Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/1058156
6 WINNIPEG FREE PRESS - THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2018 There are two approaches to delivering education. One is theoretical, which involves having students think about how they might accomplish a certain task. The other is practical, which involves taking the actions required to perform that task with the end goal being to gain experience and hone skills through practice. Those behind the Interactive Media Arts program at Assiniboine Community College in Brandon made the conscious decision to take the latter approach long ago. "Our program's motto is 'learn by doing,' and we walk that talk," says video and media instructor Greg Sherris, whose industry experience includes working at CKX-TV Brandon and running his own business. "We put real projects in front of students every day to expose them to a live learning environment." Knowing that students will be entering an intense, detail-driven industry, instructors put their young charges in a crucible that mirrors the demands they will deal with in real-life work situations. "There's definitely an edge to everything we do," says journalism instructor Murray Oliver, who enjoyed a long career as a reporter in Canada and around the world. "We want our students to get a sense of what it's all really about." To that end, students are immersed in learning vehicles such as Newsline, a live news broadcast that happens three days a week. "It embodies the spirit of live learning," says Sherris. "It models all the preparation, teamwork, behaviour and operational demands that are required for a live event production." Oliver agrees. "Newsline is a perfect example of what the program is all about," he says. "It's real news, not made-up news. It prepares students by giving them real-world reporting experience and producing real news features." What's the result of replicating that real- world experience? "I think it gives students a leg up by providing them ASSINIBOINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE INTERACTIVE MEDIA ARTS PROGRAM STRESSES LEARNING BY DOING By Todd Lewys for the Free Press "Newsline is a perfect example of what the program is all about. It's real news, not made-up news. It prepares students by giving them real-world reporting experience and producing real news features." — Murray Oliver