All About H5P: Benefits for Your Learners, Content You Can Create, and How to Integrate With Your LMS

(Editor’s note: This blog post was originally published on April 22, 2021, and has been updated with new information and insights.)

Not a programmer? Not a problem! Anyone can create interactive and engaging content with H5P. Also known as HTML5 Package, instructors can leverage this open-source authoring framework to enhance their online courses and keep learners engaged—no coding experience required. Mastering H5P empowers you to take your content to the next level across your learning management system without waiting for support from a programmer or IT expert.

4 Ways H5P Improves Your Digital Learning Environments

H5P helps instructors and instructional designers create, share, or reuse interactive content to enhance digital learning for students. It easily integrates with Moodle™-based platforms like Open LMS to simplify content creation and help you streamline learning processes. Below are some examples of how H5P benefits organizations and institutions.

1) Save Time

H5P is an alternative way of working with HTML5, a markup language that lets you create interactive content on a webpage or document without using plugins. HTML5 is mobile-friendly, making it a standard choice for designing online learning content, whether viewed on a laptop, smartphone, or tablet.

However, HTML5 can be challenging to work with for people who aren’t familiar with markup languages or those without a background in programming or coding. It can take a lot of time for someone to learn how to effectively use HTML5 to create content. H5P eliminates this problem by letting you create engaging, interactive content without needing to learn the mechanics of a markup language.

2) Hit the Ground Running

H5P integrates with a multitude of platforms, including Moodle™-based learning platforms. Your organization or institution can set up the initial integration independently or leverage your LMS provider’s support services to handle any necessary configurations. You also don’t need to rely on any additional plugins or software options since H5P is a fully browser-supported integration.

As long as you’re using an updated browser like the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge, you can create and manage interactive content elements within your courses with minimal effort.

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3) Share and Reuse Content

Moodle™-based learning platforms like Open LMS include a content bank that lets instructors save their H5P materials. When items are saved in the content bank, they can be shared and reused across your organization or institution. This makes it easier for instructors to incorporate content without reinventing the wheel. Anything you or your colleagues create and save to the bank can be accessed by other instructors, saving time and encouraging collaboration.

For example, let’s say you’re an instructor in the English language department at a large university. You usually teach upper-level courses, but this semester you’re asked to teach an introductory writing course. Rather than designing the entire course from scratch, you can search for lessons, quizzes, videos, and other resources that other instructors from your university have saved to your institution’s H5P content bank. This helps you create an engaging course without forcing you to spend a lot of time or resources making new materials.

4) Make Content More Engaging

By far the most common reason for using H5P to create LMS content is its ability to make interactive course elements that enhance online learning for your students. Using H5P can transform relatively flat digital lessons into interactive experiences that keep learners engaged and attentive in your courses. From moving elements to quizzes and more, content options are nearly limitless with H5P.

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What Kind of Content Can You Create With H5P?

H5P offers numerous interactive content types to enhance learning environments, and new options are continually created and shared by a community of open-source creators. Below are some of the most helpful content types you can make with H5P to take your online learning courses to the next level.

Hotspot Graphics

Create clickable, interactive graphics that give learners additional information that deepens their understanding of key topics, timelines, events, and more. When learners click these “hotspots,” they’re greeted with a pop-up that includes explanatory text or additional graphics that zoom in on or clarify your initial images. For example, a hotspot graphic could be used to give employees a more in-depth look at compliance procedures or the timeline of events that typically occur when making an HR report.

Interactive Videos

Turn passive video watching into an active learning experience. H5P’s interactive video capabilities let you embed quizzes, clickable hotspots, text pop-ups, and links directly into your video content. Learners can engage in real time—pausing to answer questions, explore topics, or review key moments.

Slide-Based Learning Modules

Build interactive slide decks that combine text, media, and quiz elements into a single flow. H5P is ideal for the full range of eLearning experiences, from self-paced courses to microlearning lessons.

Quizzes and Assessments

H5P offers a wide range of interactive assessment types, from multiple-choice and drag-and-drop to fill-in-the-blank and image hotspots. These activities provide instant feedback and can automatically report grades to your LMS.

Branching Scenarios

Bring real-world decision-making into your digital learning programs with branching scenarios. This content type lets your learners navigate a story by making choices so they experience different consequences based on their decisions. This can be especially useful for safety or compliance training courses.

Games, Puzzles, and Flashcards

The H5P framework includes a variety of game-based content types that make learning more enjoyable and increase engagement. You can also use flashcards to reinforce terminology, definitions, and key processes. Learners can flip cards to test their recall or review correct answers.

Interactive Books

Combine multiple H5P activities—videos, quizzes, text, and images—into a single, cohesive learning experience. Interactive books are a great option for creating self-contained modules that learners can explore at their own pace.

Reflective Learning Tools

H5P’s essay and documentation content types let learners record reflections, document progress, or set goals. These can be particularly effective in leadership development and performance-based learning programs.

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Get Started With H5P

H5P’s browser-based, platform-independent code means you can start enhancing your digital learning content directly within your LMS. Tech-savvy administrators can get started with H5P on their own, or you can partner with Open LMS’s software experts to ensure H5P is seamlessly integrated into your system.