Information Literacy in Public Affairs Curriculum

Film in Public Administration Classrooms: Developing Responsible Administrators in the Information Age

“…Primarily, students who critically analyze films and connect them to relevant concepts become lifelong learners who make these connections throughout their lives (Ormsby and Williams, 2010;Sexton, 2006). Academics further the field by contributing to the literature and developing the links to theory and practice.…”

“…The NASPAA highlights five core competencies for accredited Master of Public Administration (MPA) programs: (a) leading and managing in public governance; (b) participating in and contributing to the policy process; (c) analyzing, synthesizing, thinking critically, solving problems and making decisions; (d) articulating and applying a public service perspective; and (e) communicating and interacting productively with a diverse and changing workforce and citizenry (Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration, Commission on Peer Review and Accreditation, 2014: 7). Educational competencies provide students with PA principles and practices; government and governance structures, and bureaucracy; community values and professional standards; impacts of civic engagement and citizen participation; statistical analysis; foundations of economic study; laws, due process, legal constraints and practices; importance of transparency and accountability; human resource management; develop written and oral communication skills; social equity, responsiveness and accountability; sustainability; and policy issues (Bryson et al, 2014;Haupt et al, 2017;McCandless and Larson, 2018;Menzel, 2009a;Miller et al, 2010;Ormsby and Williams, 2010). Specific courses such as leadership and ethics, public management, organizational behavior and theory, policy processes, human resources, administrative law, etc.…”

“…These can be long, structured narratives that deal with "wicked problems" with no clear solutions or guidelines for knowing when an answer has been determined; instead, there is a focus on learning by discovery (Menzel, 2009b). By using engaging stories to connect the characters to complex dilemmas and relevant course topics (Marshall, 2003), film/case studies create opportunities for students to research the subject for proper resolution (Ormsby and Williams, 2010). They promote both inductive and deductive reasoning where students analytically identify, deconstruct, and reconstruct the elements of the case to understand the issue at hand (Menzel, 2009b).…”

“…One of the underlying assumptions about decision-making and problem-solving is that they are being done ethically to ensure the public good. Students require reasoning skills to address ethical quandaries they may face professionally or personally (Ormsby and Williams, 2010). When ethical reference points shift from a public good focus to a more self-serving focus (Dubnick, 2000), then ethical behavior must reconnect to public service values, with the public interest as a moral compass superseding self-interest (Thompson, 1985;Wright et al, 2016).…”

“…This education is further confounded by the valueladen language around morality and ethics (these words themselves are not neutral) and hinders impartial decision-making (Spicer, 2015). Moreover, topics of ethics, values, and morality for students are broad and hard to define (Kuzma and Haney, 2001;Miller et al, 2010;Ormsby and Williams, 2010;Wright, 2015).…”