Digital Government

PSPA 5060

3 Credits

Spring Session 2014

University of Virginia

Professor:                   Celeste Murphy Greene, Ph.D

E-mail:                         cmg7u@virginia.edu

Required Texts

Mergel, I. (2013).  Social Medial in The Public Sector.  San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Mergel, I. and Greeves, B. (2013).  Social Media in the Public Sector Field Guide.  San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Various Journal Articles

Course Description

            This course is designed to provide students with an overview of the ways in which the public sector is changing as a result of information technology.  The course will cover various topics such as the social, ethical, policy, and management issues related to information technology.  The course will explore federal, state and local initiatives in digital government, such as social media.  Finally, the course will review the theoretical foundations of information technology.  This is not a technical course, but rather a course to expose students to the various ways information technology is influencing the public sector today.

Learning Objective

            The chief objectives of this course are to:

1. assist students in questioning and critically analyzing the way in which information technology is used today in the public sector;
2. enable students to recognize and distinguish between the different types of information technology;
3. engage students in learning experiences designed to expand their creative abilities to permit them to view information technology from various perspectives;
4. facilitate effective oral and written communication through individual projects.