Journal of public relations education, Vol.9 (2), pp.2-37
01/2024
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Abstract
Technology advances in society demand progressive course development from higher education institutions. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a new social media course based on PR pedagogy and Dewey’s theory of experience to determine if it adds to the knowledge of communication and responds to the digitally converged public relations industry. The course utilized the pragmatic approach to increase student knowledge in the areas of self, authenticity, privacy, professional use, and relationships on social media. Pre- and post-course surveys tracked the development of learning outcomes. The findings show that critical pedagogy and Dewey’s integration of experience are starting points for designing courses where students have extensive familiarity with the subject matter. This approach to course design moves social media out of the role of a tool to emphasize the full impact of social media and the digital PR industry on students’ personal and professional lives and on relationship-building efforts between brands and their key publics.