journal of public affairs education - NASPAA *The Global Standard ...

Operation PSA: The Action Learningof Curiosity and CreativityDiane M. KimotoGrand Valley State UniversityJenny FrascoUniversity of Michigan, FlintLorne MulderBattle Creek and Calhoun County Homeless CoalitionSylvia Tsitsi JutaWestern Michigan University, KalamazooABSTRACTThe National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration’s(NASPAA) YouTube public policy challenge (NASPAA, 2007) asked students tocreate 90-second videos or public service announcements (PSAs) that frame currentproblems and offer solutions. “Operation PSA” similarly discusses thiscommunication medium as a useful classroom tool that warrants incorporation intomore public administration programs across the nation. Building upon Dewey’s(1916) belief that learning occurs during instances of communication and Revans’(1980) emphasis on collaborative communication for action learning, the articledetails the steps and tools necessary to creating thought-provoking PSAs, themanner in which to distinguish between potential and realized learning, and currentchallenges and future directions when considering PSAs as educational tools.INTRODUCTION“Speak Truth to Power” is a public service campaign, offered by the NationalAssociation of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA), forwhich graduate students create a video that frames a current problem and offerstheir solutions. The campaign also signals a change for public administrationprograms that recognize the power to communicate a very special message aboutpublic policy issues through the use of YouTube as a “fast-changing video webJPAE 15(3): 361–382 Journal of Public Affairs Education 361