Open Educational Resources (OER)

Definition: HyperText Markup Language 5 Package.

• "H5P is a free and open-source content collaboration framework based on JavaScript. H5P is an abbreviation for HTML5 Package, and aims to make it easy for everyone to create, share and reuse interactive HTML5 content." --Wikipedia
• "H5P is a plugin for existing publishing systems that empowers users to create interactive content (activities/assets) like Interactive Videos, Presentations, Games, Quizzes and more!"--H5P Group web site

Limitations:

• If you create H5P assets for use in LibreTexts Studio or ADAPT, the assets will become openly sharable, so ensure beforehand that what you are using to create the asset is not copyrighted material. 
• Many of the H5P question types are not ADA-compliant or require workarounds to ensure compliance, so be careful when selecting content types to use in your courses.  You may need to create workarounds or alternatives. See below for details on H5P and Accessibility. 
• H5P is a client-side technology, so it is insecure and hackable. It is recommended for low-stakes or formative assessments.

You can get access to H5P for free or by subscription.

• LibreTexts is a grant-driven collaborative project run through UC Davis with the goal of developing OERs to reduce textbook costs for students. It uses the H5P plugin to enhance the interactivity of the open textbooks and encourages open resource sharing of H5P activities/assets. The Studio site allows for free storage of H5P content created by instructors like you.

LibreTexts provides two different web sites for H5P development:

• LibreTexts Studio provides a platform for creating H5P content and for storing it. You'll need to create a Studio account (use access code ASCCC) to get access. The site itself has no help screens; instead when you select a component to develop it links to H5P.org for examples, documentation, and tutorials. The H5P content you create and store here could be used in Canvas for formative assessments and self-checks (it's not graded, or it's intended to be used as interactive multimedia).
• LibreTexts ADAPT is an "Adaptive Learning Assessment System" that provides homework system and question bank integration for the Canvas grade book or anywhere questions can be posted (with URLs). You'll need to register for an ADAPT account to get access (two-part process: request an access code, then register for an account). No support is offered on the site itself. The H5P content you develop and store in Studio can be pulled into ADAPT and used for summative assessment (grades). This site is where you would house content in a "course" to be integrated into your Canvas grade book as an External Tool. ADAPT has an enormous question bank from which to pull to build assessments; some questions are created in H5P, some are from more secure server-side applications. 

SUPPORT: As stated above, support is lacking on the Studio and ADAPT sites (no help screens), so see below for LibreTexts trainings (recorded and live) to get started and to learn how to navigate the site(s). 

• H5P.com sells subscriptions to supported version of H5P. The site offers a platform to create and store H5P activities. Individual subscriptions are not available; the minimum size is three accounts. 
  • Pros: supports changes to the open-source software, enterprise scale available for institutions
  • Cons: $$$ for individuals, but some faculty pay anyway for the stability, convenience, and storage
• H5P.org runs the open-source hub that showcases many H5P content types and provides documentation, examples, and tutorials for H5P creation. If you have your own web site like Wordpress or Drupal you can download the plugin for free and use it on your site. OR you can create an account (sandbox) on H5P.org to test out the different content types-- but you cannot store your content there, which is where LibreTexts comes in (see below).
  • Pros: H5P.org is the place to go to learn about H5P and test it out
  • Cons: sandbox only, no storage, no support for you when the open-source software changes

Here are the main differences between H5P.com and H5P.org. (Both are run by H5P.Group)

H5P content types that appear on LibreTexts Studio and LibreTexts ADAPT platforms strive to be accessible, but the H5P plugin is open-source, so accessibility will vary with content types and may change as the software evolves. For details, see LibreTexts' Accessibility Statement and their H5P Accessibility Guide <--(be sure to click the Review Accessibility by Activity button at the bottom of the page to see ratings for each question type). Workarounds for some question types are provided in the question type descriptions.

H5P.com maintains a page regarding which content types are currently accessible; note that the list contains only those types used on the H5P.com site, and "accessible" may not mean ADA-compliant.

Video by Melanie Nakaji. No sound. (51 sec)

Demonstration of an interactive video on American Sign Language. After each sign, a popup icon appears for Multiple Choice, which the student then clicks to see a popup box containing a question and multiple possible answers. Student can select an answer and check the result. Multiple tries are allowed if the student answers incorrectly. A score is tallied for each question and a summary of scores is provided at the end of the assessment prior to the student clicking the Submit Answers button.  

Recording from March 10, 2023 OER Week 2023. Facilitators: Kelly Spoon, Sarah Hawkins and Philippe Patto. (60 min)

Watch the first 6 minutes to get a brief overview of H5P, LibreTexts Studio, LibreTexts ADAPT integration with Canvas, and how to sign up for accounts with LibreTexts. Watch the rest of the video to see how faculty actually incorporate H5P assets in their courses with/without ADAPT. 

Got questions? Philippe Patto, who has been using H5P.com in his courses for a few years, has graciously offered to answer questions you may have about H5P. You can contact him at ppatto@sdccd.edu. 

Interested in learning how to make assessments with HTML 5 Package (H5P)? See these recorded sessions from ASCCC-OERI for more information (more OERI webnars and events here):