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"Despite the fact that the term e-learning was coined in 1999, the roots of machine-based teaching can actually be
traced backed decades before then. Ever since, more and more
interpretations have offered to provide learners with the ultimate in
education and instruction." posted by Chloe from Wranx.
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| Photo: Wranx.com |
But that doesn’t mean to say we have
reached the pinnacle of e-learning. Although psychologists have used
science to prove that e-learning techniques such as spaced repetition and gamification
are much more effective at long-term memory retention than traditional
training methods, you never know when new or novel innovations could
transform knowledge acquisition yet again.
So, how far has e-learning come since its inception and what does the future have in store for this teaching technique?
Similar to e-learning, distance courses were in existence as early as the 1840s when Isaac Pitman taught students about symbolic writing via long-distance correspondence. However, it wasn’t until 1924 that Ohio State University professor Sidney Pressey invented a self-testing machine known as “Automatic Teacher,” which to all intents and purposes failed.
Fast forward 30 years and students at Harvard University were invited to follow a set of instructions on the “Teaching Machine” created by professor and pioneer BF Skinner. He also developed a more advanced system in 1960, the same year the first fully-fledged computer-based training program was developed, known as PLATO: Programmed Logic for Automated Teaching Operation. It featured learning drills and even the ability to skip questions...
The future of e-learning
Today you could argue that e-learning has
evolved just as much since the term was coined as it did from Isaac
Pitman’s first long-distance courses. Thanks to rapid advancements in
technology, e-learning has had to adapt to the ever-changing digital
preferences of modern-day learners.
Therefore, it is safe to assume that e-learning will continue to adjust its offering in order to remain relevant to learners and effective at teaching new information. But how will it do this?
Read more...
Wranx (blog)
