World Distance Learning Day

August 31st is celebrated as World Distance Learning Day. It is dedicated to celebrating the learning process outside of traditional classrooms. Online education is currently in the process of active development and many believe that in the future it will completely replace the traditional format.

History

World Distance Learning Day is designed to raise awareness of the learning tools and opportunities available to learners, and to celebrate how far distance education has come over time. The first correspondence school in the United States was established in 1873. Universities soon began to offer this opportunity. The Open University popularized the concept of distance learning in the 1960s. From the beginning, universities have been at the forefront of creating new technologies and teaching methods, providing a legitimate alternative to traditional teaching methods. The Internet has changed distance learning, making it easier, faster, and cheaper for students. Since 1984, when the first fully distance course was introduced, both the materials available online and the number of students have grown at a rapid pace. Due to the massive school closures caused by the COVID-19 epidemic in 2020, more students than ever have turned to distance learning.

Interesting facts

Distance learning began with shorthand lessons. Caleb Phillips published his lectures on a new form of shorthand in the Boston Gazette in 1728, with courses regularly mailed. In the 1840s, Sir Isaac Pitman took the concept a step further in England. He also taught shorthand by mail, with his students sending him a postcard with their work. He corrected it and returned it to them. Pitman’s course quickly gained popularity.

How to take part

Even if you have already graduated, you can celebrate World Distance Learning Day by deciding to learn something new! Today, the choice is huge – many different courses for learning foreign languages, programming, interior design, and anything else! Choose a course and get started!

When is World Distance Learning Day celebrated in 2024?

World Distance Learning Day is observed on August 31 each year.

Observations