OPWL Mission, Vision and Program History

History: 2016 – Present

2023

Rafael Leonardo da Silva starts Interactive Learning Design Lab.

2022

• By December 2022, a total of 1,082 students earned a Master of Science in Organizational Performance and Workplace Learning.
• Rafael Leonardo da Silva, Jelena Pokimica and Ria Roy join the full-time faculty.
• Steve Villachica retires as an emeritus professor, and starts the Process Management Lab.

2021

• Kori Anna Smith joins the department as department manager.
• Seth Martinez joins the full-time faculty and starts Learning Strategy Lab.
• Department started using Canvas as its learning management system.

2020

• Seung Youn ‘Yonnie’ Chyung is selected as department chair.
• Lisa Giacumo starts Marginalized and Cross-Cultural Research and Design Learning Tech Group.
• Vicki Stieha starts the Organizational Performance and Workplace Learning Action Research Lab.

2018

• Soo Jeoung “Crystal” Han is part of the event leadership team for Invent for the Planet
• The department celebrates its 30th anniversary.

2017

• Soo Jeoung “Crystal” Han, In Gu Kang, and Vicki Stieha join the full-time faculty.
• Linda Huglin retires as an emeritus professor.
• The department starts the “Get Your Workplace Experience Here” resource.

2016

• Linda Burnett and Ron Grames retire and are awarded emeritus status.
• Kelly Weak joins the department as operations manager.

History: 2006 – 2015

2015

• Department started using Blackboard as its learning management system.
• Don Stepich retires as an emeritus professor.
• Anthony Marker is selected as department chair.
• Lisa Giacumo joins the full-time faculty.

2014

Department begins migrating the course offerings to Blackboard

2013

• Department changes its name from Instructional and Performance Technology to Organizational Performance and Workplace Learning
• Quincy Conley joins the full-time faculty.

2012

• Program courses offered entirely online.
• Program requirement change for the Master of Science in Instructional and Performance Technology and for the Graduate Certificates in Human Performance Technology and Workplace E-Learning and Performance Support.

2011

• Karen Medsker and Richard Swanson are invited as external evaluators for the department’s self-study.
• Brandalyn Athons joins the department as web design specialist.

2010

• The WIDe graduate certificate program started Spring semester of 2010.
• Yonnie Chyung starts Workplace-Oriented Research Central (WORC) Lab.

2009

The WELPS graduate certificate program started the spring semester of 2009.

2008

• The third inter-institutional seminar between Boise State’s instructional and performance technology department and Hanyang University is held in Seoul, South Korea.
• The first Graduate Certificate in Human Performance Technology is awarded to Gloria Ortiz.
• The department celebrates its 20th anniversary.

2007

• The Graduate Certificate in Human Performance Technology started in the fall semester.
• Steve Villachica joins the full-time faculty.
• David Cox retires as an emeritus professor.
• By May 2007, a total of 505 students have graduated.

2006

The second inter-institutional seminar between Boise State’s instructional and performance technology department and Hanyang University in South Korea is held in Boise, Idaho.

History: 1996 – 2005

2005

• Anthony Marker joins the full-time faculty.
• The first inter-institutional seminar between Boise State’s instructional and performance technology department and Hanyang University in South Korea is held in Seoul, South Korea. Four instructional and performance technology faculty members and six students participate in the seminar.

2004

• Linda Huglin joins the full-time faculty.
• Adjunct faculty, Penelope Schwiebert, leads an “HPT in China” tour.

2002

• Don Stepich joins the faculty.
• In the fall semester, 202 students enroll in on-campus and online classes.
• By May 2002, a total of 281 students have graduated.

2001

Roger Kaufman and Dale Brethower are invited as external evaluators for the department’s self-study.

2000

• The department develops its own Lotus Notes course database to deliver its online courses.

1999

• Seung Youn ‘Yonnie’ Chyung joins the full-time faculty.
• The online program switches its delivery system to Lotus Notes Learning Space.
• The department starts providing an online boot camp program to new online students.

1998

• A new program website is launched.
• The department reduces the online course fee for Idaho residents and active military personnel.
• The department obtains a contract with ISPI to develop and host the ISPI Institute online course.

1997

• The College of Technology is reorganized into 2 colleges: the College of Engineering and the College of Applied Technology. The instructional and performance technology program becomes a department of the College of Engineering and celebrates its tenth anniversary.
• By May 1997, a total of 151 students have graduated.

1996

Donald Winiecki joins the full-time faculty.

History: 1987 – 1995

1995

• IPT 560 Human Performance Technology is approved as a required course.
• The total number of credits required for the degree program increases from 33 to 36.
• By May 1995, a total of 92 students have graduated.

1992

• David Cox joins the full-time faculty.
• In the fall semester, the on-campus program enrolls 20 students and the online program enrolls 61 students.
• Kay Wright from Birmingham, Mississippi, becomes the instructional and performance technology program’s first online graduate.
• By May 1992, a total of 15 students have graduated.

1991

• Link Training Services closes its headquarters and the online instructional and performance technology program switches the online delivery software to Silly Little Mail Reader (SLMR).
• Ron Grames joins the staff as technical coordinator.

1990

• The program with a new name, Instructional and Performance Technology (IPT), becomes part of the College of Technology, and it starts offering a Master of Science in Instructional and Performance Technology.
• Mark Eisley is hired and named program director and chair.
• Linda Burnett joins the staff as office coordinator and JoAnn Fenner as associate program developer.

1989

• Two on-campus students graduate with a master’s degree in education with an emphasis in instructional technology.
• The first online courses are offered to 33 students using “Caucus” donated from Link Training Services.

1988

The program is awarded a grant from the National Guard Bureau to develop and deliver the master’s degree with an emphasis in instructional technology online, which is the start of the self-supporting instructional and performance technology online program.

1987

• Boise State’s College of Education offers a master’s degree in education with an emphasis in instructional technology.
• Dean Spitzer is named program director and chair.