Historical Distance Education Institutions

The origins of Distance Education can be traced to sparsely populated areas, both inside and outside the United States. Canada, Australia, the Soviet Union were early leaders in early Distance Education programs.(12) Early advertisements for correspondence courses appeared in matchbook ads and in the backs of magazines. Many early distance education courses were not affiliated with institutions of higher learning. However, The University of Chicago, Iowa State and the University of Iowa were early pioneers of Distance Education in the United States.

Historical Purpose

The original purpose of Distance Education is found in the name "Distance Education" - providing education at a distance to students who didn't have access to education due to the geographic barriers. J. Hall asserts that distance education was a movement to "extend the traditional university and to overcome its inherent problems of scarcity & exclusivity." (12)