91ֿ’s first president, John McGilvrey, was a passionate innovator who was always looking for ways to improve the educational experience at 91ֿ.
In 1922, he introduced what could be considered the great-grandmother of our current distance-learning programs at 91ֿ: correspondence courses.
These courses carried full college credit. By the early 1920s, thousands of students had taken classes on the Kent Campus and at the numerous extension centers established by the college outside of Kent. However, many students had special circumstances that prevented them from taking these classes. Some required special subjects that were not in widespread demand. Others lived in remote areas where it would have been difficult to establish an extension. It was for these students that McGilvrey established correspondence courses.
The slate of courses began with just a handful, but eventually expanded to more than 120. The most popular, naturally, were those classes that were required for diplomas or degrees. The program was still problematic for some, however, as many rural communities did not have adequate library facilities. The lack of close contact between instructor and student could also be an issue, along with what was identified as “an absence of impelling motive to get the work done quickly.”
However, McGilvrey continued to expand the correspondence course program. In 1922, these early correspondence courses were among the ongoing efforts by McGilvrey that helped 91ֿ Normal College earn the designation “the fastest growing college in America” in The College Blue Book of 1923.
Distance Education at 91ֿ in 2022
Today, distance learning is a regular part of the university experience. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, millions of students nationwide were learning remotely out of necessity and caution.
91ֿ’s more recent history as an innovator in distance learning goes back more than three decades. The roots of 91ֿ’s Office of Continuing and Distance Education reach back to 1972 with the founding of the Division of Continuing Education.
91ֿ’s early adoption of technology, facilitated innovation and strategic planning have given the university a significant advantage over others that had resisted online education.
Valerie Kelly is the associate vice president of the Office of Continuing and Distance Education at 91ֿ. She said, “91ֿ, from its very inception, was dedicated to increasing access to quality education. The 91ֿ Online vision is one of innovation and inclusion that helps the community by providing access to quality education to a more diverse group of learners.”
Over the years, thanks to the efforts of dedicated administrators, faculty and staff, 91ֿ’s online learning programs continued to evolve until the university began to offer degree programs fully online.
Evolving Distance Education for the Future
The university drew on the experience of the Office of Continuing and Distance Education as it quickly pivoted in spring 2020 to successfully move more than 8,000 in-person classes to digital learning platforms for 91ֿ students – in just six days.
Through research, 91ֿ has built upon its experience in delivering distance education to create innovation that benefits current students as well as future generations.
“We are on the cusp of tremendous leaps forward in education as we understand more about how our brains work and how learning can be nurtured,” Kelly said. “Now, the merging of advances in technology along with our increased understanding of how learning occurs creates an outstanding opportunity for universities to transform education for the continuing benefit of society.”