloan Foundation developed the ALN, the Asynchronous Learning Network to explore education alternatives for those unable to attend traditional classroom education programs. (Kentnor, 2015)

  • 1998

    Online programs rapidly increase in enrollment. Programs such as NYU created for profit programs in online education that were not as successful. The University of Phoenix enrollment increased dramatically during this year. (Kentnor, 2015)

  • 2011

    "65% of institutions reported that online learning was critical to the long-term strategic plan" (Kentnor, 2015, p 30). This statistic is critical as online programs are now a core part of education.