What Is the History of Online Education?

The term "distance learning" meant something completely different when it was printed in the school catalog for the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the late 1800s. Now, distance learning is another name for online education. Online education has made many advancements and opportunities for the unconventional student. When first marketed, it was geared toward the working adult who wanted a college degree but didn't have the time to attend a "brick and mortar" location.

The Early '60s

Stanford University implemented a type of online education that allowed students and teachers to communicate with each other with instructions and notes online. Data packets were sent between parties to complete assignments and monitor progress.

1989

Version 1.0 of Lotus Notes was released. This made the Internet a household name for many people and not just a "geek gadget."

1990s

The dot-com boom gave schools ideals for a more Internet-based learning module. The creation of text-based online classes involved using slideshows for instruction.

1996

Jones International University became the first fully accredited web-based university. If was founded by Glenn Jones and Bernard Luskin.

Now

Online education has graduated to fully flexible environment that has implement streaming media, web-cam access, blackboards and Flash presentations. Most universities and colleges now offer some form of online courses.