The History of Distance Learning

The history of distance learning covers three major periods of development, beginning in the mid-nineteenth century. This series of articles recounts this story from its origin to today and beyond and answers the question: when did everything begin?

When did distance learning begin?
The history of distance learning began in the mid-nineteenth century, during the agrarian era. Born from a need for training to reach a geographically dispersed population, the first distance education took the form of correspondence courses. Other more advanced forms did not appear until the beginning of the industrialization era, in the 1920s. The progress of new technology during this period – from the late 1920s to the 1970s – has seen an increase in distance learning opportunities through the use of radio and television. In 1970, the world began to take an interest in the power of the computer and distance learning entered the virtual age.

This series of articles retraces the history of distance learning, from its origins to today and beyond. In this introductory article, we discuss the three major periods of development and the influencing factors of each era. The rest of the series includes three articles that deal with specific developments of each period.

The first article is entitled “Historical Perspective on Distance Education: The Early Years of Distance Learning”. It discusses the origin of distance learning, the factors that motivated its creation and some of the early pioneers responsible for its application.

The second article is a discussion of the developments of distance learning in the era of industrialization in the digital age. Its title is “The history of technology in education and its impact on distance education from 1960 to 1990”. During this period, the demand for easier access to higher education has increased and the educational community has been looking for new technological tools to deliver education.

Internet and the emergence of distance learning
The final article in the series is “The Future of Distance Learning” and explains how the power of the Internet and the World Wide Web has created a new chapter in the history of distance education. During this period, the face of distance education has changed dramatically. once again, online learning (e-learning) has grown rapidly.