summer 2012 - National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and ...

From the Editor—
Carpe diem! Embrace change!
The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus declared that one cannot step
into the same river twice—it is everywhere in flux and change. Heraclitus would
have made a terrific public affairs teacher. He understood the world is constantly
changing, demanding always something new of all public administrators and
citizens, thereby necessitating that the education we deliver go with the flow.
Juxtapose the nineteenth-century Luddites who destroyed the new machines
they viewed as a threat to their jobs and society. Their world was one hostile
and fearful of change and new ideas; they preferred the old, reliable, and cozy.
They would have been horrible teachers. Standing between Heraclitus and the
Luddites are many public affairs teachers and programs. Many desire continuity,
fidelity to tried-and-true methods and values; others seek change for itself. The
art of good teaching is balancing what works with experimentalism.
There is no question that changes in the world render imperative a
rethinking of public affairs education. They include a new democratic model
for governance, expectations that managers be more collaborative, and
communications between citizens and officials that are increasingly mediated by
the social and new media. Additionally, faculty are witness to a new generation
of students more tech savvy than we ever were, and to a demand to integrate
the classroom to the community in ways that defy most of our educational
experiences. In short, effective public affairs teaching now calls for innovation
and reflecting changes in the world, in much the same way that the business
community demands of both. It might be trite to say that public affairs teaching
must evolve or die, but certainly seize the day is a good message to live by.
This issue of JPAE might be called the “Carpe diem!” one. It features a
special symposium on learning and technology, and it also showcases articles that
capture some of the other changes in society that are driving new pedagogies in
the classroom. What this issue aims to do is survey the new landscape of teaching
and to assess what works and why. The balance that the articles seek to effect is
encouraging experimentation in teaching while respecting two other values. The
first is how to enhance and respect democratic values; the second is how to do
what “works,” whatever works might mean. Promote change, respect democracy,
and be effective—this is the focus of the Summer 2012 issue.
Thomas A. Bryer and Angela M. Eikenberry are the guest editors and
introduce the symposium on technology. They note the diversity of technologies
employed in the classroom, ranging from old-fashioned chalk to perhaps the
latest downloadable app, seeking to explain not only what tools are being used,
but to what effect. Are the latest technologies demonstrably better in enhancing
learning? Do they create a more enjoyable learning environment? Or do the
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Journal of Public Affairs Education