Since the immortal Charles Darwin traveled the high seas on the Beagle, the concept of evolution has been a mainstay in the realm of science. Though other great minds published ideas on the subject as well, Darwin’s theory of natural selection received the most praise from the scientific and academic communities. Of his theory, the English naturalist wrote:

I have called this principle, by which each slight variation, if useful, is preserved, by the term Natural Selection.

Today, evolution seems to be ‘taboo’ in the world of education. School districts across the country are still debating whether or not Darwin’s theories should be taught to middle-schoolers in life science classes. Many people fail to realize, however, that evolutionary theories can be extremely useful when applied to non-biological subjects, especially the study of social and cultural institutions. Therefore, with respect to Mr. Darwin, let’s take a look at how postsecondary education has evolved since its inception during the Middle Ages.

• Universitates emerge in the 11th century from religious schools in S. France and N. Italy. Students begin to study medicine and law in an official capacity.
• Humanist subjects such as history, philosophy, and political science gain tremendous popularity during the Renaissance. Thanks Machiavelli!!!
• During the Enlightenment, scholars begin to use sense experience and reason in the pursuit of knowledge, causing many to question the status quo. See Descartes, Voltaire, Kant, Locke, and numerous others.
• An expansion of the fine arts (part of Romanticism) sparks the widespread infusion of music and art into postsecondary curricula.
• Civil rights initiatives during the mid-20th century prompt the desegregation of colleges and universities in countries around the world.
• The Internet explodes as a means of communication and research, leading to the extensive growth of distance learning. Both traditional campuses and Web-based institutions allow millions of students to earn degrees online.

Merriam-Webster defines evolution as a process of change in a certain direction. Although this definition fails to pinpoint that direction, each of the stages listed above represents a positive change in higher learning. Almost like Mother Nature herself, postsecondary education has ’selected’ the most beneficial characteristics of our society to produce a more advanced product. One could argue that online learning is the most important of these developments, making quality postsecondary education available to more people than ever before.