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First Newspaper
Newspapers predate Google, Social Media, Wikipedia and the advent of “open learning.” They were the first original free source of information to exist.
http://mitchellarchives.com/the-first-true-newspaper-in-history.htm -
Correspondence Education
Correspondence Education was conducted via the postal service and predates the modern formats of distance learning that many of us are accustomed to today. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/155816 -
The First Montessori School
Montessori schools create open learning environments for young children and were one of the first open learning models to exist in education. https://www.openlearning.com/mmi-institution/courses/montessori-philosophy/?cl=1 -
Sesame Street
Sesame Street uses research based and rigorously tested pedagogy to teach masses of children, especially those in underserved communities, the basics of education. The idea was to create a television show that could teach more than just a classroom full of students at the same time and in the past five decades Sesame Street has done just that, making it a precursor to the modern day MOOC.
https://www.sesameworkshop.org/who-we-are/our-history -
Community Based Learning
Community-Based Learning engaged students' prior knowledge and interests to expand their ability to learn new information and increase their interests in education.
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED490980.pdf -
Creation of Google
Google introduced the world to a new set of possibilities in education. It opened up classrooms and expanded distance learning to meet contemporary standards. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/13/technology/google-education-chromebooks-schools.html -
Invention of Social Media
Social media introduced educators to a new rapid way of sharing information and cultivating student interest. It provided an environment where information can flow freely between many people regardless of location. https://csic.georgetown.edu/magazine/social-media-reshaping-todays-education-system/ -
Launch of Wikipedia
Wikipedia is a platform that provides the general masses free information on any topic of interest to them. It is a collaborative venture that allows people to share information with very few limits. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13614568.2021.1900925 -
Open Resources
Open Resources allow scholars to access information from anywhere at any time at their convenience. It allows for Open Learning to occur by removing the access barrier many students face around obtaining class materials. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ejed.12019?saml_referrer -
MOOCs
MOOCs changed the course of history and distance learning. They created a way for students to have access to information normally cultivated for the classroom. https://www.mcgill.ca/maut/news-current-affairs/moocs/history