J ILL THOMPSON

A Brief History of Distance Learning

What is Distance Learning?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6dHK2cXatM&feature=player_detailpage

distance learningnoun education in which students receive instruction over the Internet, from a video, etc., instead of going to school. (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/distance+learning)

What is Distance Learning?

These may be the modern definitions and views of distance learning, but let’s take a look at the history of distance learning and how it evolved to have a more concrete understanding of this concept.

Distance learning was established when?

Many people think that distance learning is a relatively new concept, but the word’s first distance learning course was established in 1728 in Boston.

Short hand was taught via weekly lessons that were sent by mail and advertised in the Boston Gazette.

The early days of distance education

• The first distance learning class was established consisting of weekly lessons by mail

1728

• Shorthand was taught by correspondence in Great Britain

1840• The

International Correspondence School was founded and reached over 1 million students in less than 20 years. 1891

The emergence of technology

• Penn State received an educational license from the FCC and officially offers courses through the radio.

1922

• University of Houston is one of the first colleges to offer televised courses

1953 •University of Wisconsin offered the first state wide telephone based education program

1965

The rise of the Internet

• The Internet is founded

1969

• The Open University in Great Britain is established with a mission of open access.

1972 •Coastline Community College

is founded as the first “virtual college” without a physical campus

1976

Online education

• The Computer Assisted Learning Center (CALC) is founded

1982

• Nova Southeastern University establishes a Graduate School of Computer and Information Sciences, the first online graduate degree offered through online courses

1985 •The University of Phoenix online campus is established as the first public university to offer online degrees

1989

Online education explodes

• Western Governor’s University is founded to maximize distance learning resources

1995

• Educational tools are unveiled including Blackboard and eCollege

1999 •81% of colleges offer at least one online class

2003

Distance Learning will never be the same

• YouTube is created

2005

• Kahn Academy offering free video tutorials is launched

2006 •The amount of students taking at least one online course reaches 5.5 million

2009

Benefits of Distance Learning

Flexibility. Students can work wherever and whenever it is convenient for them. It also will allow for students to balance a family, work and classes.

Lower Costs. Prices of online courses are generally less expensive and the cost of commuting is not a factor.

Benefits of Distance Learning

Endless options for schools. Even if you live in a community lacking higher education, distance learning allows you to choose from a vast array of schools.

Diversity. Students learn from people all over the country… and the world.

Challenges of Distance Learning

Lack of social interaction. Most likely you will have some interaction on chat rooms, discussion boards and through email, but the experience will be quite different than traditional courses.

Technical Issues. Technology itself can be one of the biggest challenges- distance learning requires students to have an updated operating system, advanced software, an Internet connection and some tech-savvy. Students may struggle with the fundamentals of an online program and become frustrated with accessing required files.

Challenges of Distance Learning

Isolation. Distance-learning students lack the ability to interact face-to-face with faculty and peers, which can lead them to doubt their own abilities.

Lack of Support. Students who are enrolled in 100-percent online learning programs often lack the support and services available on a traditional campus. Without support in place, students who are struggling with course material may become frustrated and disengaged, leading them to drop out.

Current status of distance learning

According to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System IPEDS, 5.5 million students have taken at least one online course, which is approximately one-quarter of the current total enrollment.

The share of graduate students enrolled in fully online programs was twice as high as the share of undergraduates -- 22 to 11 percent

Undergraduates were almost twice as likely as graduate students to take a combination of face-to-face and online courses -- 14.2 to 7.8 percent.

Read more: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/06/03/us-releases-data-distance-education-enrollments#ixzz35EEHSH50

Inside Higher Ed

The Future of Distance Learning

Online education enrollments increased 21% between 2008 and 2009 while higher education enrollments only increased 2% between 2008 and 2009

The Future of Distance Learning

The statistics of online learning speak for themselves. Find them here:

http://youtu.be/rdamXk-ARuA

Distance Learning is here to stay

Advances in distance learning have paralleled with the development of new technologies. Just imagine what technological advancements in the future will influence the world of distance learning!