Tool Review: Diigo vs. elink.io (for content curation)


Here’s my Module 3 discussion post as a Brock U AQ candidate (OCT, currently teaching in Taiwan):

Tool Review: Diigo vs. elink.io (for content curation)

Diigo: social bookmarking + in-page annotation

What it is: A collaborative research/curation tool where teachers & students save links, tag them, and add highlights and sticky-note comments directly on web pages. Educator accounts make it easy to set up student logins and class groups for shared bookmark libraries.

Tags (e.g., bias, op-ed, public policy) made retrieval quick for review quizzes and debates.

Limitations I noticed:
New users need a 5–10 minute “how to highlight & tag” demo; otherwise, tagging gets messy. If you only want a polished, parent-facing “gallery,” Diigo’s strength (research workflow) can feel utilitarian.

Verdict: Best for inquiry tasks where students must read closely, annotate evidence, and curate sources together.

elink.io: visual curation that publishes anywhere

What it is: A visual bookmark manager that turns collected links into attractive web pages, embeddable posts for a class site/LMS, and even responsive email newsletters. It includes templates, RSS ingestion, simple automation, and team collaboration.

Fast wins for presentation: cover image, excerpt, and consistent card styling gave a “magazine” feel that students may actually browse.

Limitations I noticed:
It’s more “showcase” than “deep reading.” There’s no built-in page annotation like Diigo. Because it’s so visual, you’ll want to set a class tagging standard up front to keep sections coherent. 

Verdict: Great for sharing curated sets with students & families: resource menus for newcomers & ELLs. Elink is good for parent-facing hubs and newsletters; it complements, not replaces, Diigo.

Quick comparison (teacher takeaways)

Deep reading & collaboration: Diigo (annotation, sticky notes, class groups) > elink.

Polish & publishing: elink (templates, embeds, email newsletters, automation) > Diigo.

Tagging & organization: Both use tags; benefits include flexible retrieval, but expect to teach common tags to avoid messy folksonomies.

Why this matters for K–12: Surveys and practitioner write-ups place Diigo at the top for educator curation because annotation drives critical evaluation, exactly the literacy we want in e-learning.

Bottom line: In my Taiwan context (mixed English proficiency with parents, so communication a priority), I’ll consider running Diigo for student research/assessment of sources and elink for polished, multilingual resource hubs and weekly newsletters. Together they cover both thinking with sources and sharing sources well.

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