Ella Hafermalz is associate professor of Work and Technology at the KIN Center for Digital Innovation at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Her research focuses on new ways of working and organising with digital technologies, such as generative AI and hybrid work.
From political dialogue to the lecture hall
Hafermalz discovered the tool Civinc through the VU Centre for Teaching and Learning (VU CTL), within the Active Blended Learning programme. It was introduced during a session for lecturers. The tool has already been used in public debate and political settings. It operates fully anonymously, using IP masking, and is now finding its way into education.
“The core idea is to address polarisation in society by offering a space where students can chat entirely anonymously with someone who holds a different view on a given topic,” Hafermalz explains. “That matters, because we see that students are becoming increasingly hesitant to speak up. The tool therefore aligns well with VU Amsterdam’s wider focus on A Broader Mind.”
Engaging in anonymous dialogue
Hafermalz integrated the tool into her teaching. The first time, it was linked to that week’s topic: robots in the workplace. “That topic naturally raises a range of controversial and interesting questions,” she says. “Students spent twenty minutes engaging anonymously with each other on statements related to digital innovation and new ways of working and organising.”
At the end of the session, students were asked whether they felt optimistic about the future of work. The responses were strikingly open. “They had many concerns. There was a free-text field where they could respond freely, and that led to genuinely interesting insights,” Hafermalz explains.
70% felt safer than in the lecture hall
Afterwards, students completed an anonymous survey about their experience. The results were positive: 70% reported feeling safer expressing their views on this platform than in a lecture hall discussion. According to Hafermalz, anonymity plays a key role, as students can respond without immediate judgement from their peers.
But what happens when the conversation becomes a Hot Moment, when tensions rise? That was one of Hafermalz’s initial concerns. “The follow-up data showed that even when discussions became more challenging, they remained constructive. Students can leave a conversation or block someone, and because there is no audience watching, there is less room for disruptive behaviour. Even on sensitive topics, the discussions stayed substantive. In practice, this did not cause any issues.”
The discussion is summarized
For lecturers, the tool also offers a practical advantage. “It can be difficult as a lecturer to get a discussion going when no one dares to speak,” says Hafermalz. The tool helps initiate conversations that might otherwise stall.
There is another benefit: the discussion is captured and summarized afterwards. “Discussions are usually fleeting. They happen and then they’re gone. In this case, the system generates a report afterwards that we can use to support assignments or to formulate follow-up questions for the next session.”
Broad applicability
According to Hafermalz, the tool is not limited to her own field: “I think it can be applied widely, regardless of what you teach.” Even in more fact-based disciplines, she sees opportunities for dialogue, for example around ethics or strategy.
What appeals to her most is how the tool handles data and AI. “I’m glad to see a tool that uses AI appropriately way, for instance to aggregate these conversations. That way, I’m not infringing on the privacy of what is actually being said, while still being able to learn from it and improve my future teaching.”
Want to bring more dialogue into your lecture hall?
Discover how Civinc enables anonymous, privacy-conscious dialogue. Lecturers interested in exploring this or other approaches, such as MIXED model teaching methods, can contact the VU Centre for Teaching and Learning (VU CTL) via ctl@vu.nl. VU CTL can advise on teaching approaches and implementation.
