Using Flipgrid video to get students talking asynchronously
Short Flipgrid videos from students are used to encourage participation and communication in an enjoyable and convenient way. Using a link or join code, students are able to upload videos easily and interact with other students’ contributions.
What did you do? Why did you do it?
To maintain a communicative approach to teaching in the Language Centre despite being online, we used Flipgrid to provide speaking and listening practice with and between students. We posted a task related to a class they had, either an asynchronous or synchronous one, and students then had to post a video fulfilling that task brief. Posting a video is super easy to do. Tutors were then able to feedback on these by writing comments or by posting their own video in response, but crucially other students could also watch the videos and post their own videos in response to create a kind of conversation.
Here is a video I created to demonstrate how to set up Flipgrid and how it works:
https://web.microsoftstream.com/video/4e35661c-d0e5-4eb5-86c1-e7d7196eb615
What was the impact of your practice and how have you evaluated it?
Student feedback was broadly positive of the use of Flipgrid. It was considered a more interesting task than most, easy to use, and they enjoyed being able to see and listen to other students in their cohort.
Tutors enjoyed being able to put students’ names to faces, and to hear contributions from students who may otherwise be backgrounded in ‘live’ online sessions.
The external examiner for the AEUS (undergraduate) pre-sessional noted: “The use of digital technologies was exemplary, for example the use of Flipgrid, which gives chance for live speaking practice (students respond to each other’s videos via video), an element of the course that would otherwise have suffered from the switch to online learning in languages.”
How could others benefit from this example?
Flipgrid could be beneficial for anyone involved in teaching and learning at Leeds. It helps to build the elusive element of a community so vital to maintaining engagement in online teaching and learning. Tutors and students get to see their whole class and also hear from quieter students. It adds variety to student productive tasks and encourages self-reflection alongside peer and tutor feedback.
Harry Harrop, g.e.harrop@leeds.ac.uk, English for Academic Purposes
Do you have an example of your practice to share?
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