Education through electronic means, or E-learning, has come a long way as it has evolved alongside the Internet. From humble origins as a simple tool used to contain and emit information upon command, E-learning technology has become a way for virtually anyone around the world to conceivably become connected to a shared learning experience. It’s an interesting series of transitions that speaks volumes about the grander scale changes in our society as we near universal global connectivity. And the story of online education is far from over.

Computers as Teachers

Stanford University psychology professors in the early 1960s were the first to implement computer-based learning in a classroom setting, using a primitive processor to teach grade school kids math and reading skills. It was this model that would dominate the philosophy of E-learning for the duration of the pre-Internet computer age. Education through this method was a mere matter of knowledge transfer, much like the traditional teacher-classroom approach. Government entities such as law enforcement agencies and the armed forces were the primary users of computer-based education during this period.

Then Came the Internet

When the World Wide Web started to string itself into homes and ordinary lives towards the end of the 21st century, it became overwhelmingly obvious that this new breakthrough could be used for academic purposes. In 1993, a man by the name of William D. Graziadei had already outlined the educational possibilities of email, which included the ability to send lectures via document and provide tutorship. These early years saw the creation of the founding principles of what came to be known as Computer Supported Collaborative Learning, or CSCL.

Unlike E-learning, where the computer becomes the instructor, CSCL supports the concept that computers and the Internet should be used to promote a shared learning experience. This, in its present form, typically entails a teacher acting as a tutor/lecturer and the student body working together in a social networking cloud of sorts. Contemporary implementation can be seen from as early as preschool all the way to online PhD degree programs; however, this type of education is still growing in popularity and use.

E-Learning’s Future

Currently, movements, such as that promoted by The Khan Academy, encourage a complete transformation of the entire education system starting with kindergarten through the complete realization of online education possibilities. Those in favor of such a revolution claim that the current model of classroom education doesn’t account for the wide range of learning speeds among human beings. Online classrooms enable people to learn at their own pace. Opponents make the charge that students need to experience real-world social interaction. They argue that learning through the computer hinders on important brain development. In order to truly know, years of amassed research will have to be conducted.

In the meantime, we can only hope that online education can in some way help the failing state of our national academic performance, and improve knowledge gaining and knowledge sharing on a global scale. As we adjust to an increasingly connected world, we have the option to use it to a universal advantage. Let’s hope our love of sharing transfers into a respect for learning.