From correspondence courses to artificial intelligence and virtual reality
The history of learning technology stretches back further than computers. Early forms included correspondence courses in the 19th century, such as Isaac Pitman's shorthand courses via mail in the 1840s. These pioneering efforts established the foundations for distance education, demonstrating that learning could happen effectively outside traditional classrooms.
The early 20th century saw the development of rudimentary teaching machines. Sidney Pressey's multiple-choice testing machine in 1924 allowed students to take tests and receive immediate feedback. Later, B.F. Skinner's "teaching machine" in the 1950s was designed to automate instruction and provide feedback based on behavioural learning principles.
Audio-visual aids played a significant role in educational advancement. The "Magic Lantern" (an early slide projector) was used in classrooms in the late 1800s. The overhead projector (OHP), introduced around the 1930s but becoming a classroom mainstay from the 1960s onwards, marked a major step forward. It allowed instructors to face their audience while projecting handwritten notes or pre-prepared diagrams drawn on clear acetate sheets, enabling dynamic, layered presentations and real-time annotation.
Radio broadcasts brought classes over the airwaves in the 1920s, and vinyl records also found a niche, particularly for language learning courses distributed for self-study. Educational television programming started in the 1950s. These early innovations aimed to broaden access and experiment with delivery. Technology also addressed resource limitations; for instance, wind-up radios later enabled access to educational broadcasts in remote areas lacking reliable electricity.
The digital age began transforming learning in the mid-20th century. Although early computers like ENIAC (1945) were room-sized, they laid the groundwork. The 1960s saw the first computer-assisted instruction (CAI) systems, like PLATO (Programmed Logic for Automatic Teaching Operations). The advent of personal computers (IBM PC in 1981, Apple Macintosh in 1984) and user-friendly operating systems like Windows (1985) drastically accelerated change in educational technology.
This era saw the rise of presentation software, most notably Microsoft PowerPoint (released 1987, popularised with Microsoft Office in the 1990s). PowerPoint rapidly became a dominant tool in education, replacing overhead projectors for many. It standardised the creation and delivery of digital slide shows, allowing educators to easily combine text, graphics, and eventually multimedia elements, profoundly influencing lecture styles and information dissemination in classrooms worldwide.
The internet, particularly the World Wide Web in the early 1990s, enabled new forms of communication and access to information. This period saw the birth of the first Learning Management Systems (LMS) around 1990 (e.g., FirstClass) to manage online course content. The term "eLearning" was coined in 1999, marking the start of a new era in technology-enhanced education.
The 21st century brought exponential growth and diversification. The rise of web 2.0 technologies enabled more interactive and collaborative tools, transforming learners from passive consumers to active participants. Blogs, wikis, and social media platforms began to be incorporated into educational practices, emphasising collaboration and knowledge co-creation.
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) from platforms like Coursera, edX, and Udemy emerged, democratising access to educational content from prestigious institutions worldwide. This period saw a significant shift toward online and blended learning models in higher education and beyond.
Mobile technology put learning resources in students' pockets via apps, enabling "anytime, anywhere" learning. Cloud computing enabled platforms like Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams, facilitating seamless access and collaboration across devices. The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 dramatically accelerated the adoption of digital learning tools worldwide.
Recent years have seen the rapid integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for personalised learning paths, automated grading, content generation, data analytics, and accessibility tools. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are also creating more immersive experiences. Today's learning technology landscape is characterised by diverse, interconnected, data-driven, and increasingly personalised tools accessible across multiple devices.
This collection includes popular tools across various categories, with information about pricing and links to explore further. Prices are indicative and may change; many tools offer educational discounts or free tiers for educators.
Free, user-friendly platform integrated with Google Workspace for assignments, grading, and communication.
Pricing: Free with Google Workspace for Education
Visit WebsiteCollaboration hub integrating chat, video conferencing, file storage, assignments, and OneNote Class Notebooks.
Pricing: Free with Microsoft 365 for Education
Visit WebsiteWidely used LMS in higher education and K-12, known for its flexibility and integration capabilities.
