Utilizing ThingLink for Instructional Purposes
ThingLink, a versatile digital tool, is transforming the way educators approach teaching and learning. This platform offers a unique solution for creating interactive media, making education more engaging and accessible.
To get started with ThingLink, users can begin with an image, video, or a 360-degree VR shot, and then add tags with text, audio notes, or links. This feature allows for the creation of virtual tours, voice notes, and annotated images, providing students with a rich and immersive learning experience.
ThingLink caters to various budgets with three pricing tiers. The Free tier provides interactive image and video editing for unlimited items, virtual tour creation, and 1,000 views per year. The Teacher License, priced at $60 per year, includes collaborative editing, logo removal, Microsoft Office and Google logins, Microsoft Teams integration, 12,000 views per year, and engagement statistics. For larger institutions, ThingLink offers the Enterprise Schools and Districts tier, priced at $3 per year (minimum 300 seats). This tier includes organization profiles, offline viewing, support and training, SAML support for Single Sign-On, LMS connection through LTI, and unlimited views.
ThingLink also integrates with Microsoft, allowing for the placement of ThingLink items in Microsoft Teams video meetings and OneNote documents. This seamless integration makes it easier for educators to incorporate ThingLink into their existing teaching tools.
In addition, ThingLink has introduced Scenario Builder templates, enabling educators to create online courses or modules based on real-world scenarios. This feature allows for a more interactive and hands-on approach to learning.
ThingLink's virtual reality tool is particularly noteworthy. It allows for guided tours of areas without the need for teacher presence or physical trips, making learning more accessible and flexible.
Moreover, ThingLink offers a powerful language tool, the Immersive Reader. This tool displays text in more than 60 languages and offers colour-coded guidance for nouns, verbs, adjectives, and more, making it an invaluable resource for students learning English as a second language.
Projects created on ThingLink can be shared via a link, allowing anyone to access them without needing an account. This feature makes it easy for students to collaborate and share their work.
ThingLink is available online and through iOS and Android apps, with data stored in the cloud for easy sharing via a link. Collaborative editing is available in the paid versions of ThingLink, ideal for student projects, especially in remote learning.
However, as of now, there is no specific information available about which schools or institutions have acquired a license for ThingLink in 2023 to use the tool in their teaching.
In conclusion, ThingLink is a digital tool that allows educators to pull various types of rich media into one accessible place, revolutionising education by making it more interactive, flexible, and accessible.
