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Radios for Learning
Radio in the 1920s sparked an entirely new wave of learning; on-air classes began popping up for any student within listening range. -
Videotapes
Videotapes arrived on the scene in 1951, creating a new and exciting method of instruction. -
Personal Computer
The first portable computer, in 1981, weighed 24 pounds and cost $1,795. When IBM introduced its first personal computer in 1981, the educational world knew that it was on the verge of greatness. Time magazine named The Computer its “Man of the Year” in 1982, and aptly so: the foundation of immediate learning capabilities had been laid. Time declared, “it is the end result of a technological revolution that has been in the making for four decades and is now, quite literally, hitting home.” -
PCs in Public High Schools
1986: Usage of PCs in high school hits 25%. -
WORLD WIDE WEB DEVELOPED
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Internet for distance learning
Since 1995, there has been a great increase in the use of the Internet to deliver instruction at a distance. As the demand for distance learning programs has grown, so has the recognition that in order to be effective, such programs cannot simply be on-line replicas of the instruction delivered in classrooms; instead such programs must be carefully designed in light of the instructional features that can, and cannot, be incorporated into Internet-based courses. -
Blackboard Created
Blackboard, a cloud-based learning platform. -
eLearning Crafted Guidelines
In 1999, SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model) was established. This provided a set of specifications and standards for how eLearning was to be crafted. -
Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT)
One major shift in K-12 education was the launch of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Law by President Bush in 2001. A program called Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) was launched after NCLB by the U.S. Department of Education. The program “assists schools by providing grants for technology resources to support both teacher training and student programs”. According to U.S. Department of Education, there was approximately $3.4 billion designated to EETT in fiscal year 2002 through 2008. -
97% of classrooms had one or more computers
The first Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) were released by Apple Computer Inc. in 1993, and with that, computers were a part of every day, if not every moment. By 2009, 97% of classrooms had one or more computers and 93% of classroom computers had Internet access. For every 5 students, there was one computer. Instructors stated that 40% of students used computers often in their educational methods, in addition to interactive whiteboards and digital cameras. -
FIRST MASSIVE ONLINE OPEN COURSE
In 2008, Downes and Siemens collaborated on the course Connectivism and Connective Knowledge through the University of Manitoba. The course was designed to use principles of connectivism to allow students to learn about connectivism, through making connections with other students, selecting which content to engage with, and creating their own content to share. Approximately 2,200 students signed up. -
Canvas Created
Launched in 2011, Canvas is currently used by over 800 learning institutions. -
1:1 Device Programs
Chromebook in 2011 changed everything in 1:1 computing. iPads were first introduced in the classroom in 2010 while Chromebooks hit classrooms in 2012. By 2014, Chromebook sales had surpassed iPad sales. -
Introduction to Artificial Intelligence coursework online
In 2011, Sebastian Thrun and Peter Norvig at Stanford University, put their Introduction to Artificial Intelligence coursework online. Over 120,000 people signed up. The massive international interest sparked the creation of for profit companies. Khan Academy and edX are two examples today. -
Students/Educators - Chromebooks
By 2019, 30 million students and educators used Chromebooks with 60% of the market share in North America alone.