ERIC Number: EJ952506
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 8
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1740-4622
EISSN: N/A
Through Classroom Walls: A Collaborative Public Relations Education for Creating Integrated, Digital Media Campaigns
Geyer-Semple, Victoria
Communication Teacher, v26 n1 p37-44 2012
Public relations (PR) educators and professionals often encounter strife of managing the need of teaching research, writing and critical thinking skills in the classroom. In addition, educators are also tending to the needs of implementing current industry trends into the undergraduate curriculum. In today's undergraduate PR programs significant challenges exist between maintaining a balance for both academic rigor and professional skill in the undergraduate PR curriculum. There are challenges today to teach more intangible skills of professionalism and the disciplined process of the PR profession. In this article, the author describes a semester-long project that is designed to help bridge that gap between industry practicality and academic rigor. The project is a collaborative teaching effort between an outside PR firm or organization's PR department and a faculty professor. This pilot project was created and implemented through the funding and staff of the worldwide PR firm, Manning, Selvage, and Lee (MS&L). MS&L reached out to local universities and PR professors to develop a course titled, "Generation Activation," a comprehensive digital media curriculum for students studying PR. The firm's objectives were to infuse the firm with next generation great thinking, spark ideation and innovation, while creating opportunities for entrepreneurial thinking and spirit for staff. The MS&L pilot project serves as a model for implementation at other universities. With some adaptation, the project can be implemented into withstanding university programs such as, experiential learning programs with community partners and local non-profit organizations that often partner with universities for capstone campaigns courses in PR. With a professional partner outside university walls, this collaborative project provides social responsibility for the partnering organization, by mentoring young adults in university PR programs, while also training upcoming graduates with the digital media skills required for talented staff. Meanwhile, the project brings invaluable insight and skill to both students and faculty through the teaching of current, best practices used in the industry for navigation of the evolving media landscape.
Descriptors: Public Relations, College Curriculum, Undergraduate Study, Industry, School Business Relationship, Teacher Collaboration, Pilot Projects, Curriculum Development, Experiential Learning, Young Adults, Social Responsibility, Team Teaching, Thinking Skills
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A