Pricing: Free basic plan for teachers, institutional pricing based on size
Visit WebsiteComprehensive LMS used globally, offering robust features for course delivery, assessment, and communication.
Pricing: Institutional pricing based on requirements
Visit WebsitePopular open-source LMS, highly customisable and widely adopted globally.
Pricing: Free (open source), hosting and support costs vary
Visit WebsiteK-12 focused LMS emphasising collaboration and communication features.
Pricing: Basic version free, premium features require subscription
Visit WebsiteAI-powered LMS often used in corporate training but adaptable for education.
Pricing: Contact for quote, typically subscription-based
Visit WebsiteOffers MOOCs, Specialisations, and degrees from universities and companies worldwide.
Pricing: Many courses free to audit, certifications from £29-£99, subscriptions from £399/year
Visit WebsiteFeatures university courses (edX) and offers an open-source platform (Open edX) for creating custom course sites.
Pricing: Many courses free to audit, verified certificates from £50-£300
Visit WebsiteLarge marketplace for courses on a vast range of topics, often focused on practical skills.
Pricing: Individual courses from £9.99-£199.99 (frequent sales), business plans available
Visit WebsiteFocuses on creative and practical skills through project-based video classes.
Pricing: Subscription approx. £13/month or £99/year
Visit WebsiteOffers professional development courses, particularly strong in business, tech, and creative skills.
Pricing: Subscription approx. £25/month or £220/year, included with LinkedIn Premium
Visit WebsiteFree platform offering practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalised learning dashboard.
Pricing: Free (non-profit organisation)
Visit WebsiteGame-based platform for creating and playing learning quizzes ("kahoots") live or self-paced.
Pricing: Basic free, premium from £3/month
Visit WebsiteCreates study sets with flashcards, games, and practice tests. Uses AI features for personalised study.
Pricing: Basic free, premium from £3/month
Visit WebsiteGamified quizzes and interactive lessons for classroom or remote learning.
Pricing: Basic free, premium from £6/month
Visit WebsiteInteractive platform for real-time audience response, quizzes, polls, and brainstorming during presentations or classes.
Pricing: Basic free, pro from €5/month, institutional pricing available
Visit WebsiteGoogle Slides/PowerPoint add-on for creating interactive questions and formative assessments within presentations.
Pricing: Basic free, premium from $149.99/year
Visit WebsitePlatform for creating interactive lessons incorporating slides, videos, quizzes, polls, and collaborative boards.
Pricing: Basic free, premium from $159/year
Visit WebsiteTool for creating interactive presentations with real-time polling, word clouds, and Q&A.
Pricing: Basic free, pro from €9.99/month
Visit WebsiteSimple tool for quick quizzes, polls, and exit tickets for real-time formative assessment.
Pricing: Basic free, pro from $89.99/year
Visit WebsiteVideo discussion platform where students record short video responses to prompts.
Pricing: Free
Visit WebsiteVirtual bulletin board for sharing text, links, images, videos, and documents.
Pricing: Basic free (3 padlets), premium from $8/month
Visit WebsiteDigital whiteboard platform for brainstorming, mind-mapping, and visual collaboration.
Pricing: Free version available, team plans from £8/month per member
Visit WebsiteDigital canvas for freeform drawing and collaboration.
Pricing: Free with Microsoft 365
Visit WebsiteCommunication platform often used for group projects, class discussions, or student communities.
Pricing: Free version available, pro from £6.67/month per user
Visit WebsiteVoice, video, and text communication platform popular for community building.
Pricing: Free core features, Nitro from £8.99/month
Visit WebsiteVideo conferencing platform essential for virtual classes and meetings.
Pricing: Basic free (40-min limit), pro from £149.90/year
Visit WebsiteVideo conferencing integrated with Google Workspace.
Pricing: Free with Google Workspace
Visit WebsiteUser-friendly graphic design tool for creating presentations, posters, infographics, videos, and more.
Pricing: Basic free, pro from £10.99/month, free education accounts
Visit WebsiteCreates interactive presentations, infographics, gamified quizzes, and escape rooms.
