Developing reflective skills in e-learning: A case study based on the flipgrid platform

Flipgrid is a free app and platform that allows students to record short video responses. These videos are usually reflections or responses to specific topics/prompts asked by their teachers. This study aims to deepen the potentiality and effectiveness of Flipgrid in virtual learning environments for university students. Moreover, it aims to understand whether such a platform is really beneficial for developing reflective skills, meets students interests and gets their approval. To deepen these issues, we have analyzed the results of a case study conducted at the University of Rome Foro Italico, Italy, where Flipgrid was used as a support for delivering a course on education and European values and getting students to reflect in a deeper way on the topics and issues entailed. The data were collected through three principal phases. In the first one, within the framework of an exploratory study, a survey questionnaire containing items based on the Likert scale was administered to a general sample of University of Rome Foro Italico students. In the following phase, a focus group was conducted with a small group of students attending the course mentioned above, and in the third one, the students from the course were in-depth interviewed. The data were processed by statistical and text analysis software. The data were then interpreted and compared. The data results allowed us to obtain information and a map to understand the Flipgrid app/platform's effectiveness. From the data collected, at the end of the study, we were able to sketch a model for using the new app in a way so that it can help students develop reflective skills in e-learning in the most effective way. © 2021, National Defence University - Carol I Printing House. All rights reserved.