Creating eLearning using HP5

What is H5P?

• It’s a free online tool to help you create all kinds of interactive content, including eLearning
• You can plug it into any publishing system – like a website or learning management system (LMS) – to create exciting, interactive content
• Use it to present information in a wide variety of ways, including timelines, questions, presentations, interactive videos and many, many more. The possibilities are (almost) endless

It’s simple to use

H5P is simple to use and has been designed to make it fun for creators – not just end users. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be able to create endless amounts of rich and unique content for your LMS in no time at all. The more you use it, the faster and easier it will be.

What can I create?

• Flashcards: A great way for learners to progress through segments of information
• Timelines: Easily display dates and events that people can refer to
• Presentations: A good means of presenting information in an engaging way, especially if it’s combined with images and videos 
• Interactive video overlays: A chance to customise videos by adding further information and/or quiz questions to them
• Accordions: Tidier and more compact method of displaying groups of information, that expands if clicked on
• Image collages: An interesting way to display images that support learning
• Quizzes: An excellent opportunity to test knowledge and check understanding. Some examples include: Multiple choice questions with one or more correct answers, free text questions, fill in the blank questions, single choice question sets, mark the word activities and drag and drop text

The list of what you can create is vast – have a browse for other ideas on the H5P website.

Getting started

There are so many options to choose from to create content, but I suggest creating an interactive video to start with. You can use H5P to create interactive videos from a wide range of public sources, as long as you have permission to do so. For example, use a link to a Vimeo or YouTube video and add supporting information to help learners apply what they’re learning. This can include text, quiz questions and images. Be mindful that if you’re using a public video that is deleted by the owner your content will be affected. It’s always best to use your own video content so you have full control over it.

Things to remember 

• H5P is a great tool and it would be easy to get carried away using it. So keep focused on your learning objectives and also remember to put the learner at the centre of your design (not the tool)
• Don’t directly upload content – including videos or large audio clips. Use links from Clear Lessons, Youtube or Vimeo etc
• Images should be as small as possible so they load properly and quickly – there’s lots of advice online on how to optimise images for performance
• Always use content that isn’t offensive, complies with online safety rules and restrictions and is appropriate for the workplace
• Have a look at Gill Chester’s tips for inclusive design, published on the Charity Learning website
• Make sure you have any copyright holder’s permission to use their content
• Ensure information is up to date and complies with professional standards 
• Bear in mind that adding large files to any LMS may make it clunky and slow 
• Always keep a backup and check who has access to any admin system – who is able to edit or delete modules?

Help and support

Feel free to ask me any questions, or refer to the H5P website if you need additional help and support.