Say what? The Flip discussion functionality has been removed from our course options? That’s right, Microsoft, Flip’s parent company, has decided to discontinue Flip as an app outside of their 365 suite. However, there’s no need to flip out.
The alternative of using Canvas-based asynchronous video discussions is great, and that’s why one experienced online professor, Dana Cameron, voluntarily flipped to them a few semesters ago for her online classes. Cameron explained that her students experience fewer issues with Canvas video discussions, and, as an instructor, she was able to manage and grade the discussions more efficiently.
Video discussions in asynchronous courses
Video discussions have been a valuable tool in Cameron’s online classes. She originally incorporated Flip to help students feel part of the class community and communicate with peers. Unexpectedly, this also enhanced Cameron’s connection with students. The respectful and kind exchanges among students, even when disagreeing, contributed to a positive learning environment. While some students initially felt anxious about making videos, they usually overcame this with support and a good experience.
In online courses, video discussions offer peer-to-peer learning opportunities, encouraging students to use critical thinking to apply course material to discussion prompts. These discussions help foster a sense of community and facilitate connections among students. Additionally, instructors can participate by posting and replying to videos, enhancing their presence and building student-to-instructor relationships (Lowenthal, et al., 2020). In addition to these benefits, Cameron explained that the videos also provide her with insights into students’ understanding of the concepts and skills being learned as well as their well-being.
Student feedback has been positive, with many appreciating the sense of community and the opportunity to develop verbal communication skills and deepen their understanding by watching peer videos. According to Cameron, some students have even requested a voluntary ungraded discussion during busy times to maintain their connections.
Flip’s appeal and limitations
Flip has been praised for its visual appeal and flexibility, allowing students to post videos from various devices. Moreover, posts and replies were bundled together for easy viewing, and data export options included detailed information about student posts. However, for Cameron, Flip had its drawbacks. When students experienced a technical issue that the Flip Help Center articles did not adequately address, there wasn’t any quick or easy technical support from Flip for the students. “I always received emails from some students about the Flip code or other access issues as they learned another application,” said Cameron.
Another problem she experienced was related to keeping initial posts by other classmates hidden until a student posted their own initial post. While there was a workaround to achieve the result, it required a manual process that was time consuming and time sensitive. One feature of Flip was that it allowed for the download of an Excel file to see student posts; however, Cameron explained that she did not enjoy the time required to complete the grading with the data download.
Switch to Canvas video discussions
Cameron was introduced to Canvas discussions through an eCampus course and was intrigued by the seamless integration and ease of use. Despite initial hesitations to abandon Flip, she felt it could potentially be a better option, especially since any Canvas issue could be supported by the Boise State Help Desk. With that in mind, Cameron decided to put it to the test during a summer session — one course with Flip, the other course with Canvas video discussions.
The summer session trial comparing Flip and Canvas video discussions revealed that the course with the Canvas video discussions had less emails from students with access issues, less issues with uploads, easier management (if a student posted they automatically could see the other posts for reply) and easier grading (all submissions in gradebook, with all students posts there with dates, etc.). Moreover, students could get support from the Help Desk if and when they had problems. It was all just easier for me and the students with Canvas. Cameron explained, “I could now view videos more easily while completing other tasks.”
She went on to explain that another benefit was that the students had more choice. “While the students had the ability to use the Panopto integration in Canvas to create their videos, I also allowed them to choose other video platforms to use and embed their videos such as YouTube or the native Canvas recorder,” she said. As long as they could embed a video and others could view it, Cameron doesn’t care how they record and share their video to the Canvas discussion.
Conversely, the course with Flip had more student emails about the code, access and upload issues. Flip also required more time for her to manage because she had to manually activate posts (hidden until after post due date) for viewing after the due date. Cameron also found the Flip grading to be more time-consuming — she had to export the data, sorting by student, manually verify the number of posts and required replies, check the post timeliness and then manually add points to the gradebook.
Canvas video discussions are not perfect
Although Cameron preferred using Canvas for her course video discussions, it isn’t perfect. “Even though I found Canvas video discussions to be better overall, there was a cost. Canvas video discussions look like an assignment rather than a fun social media platform, and they are less visually appealing than Flip,” she explained.
Another drawback was not being able to customize Canvas video discussions with icons and images, like she did with Flip. Elaborating further on some of the downsides, Cameron said, “In Flip, the student interaction was bundled together, with posts and replies to posts, which made following the conversations easier, even though it took more time to grade. Some instructors may miss that aspect of Flip as well as the data export for each grid.”
However, for Cameron, there was no question; Canvas for asynchronous discussions was the better way to go and she has been using them for the past three semesters instead of Flip.
Conclusion
Despite initial concerns over Microsoft’s discontinuation of Flip outside of their 365 suite, Cameron’s experience suggests that the transition to Canvas-based asynchronous video discussions offers a more efficient and effective alternative. While Flip had its advantages in terms of visual appeal and flexibility, the technical issues and time-consuming management made it less practical.
Cameron’s trials and subsequent adoption of Canvas video discussions demonstrated significant improvements in student accessibility, support and ease of grading for the instructor. Although Canvas lacks some of Flip’s visual and interactive features, its seamless integration and reliable support system ultimately provide a better solution for fostering community and enhancing learning in online courses.
Resources
For incorporating threaded student video recordings or Panopto video assignments in Canvas, refer to these how-to articles:
- Student-facing: Using Panopto in Video Discussions
- Student-facing: How to Submit a Video Assignment in Canvas
- Faculty-facing: Setting Up Video Discussions with Panopto
- Faculty-facing: How to Create a Video Assignment in Canvas
For further assistance, contact the Boise State Help Desk.
References
Lowenthal, P., West, R., Archambault, L., Borup, J. (2020, August). Engaging students through asynchronous video-based discussions in online courses. Educause Review. https://er.educause.edu/articles/2020/8/engaging-students-through-asynchronous-video-based-discussions-in-online-courses (the magazine title should be in italics).
Article Credit
Thanks to Professor Dana Cameron and Anthony Saba, the eCampus faculty development coordinator who worked with Cameron to write this article. ChatGPT was used to help revise and edit the original article draft.