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Introduction:
There are some pretty interesting third party tools that we can use in Canvas to dress up our courses.
Details:
I attended the pre-conference Glamping Up Canvas session. We covered some pretty fun stuff. Much of it was sort of beginner (i.e. don't be afraid of the html editor), but there was also a mix of more detailed interactions that we can incorporate. Some things you might consider trying:
h5p
This source allows designers to create interactive content and embed it right in Canvas. The interaction we saw was: Timeline | H5P. There are options to create drag and drops and various gamefication projects. It is definitely worth exploring.
https://h5p.org/documentation/for-authors/h5p-for-canvas
Sway
Microsoft released a product called Sway. Sway is a fascinating platform that lets you import documents, powerpoints, PDFs, etc. and incorporate web content to create interactive multimedia reports. You can convert websites, such as wikipedia entries, into interactive html5 presentations. And there is a full accessibility view.
Office Mix
Another product of Microsoft, Mix is a PowerPoint plugin that can help you make your presentation interactive or convert it to multimedia. It can be stored on your Mix cloud or OneDrive (if you have Office for Business). And the good news is that there is a fully functioning LTI tool that integrates right in Canvas.
Padlet
If you are interested in a simple iteration of Pinterest without the distracting bells and whistles, the padlet allows you to create essentially a virtual bulletin board where you can post pictures and notes. You can embed it in a Canvas content page and even have your class interact and contribute. Here is the board I created during the session: My stellar padlet
Conclusion:
This is definitely not even close to a fully comprehensive list of third party tools (I mean, just look through the app center), but these were ones I had not heard of until InstructureCon and they might be worth exploring. :smileygrin:
