This is a short history of online learning. It may be incomplete but I have tried to capture the big historical events. Also, I have written this article with a connection to Australia and the Australian VET system.
Distance learning
Before online learning we had distance learning. Distance learning was traditionally conducted by correspondence where the student corresponded with the school, university, or learning institution via mail. Wikipedia tells me that one of the earliest attempts to provide a correspondence course was in 1728. [1]
In the 1930s, two hundred years later, there was a rapid spread of radio. This led to the wide-spread use of radio for distance education in the USA.
In Australia, the School of the Air started broadcasting lessons to school children in 1951.
The Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) started using television to broadcast education programs to schools in the 1960s.
The use of broadcast television for adult education has been limited.
During the 1980s audio cassettes and video cassettes were being widely used for educational purposes. This included personal development, motivational and business training. Some business training topics covered by audio and video cassettes included selling skills, customer service skills, meeting skills, and presentation skills.
Computer-based training
I was working in an office in 1986 when the first desktop computer arrived. It was a ‘share computer’ for everyone in the office to use. There was about 25 people working in the office at that time. A second computer arrived soon after the first, but it was for the exclusive use of the office administrator.
Personal computers started to take off in the mid 1980s and early 1990s. Computers were becoming part of the office and more people were buying computers for their home. At this time I was working for Telecom Australia (now known as Telstra Corporation), and we were beginning to develop computer-based training. I bought my first computer in 1986. It had MultiMate word processing software, a 5-¼ inch floppy disk drive, monochrome monitor, and a dot matrix printer.
Data storage
The early personal computers had limited data storage capability. Over the years the internal storage capacity increased. And the ability to install new software increased as we went from big floppy disks, to smaller floppy disks, to CD-ROMs. Later, USB memory sticks made it even easier and quicker for the installation of new software and transfer of files.
During the 1990s, everyone in the office I was working at was using a computer. And the new, big thing was email. Email and word processing revolutionalise the way we worked. But internet access was limited to a few ‘trusted people’ because it was thought that productivity would be lowered if everyone had it.
The installation of games onto home computers, including educational games for children, was happening during the late 1990s and the early 2000s. Using computers for the purpose of learning was beginning to gain general acceptance.
Internet
The internet changed everything. I can still remember connecting to the internet via dial-up modem. Connecting to the internet was slow and the speed of the internet was slow. The next big thing was fast broadband internet with the capability to support voice and video.
The widespread use of computers and the internet have made distance learning easier and faster, and today virtual schools and virtual universities deliver full curricula online.
Faster, smaller and cheaper computers and the development of applications
In recent years, computers have got faster, smaller and cheaper. And access to strong, stable and fast internet connections are reasonably priced. I understand that some Australians in remote and rural areas may not have the same connectivity or they still have internet issues. And, it is said that, some Australians may struggle to afford access to the internet. However, the vast majority of people in Australia today have at least one device connected to the internet.
Ready access to computer hardware and software has removed many of the technology barriers to accessing online learning. Today’s personal computers have access to a large number of applications, such as email and word processing. Learning management systems (LMS) can be easily downloaded and installed. And many personal computers come with a camera and microphone that enable video conferencing.
Smart phone
By the mid-2010s, the smartphone had become common. These days, it is rare for someone to have a dumb-phone.
Smart phones are ubiquitous. Many people have got use to using technology in their everyday life. People use their smart phone for communicating with others by voice, by text, by email, by video. And people use their smart phone for social media, banking, shopping, searching the internet, etc.
Generally, people have overcome many of their fears and concerns about using technology. Therefore, using technology for learning has been legitimised.
COVID-19
In 2020, COVID-19 arrived in Australia. Work went online, school went online, university went online, so much of our lives went online for many people. And during this time a significant number of RTOs shifted training delivery online in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Getting learning resources to learners and using video conferencing for training became common. For many trainers, this was their first experience at facilitating online learning. This crisis became an opportunity for many trainers to develop their capability to deliver online learning.
Many trainers will no longer be resistant to changing from ‘traditional training methods’ to using online learning. However, many things in vocational education and training can not be delivered or assessed using online methods. The future will be a blended approach, combining traditional and online methods.
In conclusion
There are still some real barriers to using online learning. For example:
- Some people have no or limited experience using computers. This continues to be a barrier for them to participate in online learning.
- Some developers of online learning lack the ability to design and develop user-friendly and effective online learning programs and resources. This frustrates learners and creates unnecessary barriers to learning, regardless of the learner’s technology skills.
The TAE40122 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification has recognised that many trainers and assessors will need the capability to deliver online learning and conduct assessments using online methods. Two elective units of competency that are likely to be included in the TAE40122 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification are:
- TAEDEL405 Plan, organise and facilitate online learning
- TAEASS404 Assess competence in an online environment
Reference
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distance_education accessed 23 October 2023
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