Happy Friday, everyone! This Friday LinkFest is all about tools I’ve been looking at for online learning and collaboration. For the redesign of the Peer Mentoring program, we are moving much of the content online, so Lisa and I are trying to make our D2L shell as engaging as possible! Additionally, I’m in week three of the Facilitating Online with Liberating Structures course through Royal Roads, so I’ve been looking at lots of online facilitation tools.
Here are some gems I’ve discovered that might benefit your practice too:
Climer Cards for Virtual Spaces
My mentor, Leslie Reid, gifted me with Climer Cards at Christmas. The physical cards are beautiful and bring a tangible element to reflection and discussion. But this week, I was introduced to the digital version of the cards, which can work for both in-person and online sessions. The cards are great for warm-up activities, and they can also be used as reflective prompts and even to help teams visualize complex problems. We used the online version as an icebreaker during our facilitation class this week, and it was seamless – I’d say maybe even better than in person because you get to see everyone’s answers all in one place. There’s a discount for educators to purchase the online version.
I love facilitator cards – I’ve got The Empathy Game and Pip Decks. What decks do you use?
Prezi Video for Zoom
I also learned about using Prezi Video for Zoom. Our instructor used this by putting a discussion question over-layed on her Zoom video box, so we could all see the question when she was talking. Unlike traditional screen sharing where you disappear behind your slides, Prezi Video allows you to overlay images and content beside or around you. I can imagine using this for meeting Agendas, complex visuals, or just as the instructor used it, to put a question up for people to clearly see as we are discussing. I haven’t got into the technical steps yet, but it looks fun!
Photo from: https://blog.prezi.com/use-prezi-video-with-zoom-for-more-engaging-video-conferences/
Lumi Education
I’m back into re-learning how to use Lumi Education for the Peer Mentoring course. Lumi Education creates interactive H5P content, but in an interface that I find easier to use. It really simplifies the process of building interactive content without requiring extensive technical knowledge. The output is a SCORM file that can then be added right into D2L, making our D2L course page interactive!
I’ve used Lumi Education to create interactive videos for our Ready for Research program at UCalgary, where we added questions that prompt students to pause and respond during the video, transforming passive watching into active learning. The feedback has been positive, with students reporting higher engagement with the material. I think this year they are leveling Ready for Research up even more by using Articulate to make the program even more interactive.
H5P for Interactive Content
Who’s using H5P? I’d love to learn more about how you are using it! The ability to embed these elements directly into existing learning platforms makes it particularly versatile. Like Lumi, it offers excellent options for creating pause points for reflection and checking understanding throughout learning materials.
I’m working on integrating these tools into our new Peer Mentoring course for the Fall. Is anyone else using these tools? What tools or approaches have transformed your online teaching and learning experiences? What challenges are you still looking to solve?
I’d love to hear your thoughts, experiences, or questions about these tools in the comments. And if you have favorite resources for enhancing online learning and collaboration, please share them – they might feature in a future LinkFest!
Kyla Flanagan 
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