Vrije Universiteit (Science, Business & Innovation)

Dr. Ella Hafermalz on her experience with using Civinc
“Using Civinc in my class proved to be an excellent way to involve all students in open and honest discussion. Even those who rarely raise their hand were actively expressing their views and genuinely engaging with different perspectives. Students reported that they really valued this. The AI-generated summary provided a deeper and more thought-provoking insight into students’ thinking than I usually get from a plenary wrap-up. Class discussion tends to be dominated by a few confident voices and can make students feel pressured about what they should or shouldn’t say in front of the whole class. Civinc allowed every student’s voice to be heard in a low-pressure environment. The summary gave me a rich understanding of the group’s views.”

Civinc at SBI
The Science, Business & Innovation (SBI) program at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) revolves around bridging the gap between science, technology, and society, focusing on the development, application, and societal impact of new technologies and innovations. Students learn to critically reflect on how innovations are created, how they scale, and the ethical, societal, and logical challenges involved. To actively develop these skills, SBI uses Civinc.

How Civinc is used
Through the platform, students engage in anonymous one-on-one conversations with fellow students about provocative statements related to the course content. In the course ‘Digital Innovation: New Ways of Organizing and Working,’ for example, these statements include:

• “We are smart people studying at a University – because of this, we’ll always be a step ahead of automation”
• “Widespread automation will ultimately lead to greater human flourishing by eliminating the need for repetitive labor”
• “I’d much prefer to have a robot alongside me in the workplace if it looks like a person or an animal”

Civinc’s anonymity encourages students to freely share their opinions and explore different perspectives, without the social pressure of a classroom discussion. This helps them think critically, challenge their own assumptions, and reflect on complex issues surrounding innovation and entrepreneurship. After the chat session, the teacher can draw on instant data-insights to reflect on the patterns emerging from the Civinc session with the group, such as:

• What are the pros and cons on the different statements?
• Which statements are more or less controversial?
• How can we further examine the dilemmas that surface?

Why Civinc adds value within SBI

• It increases the participation of all students, including those who are normally less inclined to speak up.
• It stimulates critical thinking and reflection on complex issues.
• It invites safe discussions on controversial topics.
• It provides data insights that can be used for deeper follow up reflections.
• It integrates easily into the existing curriculum and can be adjusted for different topics.