Students from IES Benjamín Jarnés (Fuentes de Ebro) and IES Matadepera (Matadepera) connected simultaneously to take part in a Collective Intelligence experiment on radiological protection, combining real measurements with a group response exercise repeated before and after receiving specialized training.
The four-hour session made it possible to compare how each group’s responses varied when technical information was introduced and measurements were taken with gamma radiation detectors, within the Openred citizen science project.
On 17 June a Collective Intelligence experiment was carried out within the framework of the Openred project using the Kampal platform, in which eleven students from IES Benjamín Jarnés in Fuentes de Ebro (first year of Bachillerato and fourth year of ESO) and four students from IES Matadepera (second year of Bachillerato) took part. The connection between both schools was carried out online, which made it possible to run the activity simultaneously despite the geographical distance.
At IES Benjamín Jarnés the session was led by Francisco Sanz with the support of Asun Iguarbe, from Fundación Ibercivis, and with the collaboration of teacher Adolfo Amella Santolaria. At IES Matadepera, participants included Roser Sala Escarrabill, a researcher at CIEMAT, Olga Varela, from Ibercivis, and teacher Mercè Prieto.
What is collective intelligence?
Collective intelligence is the capacity of a group of people to solve problems more effectively than the most talented individual in the group (Woolley et al., 2010). This capacity, known as “factor c,” resembles a group’s intelligence quotient and depends not only on the ability of its members but, crucially, on how they interact (Gonzalo et al., 2023). Rather than being the simple sum of talents, collective intelligence emerges from coordination, active listening and the ability to build on others’ ideas (Levy, 2002; Surowiecki, 2005).
Collaborative work offers a key advantage: it overcomes the biases and limitations of individual thinking. In a well-designed collective process, participants propose solutions, share them and modify them. This dynamic generates a “wisdom of the crowd effect,” where the diversity of perspectives and interaction among peers makes it possible to filter out weaker ideas and strengthen the soundest ones (Bernstein et al., 2018). By combining individual knowledge with discussion and consensus, collective intelligence becomes an effective method for addressing “grand challenges” — such as radiological protection — turning citizen participation into a source of informed, shared solutions of higher quality than any isolated contribution.
How the session unfolded
The activity was structured in several phases. First, students answered an initial questionnaire on radiological protection through the Kampal IC collective intelligence platform, where each participant can see their group’s proposals and decide whether to adopt them or contribute an idea of their own. When asked for their opinions on this first phase, some groups noted that they would have liked a bit more time to answer.
This was followed by radiological training given by Begoña Pérez, a researcher in Ionizing Radiation Dosimetry at CIEMAT, which served to review key concepts on radiation and its measurement.
After a short break, the groups carried out real measurements of ambient gamma radiation with RadiaCode 102 detectors provided by Ibercivis around the schools. With this data, available on the platform, the collective intelligence experiment was repeated with the same initial questions, in order to observe to what extent the training received and the measurement experience had changed the group’s responses.
When comparing both rounds, the results showed no significant changes in most of the responses, although there was greater precision in the priorities and in the selection of relevant information by the students. This finding invites further exploration of how opinions on radiological protection are formed and maintained even after receiving direct technical information.
The measurements collected during the session were incorporated into the Openred open data platform, where they are integrated alongside the more than 250,000 records contributed at various points across Spain, available for consultation and contextualization.
About Openred
Openred is a citizen science project whose objective is to create an open, collaborative map of ambient gamma radiation levels in Spain, while also promoting citizen culture in radiological protection.
Openred enables citizens to generate scientifically valuable data under a rigorous methodology, favoring the democratization of science — not only in access to it but also in the generation of knowledge.
Openred is an initiative driven by the Nuclear Safety Council (CSN) and Fundación Ibercivis, in collaboration with experts from the Centre for Energy, Environmental and Technological Research (CIEMAT), the University of Zaragoza, the University of Cantabria and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia.
Bibliography
Gonzalo, A., Sanz-García, F., Varela, O., Rivero, A., Tarancón, A., Pelacho, M., & Moreno, A. (2023). Collective intelligence to find solutions to the challenges posed by the sustainable development goals (No. ART-2023-134500).
Bernstein, E., Shore, J., & Lazer, D. (2018). How intermittent breaks in interaction improve collective intelligence. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115(35), 8734-8739.
Lévy, P. (2002). L’intelligenza collettiva. Per un’antropologia del cyberspazio. Feltrinelli.
Surowiecki, J. (2005). The Wisdom of Crowds. Anchor Books.
Woolley, A. W., Chabris, C. F., Pentland, A., Hashmi, N., & Malone, T. W. (2010). Evidence for a collective intelligence factor in the performance of human groups. Science, 330(6004), 686-688.