student survey data

We present post-chat survey data from 106 colleges and universities where instructors have used Sway to give their students guided, hands-on practice with constructive disagreement. These institutions span Ivy League universities, community colleges, and technical schools. Discussion topics ranged from international conflicts, immigration, and income inequality to conservation biology, social work, and occupational therapy. Students' written feedback is on our feedback page.

106Institutions

179Professors

376Assignments

1,399Chat Topics

Scale: –2 = Strongly disagree, 0 = Neutral, +2 = Strongly agree. Post-chat surveys sample a subset of the total survey items, so response counts vary across some items.

The experience

80%

of students rated their chat "Good" or "Awesome". These are ratings of a required assignment, collected from 11,000+ students. One in twenty gave a negative rating. 65% agreed that it would be good if more students and classes used Sway; 8% disagreed.

How was your chat?

🔥 Awesome4,882 (37%)

👍 Good5,553 (43%)

😐 It's OK1,928 (15%)

👎 Not a fan479 (4%)

💩 Hated it218 (2%)

mean = 1.10 (95% CI: 1.09–1.12) · n = 13,060

It would be good if more students and classes used Sway

Strongly agree1,744 (31%)

Agree1,960 (34%)

Neutral1,530 (27%)

Disagree285 (5%)

Strongly disagree195 (3%)

mean = 0.84 (95% CI: 0.81–0.86) · n = 5,714

Speaking freely

91%

felt comfortable sharing their honest opinions with a partner who disagreed with them. 1.2% did not. On samples this size, one to two percent of respondents will disagree with nearly any statement, so self-censorship on Sway sits at the measurement floor. 71% also said Sway helped them articulate their thoughts and feelings.

I felt comfortable sharing my honest opinions with my partner

Strongly agree3,133 (54%)

Agree2,125 (37%)

Neutral426 (7%)

Disagree42 (1%)

Strongly disagree27 (0%)

mean = 1.44 (95% CI: 1.42–1.46) · n = 5,753

Sway helped me articulate my thoughts/feelings better

Strongly agree1,583 (32%)

Agree1,924 (39%)

Neutral1,104 (22%)

Disagree200 (4%)

Strongly disagree110 (2%)

mean = 0.95 (95% CI: 0.92–0.98) · n = 4,921

Constructive disagreement

92%

said their partner was respectful, and 90% were not offended by their partner's opposing perspective. Instructors often worry that students will take offense when they discuss charged topics. Students report the opposite: 83% found it valuable to chat with someone who saw the issue differently, and 81% said their partner was genuinely trying to understand them.

My partner was respectful

Strongly agree3,680 (66%)

Agree1,476 (26%)

Neutral360 (6%)

Disagree45 (1%)

Strongly disagree32 (1%)

mean = 1.56 (95% CI: 1.54–1.58) · n = 5,593

I was not offended by my partner’s perspective

Strongly agree3,557 (64%)

Agree1,428 (26%)

Neutral422 (8%)

Disagree72 (1%)

Strongly disagree65 (1%)

mean = 1.50 (95% CI: 1.48–1.53) · n = 5,544

It was valuable to chat with a student who did NOT share my perspective

Strongly agree2,405 (42%)

Agree2,347 (41%)

Neutral837 (15%)

Disagree91 (2%)

Strongly disagree51 (1%)

mean = 1.22 (95% CI: 1.19–1.24) · n = 5,731

My partner was genuinely trying to understand my perspective

Strongly agree2,540 (47%)

Agree1,844 (34%)

Neutral743 (14%)

Disagree198 (4%)

Strongly disagree86 (2%)

mean = 1.21 (95% CI: 1.19–1.24) · n = 5,411

Minds at work

58%

agreed their partner had better reasons for their views than they expected. Endorsing that statement is an act of intellectual humility; it admits that one's expectations of the other side were too low. 72% came away thinking better of their partner, and 41% changed their mind about something related to the topic. 81% expect the skills they practiced to be useful outside Sway, a claim our randomized controlled trials will test.

My partner had better reasons for their views than I expected

Strongly agree1,392 (24%)

Agree1,975 (34%)

Neutral1,690 (29%)

Disagree527 (9%)

Strongly disagree194 (3%)

mean = 0.67 (95% CI: 0.64–0.69) · n = 5,778

This discussion improved my perception of my partner

Strongly agree1,154 (36%)

Agree1,162 (36%)

Neutral736 (23%)

Disagree108 (3%)

Strongly disagree74 (2%)

mean = 0.99 (95% CI: 0.96–1.03) · n = 3,234

This discussion led me to change my mind about something related to the topic

Strongly agree968 (16%)

Agree1,567 (25%)

Neutral1,850 (30%)

Disagree1,165 (19%)

Strongly disagree626 (10%)

mean = 0.18 (95% CI: 0.15–0.21) · n = 6,176

The skills I practiced here will be useful in my conversations outside of Sway

Strongly agree1,822 (41%)

Agree1,787 (40%)

Neutral661 (15%)

Disagree107 (2%)

Strongly disagree58 (1%)

mean = 1.17 (95% CI: 1.15–1.20) · n = 4,435

The facilitator

86%

said Guide treated them and their partner with equal respect; 3% disagreed. Guide joins every conversation to pose questions, surface assumptions, and de-escalate tense moments without taking sides. 77% of students said its contributions improved the discussion.

Guide treated me and my partner with equal respect

Strongly agree2,595 (50%)

Agree1,822 (35%)

Neutral583 (11%)

Disagree90 (2%)

Strongly disagree49 (1%)

mean = 1.33 (95% CI: 1.31–1.35) · n = 5,139

Guide’s contributions improved the discussion

Strongly agree3,359 (37%)

Agree3,611 (40%)

Neutral1,565 (17%)

Disagree304 (3%)

Strongly disagree203 (2%)

mean = 1.06 (95% CI: 1.04–1.08) · n = 9,042

Up next

What students say in their own words, and the rest of the evidence.