1. Distance education first began in 1852 with the Pitman Shorthand Training Program. Women learned shorthand at home and corresponded with instructors through the United States Post Office.
2. By the late 1800’s, International Correspondence Schools trained secretaries, miners, iron, and railroad workers through postal correspondence.
3. In 1934, the colleges and universities began broadcasting courses by television, creating the Public Broadcast System (PBS).
4. With the invention of the World Wide Web in 1991, colleges and universities began offering courses over the internet.
5. By 1993, the first completely online university received accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission.
6. The U.S. Department of Education created the Distance Learning Education Demonstration in 1999, which developed statutory and regulatory requirements to monitor fraud and abuse, and provide federal financial aid to online learners.
7. By 2006, over 96% of all United States colleges and universities were offering online courses and/or entire degree programs, which had 3.2 million enrolled students.
8. In 2008, there were 4.6 million students enrolled in online classes.
9. Today, online learners may attend class virtually through web-cams and video streaming or view recorded lectures on their ipod, cell phone, or computer.
10. The majority of online college and university instructors hold a doctoral level degree, while the majority “traditional” college and university instructors have a master’s level degree.
11. More than half of all college and university faculty have recommended online courses to students.
12. Colleges and universities say that improved student access is the number one reason they offer online courses and degree programs.
13. The number of blended courses is decreasing, while the number of 100% online courses is increasing.
14. Nearly two thirds of all public schools, grades Kindergarten through twelve, are now offering online classes to students.
15. The majority of online students are females, who have children and work full-time. Their average age is 38-39 years old.
16. Online college enrollment is increasing, while “traditional” student enrollment is decreasing. By 2018, the majority of graduating college students will have earned their degree through distance education.
17. The majority of people in academic leadership positions report that online learning outcomes are equal or superior to “traditional” learning outcomes.
18. Distance education is more cost effective due to its ability to accommodate a large number of students without the added expense of physical space.
19. Online learning promotes a green environment due to the decrease in paper material needs and commuting costs.
20. Many large businesses and hospitals are creating online “Corporate Universities” as a way to train and continually educate their employees.
21. Distance education provides instant access to all course materials and proves accommodating for people with disabilities.
22. Online degree programs have been well respected throughout European countries for years, with the majority of people graduating from a distance education institution.
23. Distance education promotes skills in technology, autonomy, and self-discipline.
24. Online courses promote student participation with weekly discussion boards, instant messaging, and social networking.
25. Students report increased personal interactions with online college and university instructors through e-mail and phone conversations.

*Statistical information is from the Sloan Consortium.

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