The Dreaded Blue Envelope: An Exercise in Empowerment

Keywords: empowerment, justice, motivation, experiential

Abstract: This experiential exercise provides a great opportunity for students to not just learn what empowerment is theoretically, but to appreciate what it means to feel empowered. The exercise is structured whereby students are given the opportunity to create their own assignment if they can convince their peers and the instructor of the merits of their approach. However, if they fail, they must accept a mystery assignment in a Blue Envelope which they are assured they will not enjoy. The fear of the Blue Envelope serves as a great motivator for students to take ownership over their own learning, resulting in heightened engagement in both the exercise, as well as the assignment that they create. The exercise has worked successfully on both undergraduate and graduate classes both in person and online in a synchronous format.