Want to use a free, open source tool to increase student engagement online? This session will demonstrate how to create engaging presentations with H5P that can include images/videos with hotspots, quizzing, and games. Participants will walk away with a specific implementation idea to increase interactivity in their courses.
Despite the growth of online education, there is still skepticism about the quality of education that is received online (Allen, Seaman, Poulin, & Straut, 2016), and these perceptions of quality deficiencies in online classes are often based in assumptions that instructors are better able to engage with students, and to encourage more active learning, in face-to-face environments (Riggs & Linder, 2016). Effective engagement in online courses is necessary for deep learning, and many models for evaluating the quality of an online course environment rely on strategies that have students engaged with the content, instructor, and other students (Dietz-Uhler & Hurn, 2013). As instructional design consultants, we have found that faculty report struggling most with ways to enable student engagement with online content. Faculty often rely primarily on assigning textbook readings or posting additional readings and videos, lacking the creation of meaningful interactions with the course content.
Given that engagement is fundamental to learning in an online course, this presentation will highlight how H5P provides a means for instructors to make course materials more interactive and support student learning. H5P, which stands for HTML5 Package, is a free and open source, user-friendly technology that lets users create simple, interactive content online. The various learning objects offered by H5P include interactive videos, presentations, quizzes, drag-and-drop and matching tasks and many more. These learning objects can be embedded directly into learning management systems (LMS), like Moodle and Canvas that use HTML. H5P offers instructors a simple yet creative solution for increasing engagement and interaction in an online learning environment.
Interaction plays an important role in online learning through three types of interactions that influence the success of an online course: learner-to-content, learner-to-instructor, and learner-to-learner interactions. Facilitating learner-to-content interaction is important because it can help enhance cognition and make online learning possible (Tuovinen, 2000). H5P can help facilitate learner-to-content interaction by helping instructors make static content more engaging and present information in a more visually-appealing format.
When implemented thoughtfully, H5P can also support student learning by providing students with an opportunity to engage in self-testing. Self-testing is a generative learning strategy that involves the retrieval of information after exposure to the initial instructional material, and research suggests that it can be effective when paired with immediate feedback that corrects errors and/or misconceptions (Fiorella & Mayer, 2015). H5P offers instructors the ability to create material with built-in quizzes that reviews instructional content and displays immediate feedback, which allows students to engage in self-assessment to reinforce their learning.
To begin the session, we will survey the audience about the challenges of engaging students in an online environment using a polling tool. We will also ask the audience to discuss and share methods they use to encourage interaction with online materials. For the presentation, we will show participants a variety of ways to create interactive content using H5P and provide best practice tips for implementation. The demonstration will include multiple examples from faculty across various disciplines using both Canvas and Moodle from two different California State Universities. We will also share quotes from faculty and students on their impressions of and experiences with H5P in their courses. H5P made such an impression on one biology faculty member that he commented it was “the pinnacle of human evolution.” By sharing this data, we hope to illustrate the potential uses and benefits of this particular educational technology in teaching and learning, especially in an online environment.
During the last part of the session, participants will be asked to brainstorm individually about which type of H5P activities they would consider adding to one of their courses, and how they would employ that activity. Then participants will be asked to gather in discipline theme groups (e.g., Social Sciences, STEM) and share their ideas with one another. It is our intention that each person will leave with several implementation ideas of how to apply H5P for better student interaction with online content. Additionally, all participants will leave with a handout that provides the basic information about H5P (e.g., where to find it, the types of activities it offers, and tips on how to use it effectively).
REFERENCES
Allen, I. E., Seaman, J., Poulin, R., & Straut, T. (2016). Online report card: Tracking online education in the United States. Babson Survey Research Group and Quahog Research Group, LLC.
Dietz-Uhler, B., & Hurn, J. E. (2013). Using learning analytics to predict (and improve) student success: A faculty perspective. Journal of Interactive Online Learning, 12, 17-26.
Fiorella, L., & Mayer, R. E. (2016). Eight ways to promote generative learning. Educational Psychology Review, 28(4), 717-741.
Riggs, S. A., & Linder, K. E. (2016). Actively engaging students in asynchronous online classes. IDEA Paper #64. IDEA Center, Inc.
Tuovinen, J. E. (2000). Multimedia distance education interactions. Educational Media International, 37, 16-24.