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Correspondence College and Distance Learning Program
The Chautauqua College of Liberal Arts established a correspondence program, under the leadership of William Rainey Harper, to award diplomas and degrees. Shortly after the Chautauqua Correspondence College opened, the University of Chicago created the first college-level distance learning program through the usage of the United States Postal Service. -
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Home Economics Extension Program
Martha Van Rensselaer helped establish a program at Cornell to teach home economics to rural women in the state of New York. Within five years, credit and non-credit courses were available to any woman within the state and the school boasted of more than 20,000 enrolled. -
Radio Presence in Distance Education
The first radio licenses were granted to the University of Salt Lake City, the University of Wisconsin, and the University of Minnesota. These ventures proved unsuccessful due to lack of investment and missed opportunities. -
National Home Study Council (NHSC)
This council was established to counteract less-than-ethical practices by some for-profit organizations that were offering correspondence programs. -
Televised Educational Broadcast
University of Iowa was the first university to use television educationally. -
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Military Correspondence Education
William Young was the director of correspondence education for the United States Armed Forces Institute (USAFI). This program, based out of Pennsylvania State University, provided correspondence courses (high school and college-level courses) to military personnel until its closure. -
Instructional Television Fixed Service
The FCC created the Instructional Television Fixed Service (ITFS) to assist with the expansion of distance learning. Twenty television channels were available to educational institutions to provide a low-cost, subscriber-based system to broadcast courses. The California State University system was the first institution to apply for an ITFS license. -
Articulated Instructional Media (AIM)
Charles Wedemeyer received a grant from the Carnegie corporation to study the best use of technology. This study was pivotal in the theory and practice of distance education and was responsible for the idea of the course design team and using a variety forms of media in distance education. -
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Public Broadcasting
The Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 lead to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) which promoted the non-commercial use of TV and radio. The CPB worked with AT&T to crate the first true national public television system, which became permanent and known as the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). -
Open University
The AIM project and Wedemeyer lead to the British government implementing a national system dedicated to distance education (one of the most successful educational policy changes). -
Microprocessor
Intel Corporation created the the microprocessor. -
Email
The Bulletin Board System (BBS) was created as an inter-office system to send email messages. This was an important moment for distance education because it allowed for a freer communication between student and professor -
Satellite Education
Learn/Alaska was the first state educational satellite system. -
Computer-based Program
Pennsylvania State university began offering distance education through computer-based communications along with audio-conferencing. -
Information Superhighway
Tim Berners-Lee developed the World Wide Web. -
First Accredited Online University
Jones International University was the first online university (accredited b the Higher Learning Commission). It offered five bachelor degrees and twenty-four masters degree programs. -
Distance Learning Education Demonstration Program
The U.S. Department of Education established the Distance Learning Education Demonstration program to help determine the most effect way of delivering a quality education through distance learning. -
Internet 2
A group of more than 180 universities, 78 corporate partners, and additional affiliates organized a non-governmental organization to help build better networks to link institutions faster than telephone modems.