H5P is approved for academic use. 

What is H5P?

H5P is a web-based tool which allows the creation and sharing of interactive HTML5-based learning activities such as quizzes, hotspots, and fill-in-the blanks and content types such as interactive book, interactive video, and course presentation that can be embedded in Canvas, WordPress, and Pressbooks.

What is the purpose of H5P?

H5P can be used for creating engaging learning content, including various learning activities and non-graded pre- and post-assessments. The activities can be embedded in Canvas, WordPress, Pressbooks, and other platforms, thus enhancing learning experience, but they do not allow tracking of student engagement and grading. There are many types of activities that can be created using H5P. The most commonly used ones at the University of Saskatchewan are as follows:

  • Interactive videos,
  • Drag and drop activities,
  • Hotspot activities,
  • Fill-in-the-blanks,
  • Dialog Cards
  • Question Sets
  • Branching scenarios, etc. 
Here is a full list: H5P activity types

Why use H5P?

Activities created with H5P can be used to enhance learning in both synchronous and asynchronous courses. Some examples of effective use of H5P for learner-centered activities include:

  • Self-assessment: students can determine their knowledge on a topic before the beginning of the lesson (e.g. H5P activities such as drag and drop, fill-in-the blanks, and multiple-choice questions).
  • Participatory learning: engaging students in active learning throughout the lesson with activities such as H5P interactive videos, branching scenarios, quizzes and true-false questions provides students with control of their learning process. The low-stakes activities offer opportunity to practice and thus enhance student-content interactions.
  • Chunking: dividing the lesson content into smaller parts with H5P tools such as the accordions, timeline, or information wall allows students to fully focus on and digest smaller pieces of information before moving to the next ones and thus managing their cognitive load.

Learning Technology Ecosystem (LTE) Principles

H5P most directly addresses these LTE goals: (delete the ones that don't apply to this tool)

Efficient and easy to use - Learners need to work in a system that is fluid and requires a minimum number of steps in systems that are intuitive and integrated.  

Inclusive of learning-centered assessment - Learning and feedback are iterative, and assessment comes from multiple sources, including self, peers, teachers, and outside experts. 

Best Practices

DO

DON'T

 Use H5P activities for low-stakes participatory learning that offers students timely and specific feedback and can be used in synchronous and asynchronous learning.

 Don’t use to track student engagement, as the instructor doesn't receive any such data.

 Use H5P to provide students with no-stakes opportunities to check their knowledge and practice applying course concepts.

 Don’t use to track student grades, since USask's H5P does not offer the option for graded activities.

 Use H5P to divide or chunk the content of your asynchronous lessons into smaller pieces.
Familiarize yourself with the functionalities, limitations and examples of H5P activities as well as their implications for teaching and learning.

 Do not try to customize certain aspects of the tools, as customization is limited. For example, there is a word limit for the feedback that appears after students submit their answers. 

 

 Don’t ask students to create accounts or enter personal information as H5P does not require that.

 

 Don’t use an H5P tool before checking if it is accessible:H5P Content Type Recommendations

Support for H5P

Technical Support

(Why isn't this working?)

Vendor Supported

Training Support

(How do I learn to use this tool?)

Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching and Learning Supported

Vendor Supported

Teaching Support

(How do I teach with this tool?)

Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching and Learning Supported

Tool Evaluation

Technologies are evaluated based on their alignment with the Learning Technologies Ecosystem Principles.  Click to see explanations of each principle and a justification of the rating. You can also view a complete blank rubric to see more details or read about the assessment process.

Learning must be found easily at any time, and all learners and teachers have equitable access, regardless of culture, language, ability etc. 
More Information

Rating: Works well

  • Accessibility standards:
    • H5P meets common accessibility standards. Recommend checking specific accessibility features for different content types. 

  • Cost of use for USask students:
    • H5P activities can be developed and used by students at no charge.

  • Platform/device:
    • H5P can be accessed on desktops and mobile devices.

  • Offline Access:
    • H5P is online accessible online.

Learning is a process of meaning-making, constructed through learning with others, and as a part of an intentional, deliberate system within a course and across experiences.
More Information

Rating: n/a

Learning is refined and extended through prompted and supported opportunities to focus on understanding and next steps.
More Information

Rating: Moderate concerns

  • Reflection and revision:
    • H5P documentation tool offers space for reflection, but most other H5P content types do not allow revision. Learning can be refined and extended through automatic formative or summative feedback that appears as students complete activities such as quizzes, question sets, fill-in-the-blanks, drag the words, etc.

Learning is most effective when systems are designed to help learners find, create, and/or repurpose significant content for the value of themselves and others.
More Information

Rating: n/a

Learners create and control spaces for learning, understanding and retaining ownership, and purposefully choosing how and when they share.
More Information

Rating: Moderate concerns

  • Archiving, saving, and exporting data:
    • Students cannot archive, save and export their answers in most content types, except the documentation tool.

  • Data privacy and ownership:
    • H5P does not save students’ data and creators do not have access to learners’ responses.

  • Sign Up/Sign In:
    • Signing up is not necessary.

  • Customization:
    • There are no options for customization of H5P activities by students and there are few options for customization of H5P content types by designers/instructors.

Learners need to work in a system that is fluid and requires a minimum number of steps in systems that are intuitive and integrated.
More Information

Rating: Works well

  • Interface:
    • H5P has a simple, user-friendly interface, for both learners, developers and instructors.

  • Additional Downloads:
    • There is no need to download any additional software or tools.

  • Functionality:
    • H5P content is responsive across different devices.

Learners exist in accessible networks, and connect to the experiences, concepts, people, and ideas that they need.
More Information

Rating: Moderate concerns

  • Scale:
    • Most H5P content types can be used for any class size, but does not allow creation of smaller groups, teams, or communities.

  • Flexibility of Media:
    • n/a

  • Engagement:
    • Most H5P content types allow for connection between students and learning materials, but not as many opportunities for connection among peers and with the instructors.

Learning and feedback are iterative, and assessment comes from multiple sources, including self, peers, teachers, and outside experts.
More Information

Rating:

  • Feedback:
    • H5P activities can be set up to provide formative and summative feedback that is timely, relevant and specific.

  • Engagement:
    • Many H5P content types allow engagement with learning materials and self-reflection, but there are fewer options for engagement with and assessment from peers, teachers, and outside experts.