2010 - Public Relations Society of America
2010 - Public Relations Society of America
2010 - Public Relations Society of America
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posting content to the Internet, but all respondents (100%) reported extreme comfort in<br />
the post-test.<br />
At the beginning <strong>of</strong> the project, photography seemed to be the area where most<br />
students felt apprehension. In the pre-test, 53.4% <strong>of</strong> students reported only a moderate<br />
understanding <strong>of</strong> photography. At the completion <strong>of</strong> the project, 80% <strong>of</strong> respondents<br />
reported a full understanding <strong>of</strong> photography. Students became comfortable with the idea<br />
that expert photography is not always available or necessary to share a visual message in<br />
these social media formats. While only the best photographs were chosen to share,<br />
students realized that the relentless need for fresh content quickly provided a unique<br />
opportunity to build a skill set they had not previously developed.<br />
One <strong>of</strong> the largest changes among student understanding was in public relations.<br />
In the pre-test, 53.3% <strong>of</strong> respondents reported that they had only a moderate<br />
understanding <strong>of</strong> public relations, with two students (13.3%) reporting no understanding<br />
at all <strong>of</strong> PR. In contrast, in the post-test, 73.4% <strong>of</strong> respondents reported having a full<br />
understanding <strong>of</strong> public relations. The students worked closely with the public relations<br />
teams <strong>of</strong> both Hubbell Realty and Anawim Housing, perhaps increasing their<br />
understanding <strong>of</strong> the many projects <strong>of</strong>ten falling under the PR “umbrella” <strong>of</strong><br />
responsibilities.<br />
Another category in which students really gained knowledge was in video<br />
gathering and editing. In the pre-test, 20% <strong>of</strong> students reported no understanding <strong>of</strong> video<br />
gathering/editing, while 40% reported having complete knowledge in this area. In<br />
contrast, when asked to report their knowledge after the initiative, 26.7% reported a<br />
moderate knowledge, while 73.3% - a 33.3% increase from the beginning <strong>of</strong> the initiative<br />
– reported a full understanding. Many <strong>of</strong> the on-site projects required the students to use<br />
digital cameras, flip cameras and editing equipment available on laptops (such as<br />
iMovie). This provided opportunities for students to immerse themselves in the use <strong>of</strong><br />
these tools while in the “depths” <strong>of</strong> the project.<br />
When students were asked if they feel like they’re a part <strong>of</strong> the Drake<br />
neighborhood, 13.3% <strong>of</strong> respondents reported an increase in feeling a part <strong>of</strong> their<br />
neighborhood as a result <strong>of</strong> this project, bringing the post-test total to 80%. Projects that<br />
re-enforce the students’ already high impression <strong>of</strong> their place in the neighborhood<br />
provide them with opportunities to give back in special, meaningful ways while also<br />
building their pr<strong>of</strong>essional skills. Many have continued similar work with area nonpr<strong>of</strong>its<br />
and associations, building their resumes and their ties to the surrounding area.<br />
As noted by Wright and Hinson (2009), there is a gap between the social media<br />
use communicators perceive should be implemented in organizations and the actual use<br />
<strong>of</strong> the tools daily. Students in this survey were also asked to report the percent <strong>of</strong> their<br />
typical day spent using each <strong>of</strong> the three mediums used throughout the initiative. The<br />
majority <strong>of</strong> respondents reported spending 20% to 40% <strong>of</strong> their day on Facebook, while<br />
spending 10% to 20% <strong>of</strong> their day using YouTube. The majority <strong>of</strong> respondents reported<br />
spending 10% or less <strong>of</strong> their day on Twitter. However, while no participants reported<br />
using Twitter more than 40% <strong>of</strong> a typical day in the pre-test, the post-test research saw a<br />
21.4% increase in the number <strong>of</strong> respondents reporting Twitter use in 60% to 90% <strong>of</strong> a<br />
typical day. Perhaps students saw value in the technology or simply found a “new toy” to<br />
test. Although a small sample, one can posit that increased exposure to a new<br />
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