Top Facts about Distance Education In India

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The distance education sector has evolved and today a variety of media is used like computer internet, video chat, print, film, television and other ways of communication. In distance learning the students are taught through different means of communication as the students and the teacher are not present at the same place.

In India, 25% of the students are enrolled in at least one distance learning course. Distance learning focuses on the pedagogy and andragogy in education even though the students are not present physically. There are facts about e-learning and interesting facts about india in distance learning.

Facts about e-learning
● Distance learning began when Sir Isaac Pitman started sending postcards to students in 1840. He taught the students the system of stenography by mailing texts on postcards and receiving transcripts form students for proofreading.

● The University of London was first to launch a distance learning course in 1858. This is considered to be the formal beginning of distance learning.

● In 1873, the first correspondence school was founded in the United States. It was named as ‘Society to Encourage Studies at Home’ and directed towards promoting education amongst women.

● With an aim to empower the women of America Anna Eliot Ticknor founded Studies at Home. It was for women who are busy with the household chores and do not get time to attend the classes.

● In 1894, the first distance learning college was founded in the UK - Wolsey Hall, Oxford. It is the largest homeschooling college in the world and offers courses in Primary, Secondary, IGCSE and more.

Facts about India

● Distance learning is a new concept in India and was available in the early 1960s.

● In 1961, a committee was formed by the Central Advisory Board for Education headed by Dr. S. S. Kothari to decide on the nature, scope and the structure of distance learning courses.

● The first Distance Education Centre was established in 1962 in India by the University of Delhi. Later it was renamed as the School of Correspondence Course and Continuing Education. In 2013 the University Grant Commission took over the Distance Education Council and established the Distance Education Authority.

Distance learning requires 40% - 60% less time to teach than the traditional instructor-led teaching. As per the AISHE reports 2017 - 2018 the distance accounts for 11% of the total higher education enrollment. Most working professionals opted for distance learning courses. In 2027 distance learning is expected to reach over $ 1 trillion.