EASYUNI Ultimate University Guide 2013 July Issue | Page 71

Advertorial Learn From Industry Professionals, From Within Y Classroom our The Genting marketing team, together with IACT College lecturers, after a student brie?ng With its Project Based Learning (PBL) pedagogy, lessons at IACT College are conducted using actual industry-based projects, where students are tasked to deliver real-world solutions to the projects. The result? Graduates that do not only have paper quali?cations, but who also are job-ready. Thanks to IACT College’s close ties to the industry, students have the opportunity to work on projects with industry professionals, giving them invaluable work experience and networking opportunities. Amongst some of the clients students have worked with include big-name brands like Nestlé, Genting, and Universal Music. How does PBL work? While case studies are valuable learning resources, the bene?t of PBL is that it exposes students to current on-going marketing and advertising problems. “PBL is important as the creative communication industry is very dynamic. Studying past problems via case-studies is helpful in increasing students’ understanding of a topic, but PBL is where they are exposed to real-life problems that re?ect current situations,” says Nicholas Lee, Academic Director of IACT College. IACT College receives PBL projects from a list of clients, thanks to its strong industry connections as the college is owned by the MAA and 4As, the two Malaysian bodies representing advertisers and advertising agents. Clients come to the college and present their marketing challenges to IACT College students, along with the expected outcome of such projects. These projects become the platform for students to learn course objectives, immediately putting what they learn into practice. Students will then conduct research on the client’s project. Typical information that students look for would be the client’s product, the unique selling point of the product, the kind of customers likely to purchase these products, and who are the client’s competitors. Students are then required to generate marketing and advertising campaign ideas, tailored to reach out to the target customers in the most effective manner. Examples of a youthcentric advertising campaign would be the heavy use of internet advertising channels such as blogs, Twitter or Facebook; while advertising campaigns targeting customers who do not use the internet would heavily rely on newspapers and television advertisements. After identifying these advertising methods, students are further required to create concepts of advertisements and this may include ?lming television advertisements, designing posters and newspaper advertisements, or creating animated internet advertisement banners. Students are guided through all these steps by experienced lecturers and tutors. Lecturers become a coach and a mentor, greatly increasing the value a lecturer contributes to the students’ learning process. The ?nal idea, together with a solid marketing and advertising plan, will then be presented to the client. Clients often execute marketing campaigns based on students’ proposals and ideas. “The ideas that PBL students have provided were creative, and were supported by research,” says Adrian Ang, CEO of JD Media, in one particular PBL project. “I believe these projects will work in the market today.” How do students bene?t from PBL? “IACT College differs from other colleges that may offer the same courses, as our strong industry connection allows us to model our courses after the industry. Therefore PBL as a teaching and learning method allows students to experience the industry,” says Lee. Celyx Lim, a current student at IACT College, believes that PBL is a fun and challenging way to learn, and enjoys it as it exposes her to experiences outside the classroom. “I believe that the best part of PBL is that it builds our character, allowing us to speak con?dently during presentations,” added Gan Yi Quan, another IACT College student. The Client Connection Not only does working with clients provide valuable learning experiences, but it also simulates the working life for students, giving them a taste of what is to come. PBL gives students an opportunity to network with clients and opens doors to future career opportunities. “Working with students is a different experience as the ideas they generate are very different,” says Andrew Leong, Marketing Manager at Resorts World Genting. “I would de?nitely hire these guys. They have the insights, the energy and the creativity!” “It’s not uncommon for students to seek internships with the PBL clients whom they have worked with. Very often, it is at these companies that IACT College graduates ?nd their ?rst jobs,” Lee adds. René Menezes, CEO of Better Digital Solutions, who has hired two IACT graduates in the past says, “I would say that they are both among the top-5 people I’ve ever hired. They were able to adapt quickly and moved up quickly within the organization.” “We believe that with our holistic syllabus that combines handson learning through internships and PBL, our students will be truly job-ready and given a competitive edge upon graduation,” says Jason Chin, CEO of IACT College. Come experience PBL for yourself. For more information on IACT College, please log on to www.iact.edu.my. KOLEJ IACT SDN BHD 2-G, Block K, Jaya One, Jalan Universiti, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia. Tel : +603 - 7956 0211 Admin : 9.00am - 6.00pm (Mondays - Fridays) Of?ce Hours : 9.00am - 1.00pm (Saturdays) Fax : +603 - 7955 8909 (Full-Time Courses) +603 - 7955 8708 (Part-Time Courses) Email : [email protected] Facebook/Twitter/YouTube/Instagram/Pinterest: IACTCollege EASYUNI Guide 2013 69