First degree burns

This is Part 3 - a continuation of my series on the history and impact of distance education. Yesterday in Part 2, we saw how correspondence courses were established in Britain and the USA.

Setting up short vocational courses seemed to be no problem. Academic programmes were an entirely prospect though. When Cambridge scholar Richard Green Moulton attempted to establish an entire degree via correspondence, he met with a wall of opposition. Moulton’s plan was to deliver a degree course managed along similar lines to the correspondence school techniques made so successful by Isaac Pitman. Pitman had used printed cards mailed out to students through the Penny Post service. Students sent their work back via mail where it was then graded. Students then received their grades along with the next installation of their studies in the next post.

Moulton’s colleagues at Cambridge University were sceptical and dismissive about these processes and blocked his progress. Unfortunately, his innovative ideas could go no further at Cambridge - they crashed and burned. It's probable that Moulton’s colleagues were concerned about issues such as quality assurance and the means through which assessment of learning would be achieved and authenticated. They may also have been appalled at the incredible logistics that would be involved. It is not known how Moulton planned to address such issues. I'm also wondering how many of these issues remain a concern today in our digital world?

Like most pioneers and trailblazers however, Moulton refused to lie down. He persevered, and realised that his future obviously resided elsewhere than in Cambridge, England. He subsequently immigrated to the United States where he took up a post on the faculty of the University of Chicago. Here he eventually realised his dream and in 1892 was able to establish the first degree programme delivered via correspondence course. I guess we owe Moulton a lot for his tenacity.

Tomorrow: Part 4: Making a difference

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