Casimir Prize-winning team goes for creativity and innovation in Social Theory course
This year, the Casimir Prize for the best innovative teaching team went to the team responsible for the redevelopment of the first-year module ‘Social Theories’ in Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology. Course coordinator Sander Hölsgens talks about the project, the results and the wide-ranging collaboration. ‘I didn’t want to do this on my own, so I involved lots of different people in the process.’
When Sander Hölsgens became coordinator of ‘Social Theories’ last year, he had two aims: to build on the work of Sabine Luning, the previous coordinator who passed away in 2025, whilst also charting a new, more future-proof course. ‘I didn’t want to do this on my own. And so we really shaped the course as a collective. The award is a nice recognition, but what’s truly meaningful is that we did this together.’
Theory in practice
In ‘Social Theories’, first-year students are introduced to the ideas of various thinkers. Hölsgens: ‘We want to show how you can use these theories to better understand the world, but also your own life. We decided to start using podcasts, and we began producing them last year (with the help of a Grassroots grant). Researchers share how they apply specific theories in their practice. For example, researcher Jasmijn Rana talks about identity formation and running, and in particular how and for whom public spaces are designed.’
Essay/no essay
The assessment methods were also reviewed, says Hölsgens. ‘Rather than simply testing comprehension, we wanted to invite students to create stories in which they themselves apply social theories to societal issues.’ The format was open (an ‘un-essay’), which resulted in a wide variety of contributions. These ranged from a standard essay (which was also allowed!) to a comic strip and a discussion podcast, and from a collection of poems to a dance performance.
Work by students
Check out the work three students made:
Energy
How did the students think of this method of assessment? ‘They were positive, but initially had some concerns. After all, how do you compare an essay with a comic strip or a dance piece? Is that really fair? This year, we’re guiding students even more closely through their creative process, and we’re discussing the assessment criteria even more explicitly. We ourselves were very surprised by the strong contributions and the energy that was unleashed. It ultimately led to an exhibition featuring work created during the course.’
Close reading
Also new was the focus of the seminars, that now centre on classroom-based close reading of a short text excerpt from social theory. ‘We were diving straight in, reading critically together and discussing exactly what the text says,’ explains Hölsgens. ‘Some students found it a breath of fresh air. There proved to be a great need for slowing down and delving deeper in this age where short-form, fast-paced media demand our attention.’
Teamwork
The revised module is now in place, and that was truly a team effort. Hölsgens and the other lecturers held extensive discussions with colleagues from the programme committee, the communications department and student recruitment. ‘I also wanted to hear students and alumni about their thoughts on the course. That was important because Marit Pauwels, Sarah Bozuwa and I had been considering how this module could demonstrate what our study programme is all about. I asked students if I could display their work during the CAOS open days. We also considered how to archive work and share it in an ethically responsible manner. That was instructive too.’
About the Casimir Prize
The FSW Casimir Prize is awarded yearly to a teaching team committed to renewal and innovation in education. The full winning team consists of: Sander Hölsgens, Siddharth Divakaruni, Nikki Mulder, John Boy, Jason Irwin, Liselotta Janke, Marit Pauwels, Sarah Bozuwa and Jasmijn Rana.