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Chautauqua Correspondence College
Founded in 1881, authorized by New York in 1883 to offer collegiate instruction by correspondence, awarding diplomas and degrees. -
University of Chicago Extension Department
Establishment of Extension Department under William Rainey Harper, initiating formal university distance education inspired by Chautauqua. -
First University Distance Degree Program - Madison, Wisconsin
Harper and Richard Moulton organized the first adult, university-level distance education degree program. -
United States Armed Forces Institute (USAFI)
Provided correspondence courses to military personnel during and after WW2, offering over 200 courses and serving 7 million members. -
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Open University in United Kingdom
A revolutionary model for distance education that democratized learning opportunities, paving the way for worldwide adoption of open learning. -
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Corporate Videoconferencing Boom
Fortune 500 companies like IBM, Kodak, and Federal Express implemented large-scale videoconferencing networks to deliver employee training. -
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First American Symposium on Research in Distance Education
U.S. leaders convened to review and discuss the state of distance education research, setting the foundation for a new wave of studies. -
Electronic University Network
One of the first computer-based distance education systems, offering courses designed at multiple universities with accreditation by Thomas Edison College. -
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Web-Based Education
Universities such as Penn State began offering online degree programs, with over 80% of public universities adoption web-based courses by end of the decade. -
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Emergence of Virtual Universities
Virtual universities like Jones International University and the University of Phoenix Online became popular, catering to working professionals and offering flexible online programs.