This paper examines several correspondence schools that developed courses in advertising for young men and women who were interested in learning about the subject but who were not necessarily interested in attending a college or university. In addition, the paper discusses the founding of the National Home Study Council, which developed standards…

Nine distinguished Black scholars created an academically rigorous correspondence school in 1927. It lasted only three years. This article explores the reasons why the school failed.

This invited article provides a comprehensive overview of the history and development of distance learning in Aotearoa New Zealand's school sector over the past century. It begins with a discussion of creating a common language to describe distance learning. The article then transitions to its main focus on the history of distance…

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), previously named the Veterans Administration, has been providing veterans educational assistance benefits, including GI Bill benefits, since 1944. The benefits have been intended, at various times, to compensate for compulsory service, encourage voluntary service, prevent unemployment, provide…

Tracing the correspondence composition courses taught at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill from 1912 to 1924, this essay argues that examining distance education in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries can reveal possible problems or solutions to issues composition instructors face in twenty-first-century debates about moving…

A few years ago, the author saw a video of a pop concert. It looked just like concerts of his youth: a well-lit stage amid a darkened crowd flecked with small wavering lights. He laughed when he realized, however, that the swaying glow was coming not from cigarette lighters but from LCD screens. This juxtaposition of old flames and new beacons…

In large continental landmasses such as Australia, forms of education, including correspondence schooling, emerged in the early twentieth century that allowed children in remote regions to access education. To make such schooling possible, other "technologies" of state provision were mobilised such as the postal system, rail network, and…

As enrollments in correspondence schools soared in the early twentieth century, unethical practices marred the reputation of this type of learning. Prominent schools created the National Home Study Council in 1926 to combat the proliferation of sham schools. At the same time, council members knew that the better schools also needed to change their…

The first round of attempts to extend the access of working people to higher education began in 1873 with an imitation of the University of London on the prairies of Illinois. For all practical purposes, it ended in the legislature of the State of New York in 1892, although it took more than a decade to formally close all of the external degree…

Each school, district, or state has a unique set of circumstances and obstacles to deal with in implementing a one-to-one laptop program. That is especially true of Denali Borough School District in Alaska. Located in the Alaskan interior, it encompasses Denali National Park (with North America's tallest mountain), covers more than 12,000 square…

This article demonstrates the parallels between development of technology and the increased acceptance of distance learning. First, definitions of distance learning are provided. Second, the history of distance learning and its use of technological innovations are presented. Third, an overview of the academic institutions that are offering…

The Federal School was a correspondence art school in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the early 20th century. At that time, scientific methods changed the organization and practice of commercial art training and industrial education, which included correspondence courses from the Federal School. Standards of intelligence were determined with…

Arguing that extensive efforts to produce open learning materials should not be undertaken until the possibility of using or adapting existing materials is considered, this paper identifies current sources of materials available in Great Britain for non-advanced further education. The first sections of the paper review common types of open…

Begun in 1933 to serve rural regions of New South Wales (Australia), the Postal Sunday School Movement (PSSM) now offers over 200 nondenominational lessons via mail about the Bible, Christianity, and practical aspects of Christian life. PSSM employs approximately 130 teachers from various church backgrounds; enrolls about 2000 students, preschool…

Two-way radio lessons and home visits are used to supplement correspondence courses in Australia's School of the Air. Problems and benefits of this system and future plans are discussed. (DF)