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This book approaches the study of public administration by developing a process of interdisciplinary discourse that is used to understand how lower order core constructs (concepts, values, and principles) and higher order associational constructs (methodologies, theories, and foundations) have evolved in the field over time.

The academic literature has expanded significantly in recent times to consider how Gen-AI is transforming the learning process. However, there still remain gaps in the literature, first in applying selected individual Gen-AI applications to classroom learning, and second in focusing upon specific uses in public administration education. In addressing this gap, this research uses a sequence of assignment scenarios to examine how Gen-AI may be integrated into pedagogical approaches and align with course learning objectives. Using the Gen-AI application ChatGPT– which is a popular choice for students to consult for course assignments– an examination of results generated from program queries point toward both opportunities and challenges from the perspectives of teaching (instructors) and learning (students). The below discussion contributes to the literature by first developing three assignment scenarios (linked to learning objectives) to explore the utility of Gen-AI in the learning process, and second discusses various teaching and learning benefits and challenges which are premised on the need for moderation and carefully planned usage of Gen-AI technology in the classroom. This blending of pedagogical theory and practice suggests a need for instructors to teach students about the implications of technology usage and assignment originality in unison with the actual topical coverage of the content that is being presented.

Diversity, cultural competency, and global awareness are three broad and mutually reinforcing conceptual themes in the literature of American public affairs education that are rarely implicitly interconnected. A primary challenge has concerned how to teach these themes, either separately or in unison, when designing courses and curricula to satisfy professional standards. This article first explores how broad conceptual themes can be practically transformed into course learning objectives on which assignments may be based. Second, this article explores how comparative public administration and policy may be utilized as a venue for drawing analytical connections across the three themes to promote higher levels of critical thinking. Although comparative approaches have historically been grounded in research-focused studies, pedagogical development of the field holds significant promise in training public administrators to better understand the intricacies of different cultures, nations, governments, and policies as a facet of learning and job performance. This article illustrates several assignment examples of how comparative analysis may be integrated as a pedagogical strategy in teaching American public affairs students the complexities of public service in the diverse and multicultural world of the 21st century.