Flippity
Last updated
Last updated
Name of Tool | Website URL | Cost | Download or Web-based | 1 sentence description of the tool |
Flippity | Free | Web Based Applications | “Easily turn a Google Spreadsheet into a set of online flash cards” (Flippity, 2018) or games. |
“Flippity is a series of web apps that can easily turn a google spreadsheet into a set of online Flashcards or Quiz Show” (Fortna, 2013). Flippity provides sixteen applications free for public use. Each application comes with an application demonstration, instructions on how to use the application, and a template for building your own application format. The provided instructions are easy to understand and formatting your own application is quick, and efficient. Applications range from simple flash cards to more complex jeopardy style games. Also “student’s accomplishments can be tracked using the Badge Tracker and the Certificate Quiz” (Fortna, 2013). All of the applications can be used online from any classroom or home setting.
Flippity is very fun and easy to use. The new user starts by finding the Flippity website. I found it by typing the word Flippity in to a search engine and a number of options came right up. Here is the link to the Flippity website http://flippity.net if you’re having trouble finding it. You will know that you are at the right place if the website that you have chosen looks like the picture below.
Flippity currently offers sixteen web applications to choose from. Each one has its own small differences with how they are utilized. However, generally speaking, most of the applications are designed to be used and modified in the same way. Once you learn how to use one of the applications it is very easy to use any of the applications. Therefore, this document will only describe how to use one of the applications called “Flippity Flashcards” (Fortna, 2013). After you learn how to use this particular application the other applications will be very easy to use. The first step is to go to the Flippity home page.
The frequently asked questions provide instruction on how to make changes to your flashcards, delete your flashcards, add in audio, different methods for saving your flashcards, and how to add visual effects in to your flashcards.
This is what your template will look like when you make a copy. The template contains all of the information from the “Flippity Demo” (Fortna, 2013). We will be replacing it with our own information to make our own flashcards.
The next task is to edit the template by removing the Demo information and inserting our own Flashcard information. Side one is where the question we want to ask on the flashcard is written. Side two is where the answer to the question is written. Simply remove the Demo questions and answers from the template and enter the questions and answers that you want for your flashcard. The questions should be written in a very direct and easy to understand manner with only one correct answer. The answer must be easily understood and most importantly, must be correct. Try not to make the questions and answers to complicated. The following pictures show the areas for entering questions, answers, and the color you would like the cards to be.
Step 2 is to publish your flashcards. This is completed by clicking the file tab at the top of the page. Scroll down to “publish to the web” (Fortna, 2013) button and click on it. Clicking the button will bring up a pop-up box with a “Publish” (Fortna, 2013) button. Click the publish button. Your flashcard will be saved to the Flippity cloud. Instructions for printing your flashcards are provided in the frequently asked questions sections of the Flippity instructions file and not included in the document.
Ensuring that you have a link to your finished product is very important. Without a link you cannot retrieve or share your finished product. When you click the publish button you will be provided with a link. This link is will take you to a copy of your saved template only. Obtaining the correct link to the finished flashcards is performed by clicking the tab at the bottom of your newly published template shown in the next picture.
Once you have completed building your flashcards you can start to use them by clicking on your link and manipulating the controls for the cards. The controls will allow you to move the cards forward or backward through the deck, shuffle the cards, remove a card, reload the cards, or flip the cards.
Unfortunately, the training environment that I work in is primarily classroom-based training with very few hands on, or simulation style components. This kind of environment can create problems with student participation. Most of our instructors rely heavily on slide-based presentations using readily available software, thereby creating the phrase “death by PowerPoint”. I believe that Flippity can help with this issue.
Links to different Flippity applications can be imbedded in to the lesson presentations. The instructors can utilize the different Flippity applications to foster student classroom interactivity. Applications like “Flashcards, Hangman, Quiz Show, or Crossword” (Fortna, 2013) involve the students in the subject that they are learning about, and help instructors evaluate if learning is actually occurring. Information obtained from the evaluation can be used to improve the lesson plans and determine which area of the lesson students might be struggling with. Student progression can be tracked using the “Progress Indicator” (Fortna, 2013) application to ensure that any changes to your lesson plans based on your evaluation are effective. Instructors can also use these applications to review lesson plan content and re-familiarize themselves with lesson subject matter prior to presenting the material to their students.
