Student feedback
The first 150 students to use Sway for a course assignment discussed and debated topics ranging from investing public resources to improve educational outcomes for boys and men to the appropriate response to gender-related distress in children. At the end of their discussions, students provided feedback. The comments below have been de-identified and are shared with permission.
"I don't even like homework or school to be honest, but having to articulate your argument and then do a quiz on the debate after is cool!"
"It was actually so cool. I loved the AI guide and the quiz at the end made me feel heard."
"I think that this is a great tool to use; it will get people to open up in ways that they wouldn’t otherwise have in a regular classroom setting."
"Very interesting having AI moderate—I loved it and found it engaging."
"Sway really helped me put my thoughts into words and understand them better."
"The Guide gave unexpectedly thoughtful feedback and clearly understood the discussion, bringing it to a deeper, more insightful place."
"The discussion turned out to be very rich, in-depth, and of high quality! I think that’s exactly what Sway expects from its users."
"I liked hearing out and thinking about new solutions to issues that I hadn’t previously considered."
“I definitely think Guide was very useful in leading the discussion. When we got off track, Guide made sure to point us in the right direction. I think this will be very useful!”
“Sway is an extremely interesting concept that I wish I had in middle and high school."
"This was very insightful and thought-provoking. I enjoyed having the mediated conversation and debate."
"I loved the Al Guide and how it helped move the conversation along and encourage critical thinking from both of us."
"I really enjoyed this discussion! The semi anonymous way of chatting with a classmate, the timely guidance from Guide, and the understanding quiz are all fascinating. It's a new experience for me, and I feel so lucky and grateful to have the opportunity."
Almost 90% of students rated their first ever Sway chats 'Awesome' or 'Good'
As with participants in our experimental studies, students overwhelmingly reported feeling respected in their Sway chats.
Nearly all students felt heard by their partners.
And over 80% of students found that chatting on Sway with a classmate with whom they disagreed improved their perception of their partner.
As we navigate the post-election period, it’s more important than ever for students from all backgrounds to learn how to engage constructively with opposing viewpoints and—sometimes—intense disagreements. We hope you’ll consider using Sway to give your students more opportunities to engage deeply on topics that matter to them, whether related to your course or to broader issues energizing campus.
Sway is free for instructors and students at colleges and universities. If you'd like to use it with your students, you'll receive straightforward instructions to get set up after registering your interest. Instructors will also find sample language for syllabi and announcements on our templates page.