Wikipedia talk:Education program archive/Texas State University/Introduction to public administration (Spring 2014)/Course description

Course description
The content of this course is focused on developing your comprehension of the history and foundational underpinnings of public administration (PA). We will cover economic, political, and social dynamics within the field of PA as well as the management challenges related to human resources, finances, program development, evaluation, technology, and strategic management.

After completing this class, students will be able to: define public administration and the uniqueness of this sector from the profit and nonprofit sector; discuss the most significant changes and challenges facing public administrators; and practice critical thinking skills when considering matters of public concern including: identifying the assumptions that frame thinking and determine actions, checking out the degree to which these assumptions are accurate and valid, looking at ideas and actions from several different perspectives, and on the basis of all of this, taking informed actions.

Assignment overview
Your assignment is to choose an underdeveloped public administration related subject to research and write about on Wikipedia. Working as a part of a group, you will create a new article or expand an existing one. During the active project phase, you will monitor and respond to feedback on your article, and assist other groups by reading and commenting on their work.

Learning objectives
Infeld & Adams (2013) summarize the valuable experience students can gain from contributing to Wikipedia: In particular, these authors hold that such benefits are particularly important for students in public administration. The effective practice of PA is increasingly dependent on the ability to work in teams. By participating in this assignment students are also developing critical democratic skills that PA graduates need.
 * 1) Collaborating in a diverse environment
 * 2) Fostering thinking about evidence
 * 3) Effectively communicating information to a broad public audience
 * 4) Appreciating the role of access to information in a democracy

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