May 28, 1997: The “IDEA Lab”, the first laboratory dedicated to the evaluation of e-learning, is founded. Within two years the IDEA Lab will employ 18 graduate students at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in order to assist the many learning organizations exploring web-based training and learning.
April 30, 1998: Dr. Champagne authors “Dynamic evaluation of distance education courses”. Descriptions of “Autopsy Approach” and "Embedded Assessment" forms the ideas underlying the MyClassEvaluation system and is cited by the founders of several web-survey products (e.g., CourseMetric, eCourseEvaluation, SurveyShare) as a major influence on their product creation.
July 28, 1998: The earliest version of MyClassEvaluation helps to successfully evaluate satellite and web-based corporate training simultaneously delivered to 13 countries.
August 3, 1998: The IDEA Lab conducts first web-based conference evaluation, for the Distance Teaching and Learning Conference in Madison, WI.
January 4, 1999: Demonstration of MyClassEvaluation, the first fully-automated web-based course and instructor evaluation system is given at the Teaching of Psychology conference.
March 29, 1999: IOTA Solutions is founded and Professor Champagne bids farewell to academia.
May 15, 1999: The IDEA Lab creates the primary internet-based assessment instrument used by the U.S. Army Research Institute.
July 1, 1999: IOTA Solutions earns first paycheck: evaluating distance learning leadership courses for Albany International.
September 27, 1999: IOTA Solutions business plan is completed.
October 15, 1999: The IDEA Lab is shuttered, and IOTA Solutions opens 1000 sq ft office on Peoples Avenue, Troy, NY. Keith Hmieleski, Scott Jablonski, Stephen Konya, and Matt Champagne are the co-founders.
November 8, 1999: Pace University’s NACTEL program becomes IOTA Solutions' first academic client. First web-based evaluation is launched November 19, 1999.
January 28, 2000 – IOTA Solutions is selected by the U.S. Department of Education (FIPSE) as Senior Evaluator. University of Detroit Mercy’s GDAPFT program becomes IOTA Solutions' second client.
June 23, 2000: Rochester Institute of Technology becomes first university to purchase the fully-automated MyClassEvaluation. Official birthday of MyClassEvaluation.
June 29, 2000: Dr. Susan Carswell, University of Pennsylvania, is first instructor to use the create-your-own evaluation tool dubbed MyClassEvaluation-Professional for her Microbiology course.
July 11, 2000: First of many presentations to Venture Capitalist and Angel investors to fund the concept of a fully-automated web-based university-wide course and instructor evaluation system.
July 31, 2000: MyClassEvaluation version 2.0 is completed and made publicly available.
October 14, 2000: IOTA Solutions creates web-based testing and assessment tools for Project Lead the Way.
May 12, 2001: IOTA Solutions bids farewell to the Incubator in Troy, NY and opens Headquarters in Atlanta, GA.
September 2002: IOTA Solutions awarded an SBIR grant for its innovations in educational evaluation. This funding enables IOTA Solutions to incorporate all concepts of “Embedded Assessment” into MyClassEvaluation version 3.0 and widely distribute the tools at low cost to dozens of universities.
May 29, 2007: IOTA Solutions celebrates 10th anniversary.
We will continue the history of IOTA Solutions over the coming months. Please visit again soon. |
