Asynchonous Online Graduate Public Policy Education:The Use of Public Databases to Engage Students and Advance

Learning

Richard DoyleAssociate Professor of Public Budgeting

Naval Postgraduate SchoolMonterey, CA

The Logic of the Course

Learning is more effective if students are actively engaged with the raw materials of the course

Graduate education in public budgeting can effectively incorporate relevant data in @ real time

Instructor must bring the materials to the students in a timely and effective manner

The Relevant Materials

Students learn about the players and the budget process in general (theory), then engage the actual players and the process in action (the budget process underway as the

course is delivered)

Similarly, students are exposed to budget problems from the literature, then learn how the current Congress and

executive branch is addressing them

High speed and continuous access to the web is essential

Providing Context

Readings (e.g., journal and newspaper articles, book chapters) provided in digitized formats within the LMS

(Blackboard, transitioning to Sakai); assignments can be changed during the course to take advantage of new

documents bearing on course objectives and the current budget process

Lectures provided via PPT presentations located within the LMS and published using Articulate, with video

introduction by instructor (updated for each new course offering to remain relevant to budget developments in

Congress and the executive branch)

Parallel Processes

Interactive tools (e.g., Camtasia tours of congressional budget committee websites) for learning key elements of the budget process are assigned in addition to reading

materials and PPT presentations

Faculty student interaction occurring through Announcements, Discussion Board and email, including

feedback on student papers scanned and emailed to them

Faculty member communicating with students as re current budget developments relevant to their learning

The Exercises

Grades are derived entirely from completion of exercises involving a combination of budget concepts and current

budget data

One exercise, worth 60 percent of the final grade, consists of a set of four questions pertaining to a specific part

(function, account, chapter, etc) of the federal budget

Each student selects the “part” of the budget he/she will use for this exercise, optimizing their interest

The Four Questions

What is in your piece of the federal budget pie?

Which committees of Congress control your piece of the budget pie and what is the nature of that control?

Which government agencies propose spending for your piece, how do they use the funding, and what organized

interests attempt to influence levels of funding?

What does the administration propose for your piece of the budget pie?

Advantages

Students discover and construct knowledge about budget process and outcomes

Students equipped to locate and analyze relevant budget information, enabling research using primary materials

Budget information asymmetry shifted in favor of students/citizens