Introduction. Pedagogical Model.

Several years have passed since e-learning first became a topic of discussion, and even more if we go back to the beginnings of distance education (Distance Ed). This section will briefly summarise the evolution of Distance Ed and how, in some cases, it has been confused with e-learning. Finally, the section will conclude with an explanation of the evolution that e-learning has undergone in recent years and how this evolution affects the focus that is given to teaching-learning processes today.

Distance Ed has its roots in the United States in the middle of the 18th century when an ad appeared in the Boston Gazette offering teaching material and tutoring by mail (García Aretio, 1999). It reached Europe to a significant degree at the end of the 19th century and saw its greatest growth in the second half of the 20th century, probably as a result of the major economic and social changes that affected all areas of education in general.[ read on ]