Alumnus shares benefits of e-learning

By Lauren Perry
Journalism junior

David Goad, vice president of marketing and communication for Tegrity

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Tegrity Web site

David Goad graduated from Purdue before the personal computer was even invented, but that hasn't stopped the department alumnus from a career centered around computers and learning.

With the help of a PowerPoint presentation and a lot of personal stories, Goad eagerly explained the benefits of and advances in electronic learning products to a marketing class this semester.

Goad is the vice president of marketing and communication for Tegrity, a company he has worked for since 1998 and has been intimately involved in its journey to profitability.

The company, whose products integrate with the popular WebCT, specializes in transforming classroom instruction into engaging and effective Web content for on-demand and live delivery. Instructors teach naturally at a whiteboard, overhead projectors, Tablet PCs, or office PCs, according to the Tegrity Web site.

The e-learning technology works on any media content. Instructors can write and draw over PowerPoint slides, whiteboards, application screen recordings, instructional videos, high-resolution snapshots and interactive quizzes, and seamlessly switch between them. For instance, the Wichita, Kan., public schools contracted with Tegrity to create 300 online modules for home-schooled children.

Goad does so many different things at his office in San Jose, Calif., that no day is typical, but he describes his work as hectic, exciting, and such that he must force himself to sit down and deal with all issues, big or small.

"Everything I do is finding the success story and branching from that," said Goad.

His role at Tegrity is precisely to sell e-learning. He markets, schedules and supervises events, and evaluates and follows strong leads through to purchase, among many other tasks. Although he has years of experience at larger companies, Goad loves working for a smaller company because he has a variety of responsibilities, likes to meet new people, and is able to work with a core group of colleagues.

Goad's secret to success is partly the result of getting what he asked for.

"The 'success ladder' has been more of a jungle gym for me. I think the keys to success in my career stem from my desire to keep learning, and to ask for more responsibility whenever the opportunity presented itself."

Goad said Purdue gave him exposure to and instruction in graphic arts, communication, and public relations – areas that the 'real world' has called on him to be familiar with. Goad was active in the Public Relations Student Society of America, which he feels helped him to be a better-rounded person.

After graduating from Purdue with a bachelor's in Communication and a specialty in graphic arts, Goad worked as the leader of marketing and sales for B2B, which, among other things, is the founding team of DigitalChef.com, an e-commerce site for professional chefs. He was also director of entertainment marketing for Restaurant Enterprises Group, where he led marketing efforts for 45 restaurant/nightclubs in Southern California. Goad also has experience in human resources, training, and media production. Five years ago, Goad joined Tegrity.

Tegrity's largest clients are educational institutions, including Purdue. At one time, Tegrity focused on selling its products to the business world, but its founders soon learned that one company cannot be all things to all people. The company has changed a lot since it was assembled in 1995, and has carved a niche for itself in the all or nothing technology market.

The company has been very successful in creating its own mini-trade shows instead of going to larger trade shows that have declined since Sept. 11, 2001. This way, potential buyers can see the technology at work and feel more personal contact with the small company. Tegrity's products are used mostly by high school teachers and college professors. Tegrity has sold its products to the military and also to the corporate world, which uses them for conferences and remote access meetings.

Goad encourages alumni to keep learning and to keep their skills up. Online learning creates more new options to continue education.

"Make sure you have all the technical skills you need; it is not an option to be technologically illiterate."