This week, we learned all about screencasting as well as the additional elements of H5P that can further enhance one’s screencast. Screencasting is a recording software that allows you to record your computer, whether the entire screen, or just one tab. Additionally, you are able to record your voice/system audio at the same time of the video recording.  H5P is a plug-in tool that can be used in conjunction to screencasting and videos. H5P allows for videos to become interactive to the viewer through polls and quizzes, while also providing navigation markers so that the viewer is instructed where they should be looking during the video. I have already become acquainted with screencasting ever since I was 10 years old and have had a lot of experience with it. Growing up, I played a lot of video games; however, the game that was the key to my heart was Toontown. Not only did I play the game, I would make music videos for YouTube. I would do this by screencasting segments of the game and compiling it onto a video editor called Powerdirector which also allowed me to learn how to use green screens and overlays. Here is one of my exceptional music videos:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDLuebqQdH0

Although I had experience with screencasting, H5P was new to me. I believe it is a beneficial tool for educators to use for when they make videos. I wonder, however, that H5P would of had its peak use during Covid as students would learn through live and pre-recorded videos. Currently, I do not think that it would be as widely and commonly used in traditional learning, however, it can still be an additional resource. Perhaps, when students have independent learning on iPads or laptops, if there is not a video that perfectly represents what is being taught, the teacher could make a video and use H5P tools for the student to watch and use. Additionally, students could create their own videos and use H5P tools to form their own micro-quizzes for their peers to interact with. In turn, this would allow students to deepen their understanding of the topic of which their video is focused on through a fun and engaging activity that can be extended into interacting with their peers video creations.

H5P is a helpful tool in that it allows student’s time to process what they are watching and directly apply their knowledge. Shoya Boros, a member of the Digital Education Team at the University of Plymouth, mentions the key reason to why H5P is beneficial on their blog Increasing interactivity in online learning with H5P, by stating “Building interactive content using different types of technologies for online learning is essential as it increases the effectiveness, engagement, and motivation of the students as it provides the opportunity to create active learning opportunities, rather than just passively listening to new information.” Often, when we watch videos, or read textbooks, our attention does not remain static as the information presented begins to overload our minds. With incorporating H5P tools, it would allow the student a second to process what they have learned so that they are able to take in the following information. This technique reminds me of an effective note-taking method whereby you read a short paragraph, then take a second to process that information, and then write down what you can recall from what you just read. This method apparently promotes the memorization of what is being read.