Theoretical and Instrumental Rationales of Student Empowerment through Social and Web-Based Technologies

Empowering students in public affairs education is vital to the mission of developing effective and ethical public servants. Emergent technologies present new opportunities for modeling, simulating, and/or re-creating complex environments in which students are likely to find themselves after completion of their studies. This article offers a conceptual framing for empowering students using social and web-based technologies across face-to-face, online, and virtual world classes using communication tools that are synchronous, asynchronous, and automated pre-scripted. It further specifies six student- and instructor-based rationales for empowerment: (a) Develop ethical reasoning and judgment in complex contexts, (b) Develop leadership and management skills in complex contexts, (c) Develop ownership in the learning process, (d) Provide space to allow the teacher to show passion and engage that passion with students, (e) Ensure buy-in to course objectives, and (f) Ensure buy-in to course content delivery methods. Suggestions to faculty to strategically design courses to empower students using technology are offered in conclusion.