H5P Interactive Videos
What is an Interactive Video?
In a traditional video (or linear video) you click “play” to start to the video, with options to pause, rewind, fast forward and restart during the experience. With an interactive video, you are also able to click, drag, scroll, hover, gesture and complete other digital actions to interact with the video’s content.
There are several different functions you can build into an interactive video, but the most commonly used options include:
- Hotspots: clickable areas within a video; these buttons can take a viewer to a separate web page or provide further information
- Branches: different paths a student can take to control and customise what they see
- Quizzes: deliver an assessment and reveal a personalised result at the end of the video
What can Interactive Videos be used for?
Example: Law
The levels of the Australian government
Example: Southern Cross University
An Introduction to Southern Cross University
Example: Early Childhood Education
Making rich learning environments
Create an Interactive Video
Preparation
Before you start building your interactive video you will require your own video recording in mp4 format, or alternatively a YouTube video. You could create a PowerPoint recording and save it as an mp4 video, use Camtasia Studio to create a video, or download an existing MediaSite recording. You will also need a list of questions, statements or definitions that will form the basis of the interactivity.
Converting videos
If your video is not in the MP4 video format you can use Handbrake to convert it.
The following video covers how to make an Interactive Video from a Youtube Video.
Test it out!
Here is the H5P we made in the video above. Try out the interactive content!
Best practice recommendations
The following design guidelines will assist you to design an effective interactive video. Before you start building your interactive video, spend some time considering how you might develop each of these elements. Jot down some questions or explanatory text that will target the key learning objectives of the interactive video.
| Design Element | Include | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Annotations | Use fixed annotation positions that don't interfere with viewing the video. | Heavy or extraneous annotations may be interesting but don't contribute to the learning. |
| Pre-test | Pre-adjunct questions stimulate the learner’s attention and motivate them to focus more on specific aspects of the video. | Pre-adjunct questions that are unrelated to the video, overtly technical or poorly worded are likely to confuse students. |
| Predictive Questioning | Ask students to predict what is going to happen next in the video. Expose student misconceptions and evaluate understanding. | Questions unrelated to what happens next in the video or where there is not enough information provided to make a common-sense guess. |
| Reflective questions | Use reflective questions where students pause and think about their choices, reflect and deepen their understanding. | Questions unrelated to the temporal location in the video, or where the pause stops the video mid-sentence. |
| Navigation | Provide second-layer navigation so that viewers can jump to specific scenes, especially when the video is too long. Use branching to offer multipath videos where multiple subtopics are covered in the original video. Include enough triggers to make students want to watch the video again. | Long videos with poorly structured or labelled navigation will frustrate students. Instead, break up sections every few minutes with interactivity or other navigation ques. |
| Summary | Reinforce the presented knowledge and encourage learners to build explanations and expectations that go beyond the learning material. Use either memorization (recognition or recall) questions or application questions. | No summary, or a summary that introduces new concepts not covered in the video. |
| Feedback | Give feedback to students’ answers. Feedback is essential for providing the necessary scaffolding to students. Provide meaningful feedback that guides students focus and navigational choices. | No feedback, or unhelpful feedback. Students should be able to reattempt interactions and understand where and why they went wrong. |
| Analytics | Track Interactions using H5P reports and identify students who are struggling with specific interactions. H5P reports help you to understand how students are interacting and optimize the design of the interactive video. | Failing to review the H5P reports or review your design decisions using H5P Reports. |
Step-by-step tutorial
More information about creating an Interactive Video H5P is available here: Interactive Video
References
Delen, E., Liew, J., & Willson, V. (2014). Effects of interactivity and instructional scaffolding on learning: Self-regulation in online video-based environments. Computers & Education, 78, 312-320.H5P. (n.d.) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263774564_Effects_of_interactivity_and_instructional_scaffolding_on_learning_Self-regulation_in_online_video-based_environments
Palaigeorgiou, G. & Papadopoulou, A. & Kazanidis, I. (2019). Interactive Video for Learning: A Review of Interaction Types, Commercial Platforms, and Design Guidelines. 10.1007/978-3-030-20954-4_38. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333425485_Interactive_Video_for_Learning_A_Review_of_Interaction_Types_Commercial_Platforms_and_Design_Guidelines