To summarize, this tool can be used by the Trainer/ Teacher to:
Foster student interactivity in classroom based training.
Evaluate student learning.
Track student progression.
Review lesson plans prior to presentation.
Flippity applications can be used by the Trainer/Teacher to reinforce objectives that they are teaching. As the instructor begins to build on each objective, the over-all concept, along with each building block can be reinforced periodically throughout the lesson using these applications. This can be easily achieved by imbedding links in the lesson presentation that include fun interactive games the students can play. The games will help the Trainer/Teacher review and reinforce how each concept works or builds on the next concept, thereby teaching in a more circular method with the objectives being continuously reinforced and tied together with the various building blocks.
An example of how this is achieved can be demonstrated with instruction on the purpose and operation of an industrial cooling system. Each objective of the system instruction and how it all works together can be continually reviewed and reinforced throughout the lesson by strategically inserting the Flippity applications in between the different objectives. For example:
Objective 1: Describe the purpose of the cooling system.
Objective 2: Describe the ten major components of the cooling system.
Review: “Flippity Flashcards” (Fortna, 2013) on purpose and components.
Objective 3: Describe system operation.
Review: “Flippity Quiz” (Fortna, 2013) Show on system purpose, components, and operation.
Objective 4: Discuss precautions and limitations of the system.
Objective 5: Predict system operation in the event of a component failure.
Review: All system objectives with “Flippity Mix and Match” (Fortna, 2013) game.
Applications like “Flippity Flashcards or Flippity Progress Indicator” (Fortna, 2013) can also be used by the instructor to evaluate student learning and make changes in the lesson to meet the needs of the students. The ability to evaluate student learning provides flexibility for the Trainer/Teacher because they are now able to quickly identify lesson weakness and eliminate it more efficiently.
Flippity Applications such as “Flippity Flashcards” (Fortna, 2013) can also be used by Trainer/Teachers to review lesson material prior to presentation. This allows the instructor to sharpen the skills necessary to present the material more effectively. Designing, building, and reviewing the games helps to refresh and review the lesson material prior to its presentation.
Trainer/Teachers can use Flippity tools to help students improve their study skills. Teaching students how to use Flippity applications and how to make their own flashcards or games to study from might help them to improve their skills and abilities. Once the student has created their own study applications they can revisit and review them many times to study and refresh their knowledge of the subject matter.
To summarize, this tool can used by the Trainer/Teacher to support student learning by:
Providing the ability to foster student interactivity with the lesson.
Providing a student learning evaluation tool.
Providing a lesson presentation preparation tool.
Providing a student study program.
Students can use the Flippity tool to study and review key lesson material prior to examinations. The applications are free and very simple to use. With minimal instruction, most students should be able to master building their own “Flippity Flashcards” (Fortna, 2013) or any of the provided applications. Once the student has constructed the applications they can use them an unlimited amount of times to go back and study from them. Students can also share the completed Flippity projects with each other. When the students share the flashcards or games they are able to learn from what each individual thought might be an important point to review.
To summarize, this tool can used by students to:
Review and study lesson material.
Share study material with other students.
Example of Flippity Flashcards
Here is a link to a completed Flippity Flashcard as an example of what can be produced.
This is a link to saved template that was made for the example Flippity Flashcards.
Here is a link to Flippity home page. It contains all of the applications and instructions for how to use each application.
This is a link to Flippity tutorial videos on YouTube. They provide a very descriptive direction for using many of the different Flippity applications.
Fortna, S. (2013). Easily turn a Google™ Spreadsheet into a Set of Online Flashcards and Other Cool Stuff. Retrieved March 05, 2018, from http://flippity.net/