Pricing: Basic free, edu pro from €2.50/month
Visit WebsiteNon-linear presentation tool that uses motion and zoom to navigate through ideas on a large canvas.
Pricing: Basic free, standard from £7/month
Visit WebsiteTools for creating e-learning courses (often from PowerPoint) and screen recording.
Pricing: From $770/year
Visit WebsiteAllows teachers to embed questions and notes into videos (from YouTube, Khan Academy, etc.).
Pricing: Basic free, pro from $12.50/month
Visit WebsiteSimple tool for creating interactive digital books, comics, and portfolios.
Pricing: Free plan (1 library, 40 books), premium from $12/month
Visit WebsiteOpen-source tool for creating interactive content like quizzes, presentations, and games.
Pricing: Free (open source), hosting may require subscription
Visit WebsiteComprehensive screen recording and video editing software for creating instructional videos.
Pricing: From £229.99 (one-time purchase), education discounts available
Visit WebsiteAI assistant for brainstorming, explaining concepts, generating text outlines, practicing conversations, etc.
Pricing: Basic free, Plus from $20/month
Visit WebsiteGoogle's AI assistant for generating text, answering questions, and creative tasks.
Pricing: Basic free, Advanced from $19.99/month
Visit WebsiteAI-powered writing assistant for grammar, spelling, style, and clarity.
Pricing: Basic free, premium from £11/month
Visit WebsitePlatform with numerous AI tools specifically designed for teacher tasks (lesson planning, differentiation, assessment creation, etc.).
Pricing: Free tier, premium from $9.99/month
Visit WebsiteAI tool for transcribing audio/video meetings and generating summaries.
Pricing: Basic free (300 minutes/month), pro from £8.99/month
Visit WebsiteAI tool that analyzes uploaded source materials (PDFs, text, URLs) and allows users to ask questions, summarise, and generate ideas based only on those sources.
Pricing: Free
Visit WebsiteDigital note-taking app for organizing ideas, web clippings, images, and documents across devices.
Pricing: Basic free, personal from £10.99/month
Visit WebsiteMicrosoft's digital notebook application integrated with Microsoft 365.
Pricing: Free with Microsoft account
Visit WebsiteFree reference management tool for collecting, organizing, citing, and sharing research sources.
Pricing: Free, additional storage plans from $20/year
Visit WebsiteReference manager and academic social network that helps organize research.
Pricing: Basic free, premium from £14.99/month
Visit WebsiteAll-in-one workspace combining notes, tasks, wikis, and databases; highly customisable.
Pricing: Basic free, personal pro from £8/month
Visit WebsiteFree online graphing calculator, classroom activities, and digital math tools.
Pricing: Free
Visit WebsiteInteractive geometry, algebra, statistics, and calculus application.
Pricing: Free
Visit WebsiteLanguage learning app using gamification and spaced repetition.
Pricing: Free with ads, Super from £11.99/month
Visit WebsiteVirtual lab simulations for science subjects.
Pricing: Contact for institutional pricing
Visit WebsiteFree science and math simulations from the University of Colorado Boulder.
Pricing: Free
Visit WebsiteAdaptive game-based math platform for grades 1-8.
Pricing: Basic free, premium from £6.25/month
Visit WebsiteBuilt into many Microsoft products, reads text aloud, changes text size/spacing, highlights parts of speech, and translates.
Pricing: Free with Microsoft products
Visit WebsiteToolbar offering text-to-speech, word prediction, dictionaries, and other literacy supports across platforms.
Pricing: From £150/year, volume discounts available
Visit WebsiteTool for evaluating web content accessibility.
Pricing: Free web tool, API pricing varies
Visit WebsiteTool that integrates with the LMS to improve the accessibility of course content.
Pricing: Contact for institutional pricing
Visit WebsiteSelf-service conversion tool that transforms documents into accessible formats.
Pricing: Institutional subscription, pricing varies
Visit WebsiteNote: Pricing information is indicative and may change. Many tools offer educational discounts or free tiers for educators. Always check the official websites for the most current pricing and features.