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

Operation PSA: The Action Learning of Curiosity and Creativityresults” (Baker, Rudd, & Pomeroy, 2001, p. 163), was reflected through onestudent’s remarks about the importance of undergraduate publicadministration studies:Public administration is critical to our lives, as I had mentioned. Wereally do need this field, and particularly at the undergraduate level likewe are. It is one thing to talk about it as an academic and it’s anotherthing to actually go out there and impact the lives of people (AppendixC, Respondent #1, April 2008).Students illustrated evidence of a branding process or “a shortcut means ofidentifying an organization, program, or cause in a way that differentiates itfrom alternatives” through the naming of individuals and institutions that hadinfluenced their pubic administration goals and objectives (Herman, 2005, p.289). For example, the same participant stated that he had “learned about it[public administration] from the former Mayor of Grand Rapids, who hadmade the comment that people weren’t learning civics anymore, so I gotinterested” (Appendix C, Respondent #1, April 2008). Another mentioned aformer institution, “Muskegon Community College, when I went and talked tomy advisor and she suggested public administration would be needing a lot ofsolid educated individuals to fill the careers in upcoming years” (Appendix C,Respondent #3, April 2008).Technology is defined as a branch of knowledge that deals with the creationand use of media text and its interrelation with life, society, and theenvironment (Kimoto, Frasco, Juta, & Mulder, 2008b). It is not simplyelectronic gadgets, such as videos and computers, but the manipulation,interaction, and creativity of using learner-generated media for knowledgecreation (Lee, McLoughlin, & Chan, 2008; Littlejohn, Falconer, & McGill,2006; Yang, 2007; Yeh, 2006). The reinforcing effect of technology was adeptlydepicted by a student who said:… to be able to put all of the seriousness which needs to go into thefield and to watch Happy Feet [an animated movie about an Emperorpenguin who is born unable to sing, but who can dance] and to be ableto relate that to public administration was really, really, really cool. Itreally made a difference and you can make a difference in society(Appendix C, Respondent #3, April 2008).Instead of shrouding the vitality of students’ messages under fancy transitionsand elaborate music, only titles were flashed on the screen (a) to reflect thequestions posed during the taped interviews and (b) to draw attention tostudents’ reactions about how others might develop their own leadership skillsthrough the impact of teachers and mentors.Journal of Public Affairs Education 371