My unique approach of combining theory and practice in the classroom comes from having been trained and worked as both an academic and a journalist. Appreciating that learning styles are as diverse as are students, I employ a number of methods to present course material. In any given semester — or during any given class session — I might include a number of approaches, ranging from straight lecture to Socratic method to discussion to group work. I also believe strongly in teaching journalism through experiential learning, where students can learn the craft in the safe environment of academia. This learning-through-doing approach has several aspects to it, each of which is more rigorously applied as courses move from introductory to advanced. They include:

• Teaching holistically by having students produce complete story forms, rather than presenting the elements of journalistic work and having students practice them individually. I present forms in a logical sequence where they build on each other. For print journalism, the sequence includes briefs, breaking news stories, follows, and news features. For broadcast and new media, the progression includes readers (VO), remotes (SOT), and packages (VOSOTVO), as well as connecting elements like cold opens, teases, toss-and-catch, and closes.

• Teaching print, broadcast and online forms concurrently, whenever possible. The skills required for information gathering — public records and online research, interviewing, etc. — are the same, regardless of the medium in which the news is disseminated. Also, information industry professionals are crying out for reporters who can produce stories on multiple platforms.

• Providing guidance throughout the reporting process and extensive comments on filed stories. I stress communication between students and instructor to emphasize the importance of the reporter-editor relationship.

• Requiring a lot of short, diverse assignments, to enable different learning styles. In a semester, students might be required to file seven or eight briefs or readers, as well as a number of longer pieces; to read the newspaper every day and take weekly news and AP style quizzes; take evaluative entry and exit exams; and read an assigned text and complete a number of textbook quizzes. I prefer the writings of experienced journalists to traditional textbooks, and have taught Tom Wicker’s “On the Record,” Woodward & Bernstein’s “All the President’s Men” and Jim Smith’s “A Passion for Journalism.”

• Treating the classroom like a newsroom. In more advanced classes, students serve as reporters and I function as their editor. Students get a taste of what it’s like to work at a newspaper, as well as practice essential reporting skills like working beats, developing sources; pitching stories; discussing their stories with colleagues and their editor; drafting and filing stories on deadlines; and revising stories when necessary.

• Strongly encouraging students to disseminate their stories and take positions at student media outlets serves three functions. First, by having students think about their work as assignments rather than exercises, they take it more seriously. Second, students find seeing their work disseminated to a wider audience tremendously gratifying and even inspiring. Third, working at a student news outlet is a learning experience like none other, save actually working in a newsroom.