Year

1840

United States

1858

1873

1883

Anna Eliot Ticknor

creates the Society to
Encourage Studies at
Home
Chautauqua College of
Liberal Arts authorized
by the state of New
York to award degrees
by correspondence

1877

1891

1892

1906

The University
Correspondence
College is founded in
London
Editor of the Mining
Herald, Thomas J.
Foster began offering a
correspondence course
in mining and
prevention of accidents
Correspondence
program in agricultural
studies started at
Pennsylvania State
College
First university courses
by mail offered by the
University of Chicago
The Calvert School of
Baltimore becomes the
first primary school in
the United States to
offer correspondence
courses

1911

1915

1922

United Kingdom
Isaac Pitman begins
teaching shorthand by
correspondence
External Programme
established by the
University of London

Department of
correspondence Studies
for rural students
established by the
University of
Queensland
The National University
Continuing Education
Association is formed
Pennsylvania State
College begins
broadcasting courses

References:
A Brief History of Distance Education. (n.d.). Retrieved July 17, 2016, from
http://www.seniornet.org/edu/art/history.html
DistanceEducationTimeline. (n.d.). Retrieved July 17, 2016, from
http://www.ualr.edu/kafreeman/distanceeducationtimeline.html
Distance Education Timeline - Baker's Guide to Christian Online Learning.
(n.d.). Retrieved July 17, 2016, from
http://www.bakersguide.com/articles/127-distance-education-timeline
Online Learning Timeline. (n.d.). Retrieved July 17, 2016, from
http://www.innovativelearning.com/online_learning/timeline.html
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., & Zvacek, S. (2015). Teaching and learning at a
distance: Foundations of distance education (6th ed.). Charlotte, NC:
Information Age Publishing, Inc.