Flipgrid’s social learning catches Microsoft’s eye

Flipgrid is a video based social platform aimed at school communities, think a snapchat/ whatsapp/ facebook mashup centred on classrooms.

There are 20 million users in 180 countries to date who use the platform to share ideas and explore responses both with classmates and with classrooms within the network. Students are organised into Grids and each records their say on a given subject in a short video to be shared. It works well on phones and laptops

It’s the latest shiny thing to be acquired by Microsoft who are going to provide Flipgrid free of charge to any school that wants it.

Flipgrid was created by Dr Charlie Miller (Chief Design Officer), who joined Jim Leslie (CEO) and Phil Soran (Board Director) to co-found the company in 2015.

In collaboration with McKinsey & Company, Microsoft recently conducted a global research study which explores the key skills the Class of 2030 will need, and the study confirms that 30% to 40% of the fastest-growing occupations will require explicit social-emotional skills.

“Flipgrid has enabled all of my students to shine, showing me their true level of understanding and empowering them to learn from each other," said Paul Watkins, a teacher from Neath Port Talbot, Wales.

Flipgrid will also align with Microsoft's GDPR, FERPA and COPPA compliant privacy architecture to ensure Flipgrid continues to be a safe, secure place for students and teachers to communicate.

"Flipgrid has always been about the educator community. They are the source of our innovation and impact,” said Leslie. “Now as a part of Microsoft, we have the opportunity to scale so we can support every educator across the globe as they empower student voice."

Both companies see growth of the Flipgrid community and the social learning movement as a move that will have a lasting impact on society as students become responsible, confident digital citizens, and teachers using Flipgrid are seeing this firsthand in their classrooms today. 

“Flipgrid helps my students develop their communication skills, increase self-awareness and grow from failure, setting them up to contribute positively to the world,” said Lucretia Anton, a teacher in the Arcadia Unified School District in California.