Operation PSA: The Action Learning of Curiosity and Creativity

Abstract

The National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration’s (NASPAA) YouTube public policy challenge (NASPAA, 2007) asked students to create 90-second videos or public service announcements (PSAs) that frame current problems and offer solutions. “Operation PSA” similarly discusses this communication medium as a useful classroom tool that warrants incorporation into more 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 article details the steps and tools necessary to creating thought-provoking PSAs, the manner in which to distinguish between potential and realized learning, and current challenges and future directions when considering PSAs as educational tools.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Diane M. Kimoto

Diane Kimoto is an Assistant Professor in Grand Valley State University’s School of Public and Nonprofit Administration. Kimoto earned her Ph.D. from the University of Southern California, with emphases in interpersonal and organizational communications. Her research and publishing interests combine communication and pedagogic theory towards identifying the underlying approaches that guide the co-operative experience between teachers and students in promoting excellence in learning. She is currently the program chair for the annual American Society for Public Administration-sponsored Teaching Public Administration Conference.

Jenny Frasco

Jenny Frasco is currently an MBA student at the University of Michigan, Flint campus, with a concentration in Health Care Management. She holds a bachelor’s degree in organizational communication from Michigan State University, and a master’s degree in public administration, with a nonprofit emphasis, from Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She is passionate about citizenship and the spirit of public service, and tries to lead by example through volunteer efforts in her local community of Rockford, MI.

Lorne Mulder

Lorne Mulder is the Executive Director of the Battle Creek and Calhoun County Homeless Coalition, and has six years of executive management experience in leading self-help support organizations. He has a master’s degree in public administration, with a nonprofit emphasis, from Grand Valley State University. His undergraduate education is in political science, from Aquinas College. Lorne enjoys serving populations with substance abuse disorders, and is inspired by helping people recover.

Sylvia Tsitsi Juta

Sylvia Tsitsi Juta is a Ph.D. student at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She is studying public administration with a focus in nonprofit management. She holds a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Zimbabwe, and an MPA from Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She has seven years experience teaching high school in Zimbabwe. She has worked with non-governmental organizations such as CARE International in rural Zimbabwe. Her research interest is comparative study in nonprofit leadership.