Pedagogue Solutions Returns to its Assessment Roots
by Steven B. Just

In the early 1990s Pedagogue Solutions, then called Formal Systems, created one of the very first electronic assessment systems. We called this DOS-based (for those who remember DOS) product PedagogueTesting, and it was an immediate success. In fact the product was so successful that, even though we were technically named Formal Systems, everyone insisted on calling us “the Pedagogue Company,” so, bowing to the inevitable, in the late 1990s we officially changed the name of the company to Pedagogue Solutions.

During this time we also entered the related world of eLearning creating multimedia, and later, Web-based courses -- primarily for the pharmaceutical industry. Of course we didn’t neglect our assessment business and we continued to enhance our Pedagogue product. Today, the Pedagogue Assessment Management System (as it is now officially known) is the most sophisticated Web-based assessment system available on the market and our outsourced, hosted Assessment Management Service, ExamsDirect®, is growing rapidly in popularity.

Being in two businesses simultaneously—eLearning and eTesting—led to a drain on resources, not to mention a certain degree of schizophrenia. So this past fall we made the decision to exit the eLearning business entirely and focus all of our resources on our Pedagogue Assessment Management System and Service. Our eLearning clients were disappointed but understood our business rationale. Our assessment clients are universally delighted because it means we are able to devote all of our resources to supporting their assessment needs.

For us it’s not so much a change as a return to our roots. We look forward to continuing to provide the excellent software and services our assessment clients have come to expect, and, with our new singular focus, to welcoming many more new clients.