2010 - Public Relations Society of America

posting content to the Internet, but all respondents (100%) reported extreme comfort in
the post-test.
At the beginning of the project, photography seemed to be the area where most
students felt apprehension. In the pre-test, 53.4% of students reported only a moderate
understanding of photography. At the completion of the project, 80% of respondents
reported a full understanding of photography. Students became comfortable with the idea
that expert photography is not always available or necessary to share a visual message in
these social media formats. While only the best photographs were chosen to share,
students realized that the relentless need for fresh content quickly provided a unique
opportunity to build a skill set they had not previously developed.
One of the largest changes among student understanding was in public relations.
In the pre-test, 53.3% of respondents reported that they had only a moderate
understanding of public relations, with two students (13.3%) reporting no understanding
at all of PR. In contrast, in the post-test, 73.4% of respondents reported having a full
understanding of public relations. The students worked closely with the public relations
teams of both Hubbell Realty and Anawim Housing, perhaps increasing their
understanding of the many projects often falling under the PR “umbrella” of
responsibilities.
Another category in which students really gained knowledge was in video
gathering and editing. In the pre-test, 20% of students reported no understanding of video
gathering/editing, while 40% reported having complete knowledge in this area. In
contrast, when asked to report their knowledge after the initiative, 26.7% reported a
moderate knowledge, while 73.3% - a 33.3% increase from the beginning of the initiative
– reported a full understanding. Many of the on-site projects required the students to use
digital cameras, flip cameras and editing equipment available on laptops (such as
iMovie). This provided opportunities for students to immerse themselves in the use of
these tools while in the “depths” of the project.
When students were asked if they feel like they’re a part of the Drake
neighborhood, 13.3% of respondents reported an increase in feeling a part of their
neighborhood as a result of this project, bringing the post-test total to 80%. Projects that
re-enforce the students’ already high impression of their place in the neighborhood
provide them with opportunities to give back in special, meaningful ways while also
building their professional skills. Many have continued similar work with area nonprofits
and associations, building their resumes and their ties to the surrounding area.
As noted by Wright and Hinson (2009), there is a gap between the social media
use communicators perceive should be implemented in organizations and the actual use
of the tools daily. Students in this survey were also asked to report the percent of their
typical day spent using each of the three mediums used throughout the initiative. The
majority of respondents reported spending 20% to 40% of their day on Facebook, while
spending 10% to 20% of their day using YouTube. The majority of respondents reported
spending 10% or less of their day on Twitter. However, while no participants reported
using Twitter more than 40% of a typical day in the pre-test, the post-test research saw a
21.4% increase in the number of respondents reporting Twitter use in 60% to 90% of a
typical day. Perhaps students saw value in the technology or simply found a “new toy” to
test. Although a small sample, one can posit that increased exposure to a new
235