Have you heard of… Flipgrid?

What is it?

Flipgrid is a website that allows teachers to create “grids” to facilitate video discussions. It is designed to enable students to develop their ability to communicate while also developing as digital citizens. Flipgrid recently joined with Microsoft and is now available through Office 365.

What does it do?

Each grid is a separate online area where the instructor can ask a question which students respond to by posting video responses that appear in a tiled grid display. Grids can be shared with classes, small groups, or any collection of users interested in a common strand of questions. Each grid can hold an unlimited number of topics and each topic can hold an unlimited number of responses. Topics can be text-based or include a resource such as an image, video, Giphy, emoji, or attachment.

How can I use it in my teaching?

Kimber Underdown and Jillian Hartman explain how as education lecturers, they use Flipgrid to model how their students might go on to teach. They have found that it improves communication between students and colleagues, especially when delivering online learning. They state that it has helped them ‘build a community of learners who support one another’. Some of the ways they suggest that Flipgrid can be used are:

1. Welcome messages/introductions
2. Group work/study groups
3. Video voicemail
4. Flipped learning
5. Alternative to traditional discussion forums
6. Virtual field trips
7. Bring multiple sections of the same course together to increase collaboration and avoid repeat questions
8. Smooth alternative to traditional PowerPoint assignment submissions

 

Read more in the full article from Kimber and Jillian.

Holland also points out that students have found Flipgrid positive in helping them to overcome speaking anxiety.

How much does it cost?

Flipgrid is free for all educators and students as part of Office 365.

 

If you want any help using Flipgrid in your teaching, please get in touch with the TEL team.

 

References

Flipgrid (2017) 15 Ways to Flipgrid in Higher Ed. Available at: http://blog.flipgrid.com/news/highered

Flipgrid (2019) Building a Higher Education Flipgrid Community. Available at: https://static.flipgrid.com/docs/Flipgrid_higher_ed_community.pdf

Holland, S. (2018) Spark student communication with Flipgrid. Available at: https://iteachu.uaf.edu/flipgrid/