History of eLearning

E-learning is a widely used term to describe computer-based learning environments.  It is such a general term that some say that it has lost its actual meaning or holds many different meanings, depending on how it is applied. Generally, e-learning refers to a learning method that takes place away from the traditional classroom settings.

The actual computer-based learning, or e-learning, was born around the same time when computers were developed for personal use. However, the practice of distance education and short-hand classes predates e-learning by more than 100 years. The evolution of postal services made distance learning very popular back in the 17th century. One can say that Distance Education was born in 1728, when the Boston Gazette printed an advertisement from Caleb Phillipps, "Teacher of the New Method of Short-Hand," advising that any "Persons in the Country desirous to Learn this Art, may by having several Lessons sent weekly to them, be as perfectly instructed as those that live in Boston." It was not until 1964, when the first authoring system for developing lessons and courses on a computer system was produced, that e-learning began. The “PLATO Compiler” allowed the development of various forms of “teaching logic” for various fields, from mathematics to the behavioral sciences.

It is very important to differentiate between e-learning and distance education, so as to eliminate the confusion over the effectiveness of e-learning. The difference is that distance education is the physical separation of the instructor from the student and does not necessarily require any connection or interaction between them, as the student can learn and study on his own time. However, e-learning or computer-based learning was incorporated as a part of classroom environment to facilitate the transfer of knowledge between the instructor and the student. E-learning programs developed and presented today based on the latest technologies enable the instructor and students to interact in real time, regardless of their physical separation.

The internet and the latest technologies have made e-learning as effective, rich and valuable as classroom learning. The instructional side of e-learning has also become more advanced in the past decade, making e-learning a trusted medium widely used by universities, businesses and organizations to offer their students and employees online degrees, training, vocational and continuing education e-learning programs internationally.