How to use this timeline
The dates below are ones that are widely documented. Where histories disagree, or where an event is better described as a process, the text says so. If you need a date for a citation, confirm it with a primary source, such as the institution’s own records or the text of the declaration concerned. Popular summaries often name a single “first”, and such claims should be treated cautiously.
Before the internet: early distance and open learning
Around 1840. Isaac Pitman is commonly credited with teaching shorthand by post in England, an early example of instruction by correspondence.
1820s onward. Mechanics’ institutes began in Britain, providing evening classes and libraries for working adults.
1850. The UK Public Libraries Act enabled local authorities to establish free public libraries.
1858. The University of London introduced external degrees, allowing students to be examined without attending classes there.
1870s to 1890s. In the United States, summer assemblies and university extension programs spread; the correspondence model was adopted by several universities by the 1890s.
1914. The Smith-Lever Act in the United States created the cooperative extension system, taking practical education to rural communities.
1920s and 1930s onward. Radio, and later television, carried educational programs in many countries.
1969 and 1971. The Open University in the United Kingdom received its royal charter in 1969 and began teaching in 1971, with open admission and a combination of printed materials, broadcasts and tutors. Other open and distance universities followed in many countries in the following decades.
Digital sharing and open licenses
1971. Project Gutenberg began digitizing books for free distribution.
1983 onward. The free software movement set out the idea of software that users may copy and modify; the label “open source” was adopted in 1998.
1991 to 1993. The World Wide Web was developed and made publicly available.
1998. David Wiley coined the term “open content” and published an early open license aimed at educational materials.
2001. Wikipedia launched. Creative Commons was founded, and a major US university announced it would publish its course materials online; publication began in 2002.
2002. A UNESCO forum on open courseware adopted the term “open educational resources”. Creative Commons released its first licenses in December.
2007 to 2008. The Cape Town Open Education Declaration was drafted in 2007 and published in early 2008. In 2008 the term MOOC was coined for an open online course.
Courses, textbooks and policy
2011 to 2012. Free university courses online attracted very large registrations, and 2012 was widely called the year of the MOOC, with several large providers launching. The same period saw growth in open textbook projects.
2012. The Paris OER Declaration was issued.
2019. UNESCO’s member states adopted a Recommendation on Open Educational Resources in November.
2020. The COVID-19 pandemic led to a sudden move to remote teaching in many countries, increasing interest in shareable digital resources and highlighting unequal access.
What the timeline shows
Looking back, three strands intertwine:
- Open access to study. From correspondence courses through open universities to free online courses, the aim was to let more people study.
- Open access to materials. From public libraries to open courseware and textbooks, the aim was to make resources available.
- Open permissions. From the late 1990s, licenses defined what others may do with materials, which separates modern open education from earlier forms of sharing.
These strands arose at different times and are not identical. A free online course may not allow reuse, and an openly licensed textbook may be free but offer no tutor.
Common errors in popular histories
- “The first MOOC was in 2012.” The term dates from 2008, and open online courses existed before the 2012 boom.
- “Open education began with the internet.” Earlier open and distance learning established many of the ideas.
- “One university invented open courseware overnight.” The 2001 announcement was influential, but it built on earlier open content ideas, and others were working in similar directions.
- Collapsing “free” and “open”. These are distinct; the history of licenses shows why.
Limits of this account
This is a short account and reflects mainly developments in Western and English-language settings, where much of the documentation exists. Open and distance learning has strong histories elsewhere, including large open universities in Asia and Africa, and local projects that are less documented in English. A fuller history would give them more space.
A note on interpretation
History here is a record of changes in access, permission and technology. It does not show that each step produced the benefits claimed for it. Outcomes for learners have been studied in various ways, and the evidence is mixed. The timeline is best read as a map of how the ideas developed, and not as proof of how well they worked.