The Evolution of Online Schooling
What humble beginnings begot the massive explosion of online schooling? Let’s take a look.
1930’s – Radio education was tried, but unsuccessful
1940’s – Military successfully uses TV education during WWII
1950 – Henry Ford begins long-term support of distance learning, starting with televised educational
programs
1960 – University of Illinois developed PLATO (Programmed Logic for Automatic Teaching Operations)
and uses linked computer terminals for remote lectures
1969 – Internet founded, opening the door to more online learning
1971 - Ivan Illich writes Deschooling Society, describing a computer-based education network
1982 – University of Wisconsin begins offering “distance education” classes | CALC (Computer Assisted
Learning Center) founded in New Hampshire, opens door to adult learning online
1984 – CSILE (Computer-Supported Intentional Learning Environments) developed, allowing for
collaborative learning online
1989 – University of Phoenix becomes first online correspondence school
1992 - CAPA (Computer Assisted Personalized Approach) introduced, ushering in international
online learning
1993 – Jones International University becomes first fully accredited online college
1994 – MOOC (Massive open online courses) hit the scene with Open University’s Virtual Summer School
1995 –University of Illinois develops Mallard, a web-based course management system allowing
flexibility for graduate students to serve as online professors
1996 – Duke starts Global Executive MBA program, combining online learning with on-campus classes in
Europe, Asia, and Latin America
1997 – California Virtual University opens offering 1,500 online courses | Blackboard founded, allowing for a more personalized online learning experience
1999 – U.S. Department of Education establishes the Distance Learning Education Demonstration
Program, allows financial aid distributions for distance learners
2000 –First online law school opens: Concord University School of Law
2001 – Moodle introduced: this open-source software enabled educators to create better online
learning websites
2003 – Coalition for Christian Colleges and Universities’ GlobalNet accommodates 1 million online
Learners
2004 – Sakai initiated a Collaboration and Learning Environment (CLE), initiating a collaborative online learning environment
2010 – Online education revolution begins | Top colleges offer some free online courses
2011 – Nearly 1/3 of all college students enrolled in at least one online class
2012 - Harvard Open Courses are opened to the public, offering online classes to mimic real Harvard classrooms
Today – Over 6 million students enrolled in online classes | Twice as many students earn online degrees
as traditional degrees
References:
http://techcrunch.com/2012/08/09/online-education-degrees-now-dwarf-traditional-universities/
http://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Online_Learning_History
http://seacstudentweb.org/a-history-of-online-learning.php
http://innovativelearning.com/online_learning/timeline.html
http://www.bakersguide.com/articles/127-distance-education-timeline
