More support on using H5P – the tool that makes interactive content easy

H5P, the Canvas-integrated tool, allows you to create more interactive course materials. From simple formative quizzes to complex branching scenarios, H5P is an easy to use, but powerful tool to enhance students learning.

Why should you consider using H5P?

As a busy academic, it can be challenging to find the time and resources to enhance your teaching methods. However, H5P is a powerful tool that can significantly benefit your teaching, even amidst a busy schedule. Here’s why:

Interactive and Engaging Content: H5P allows you to create interactive and engaging content easily, allowing you to increase students’ attention, their engagement, and make the learning experience more enjoyable.
Time Efficiency: H5P provides a user-friendly interface and a wide range of pre-designed templates, making it easy to create interactive content quickly. Once you become familiar with the tool, you can save time by reusing templates, clone and modifying existing content (created by you or shared with colleagues) to suit different topics or courses.
Versatility: H5P offers a variety of activity types, including interactive videos, presentations, quizzes, games, timelines, and more. This versatility allows you to cater to different learning styles and adapt your teaching methods to meet the needs of diverse student groups. Whether you want to assess knowledge, reinforce concepts, or promote critical thinking, H5P provides a wide range of options.
Seamless Integration: H5P is compatible with our learning management systems, Canvas. You don’t even need to leave your Canvas page to create your content, and minimises the need for students to navigate between multiple tools.
Help and support is at hand available: All content types have built-in tutorials. To support colleagues, we are also running additional workshops on using H5P.

Using H5P to Enhance Learning and Teaching Webinar

H5P is a tool integrated into canvas that allows users to easily create, share, and reuse interactive and multimedia content. H5P offers a wide range of content types, such as quizzes, interactive videos, games, and presentations. With H5P, users do not need to have advanced programming skills to create engaging and interactive content, as the tool provides a simple and intuitive user interface that allows them to add multimedia elements, interactions, and assessments to their content with ease.

Next Date: 21^st June 2023. Sign up via Elements

Using H5P to Enhance Learning and Teaching: Advanced Webinar

A session on more advanced tips on working with H5P – for users who would like to explore more advanced content types. This session is designed to empower educators with the skills and knowledge to harness the full potential of H5P in their teaching practices. This workshop is specifically tailored for academics who are already familiar with the basics of H5P and want to explore advanced features and functionalities. Through hands-on exercises and guided demonstrations, you will learn how to integrate H5P content seamlessly into your existing course materials. The workshop will also provide a platform for collaboration and sharing of best practices, allowing you to network with peers and gain inspiration from real-world examples. By the end of the workshop, participants will have the tools and expertise to create engaging learning experiences using H5P, thereby enhancing their teaching methods and fostering a more interactive and impactful classroom environment.

Next Date: 30^th June 2023. Sign up via Elements

New Guide on Virtual Tours

We have also published a new guide on H5P on the Learning and Teaching Website: Tutorial on Creating Virtual Tours Using H5P. It contains a step-by-step instructions on creating a virtual tour, with some example 360 and static images for you to practice.

How do you use H5P?

What is your experience H5P? Do you have examples of content you would like to share? Comment below and let other colleagues get inspired!

Using Ally in Canvas

Accessibility week –
Day 5

This blog post outlines how to use Ally to improve the accessibility of your teaching materials within Canvas.

Ally is a built-in accessibility checker that is integrated into Canvas which automatically checks course materials against WCAG 2.1 accessibility standards.

From an instructor perspective, it delivers guidance to improve the accessibility of their course content. For students it provides accessible alternative formats such as audio, electronic braille, epub and more.

Alternative Formats

Ally automatically generates alternative formats of your course files, so students can access the information they need, in the way that they need it.

Formats includes:

Electronic Braille
Audio
Immersive Reader
PDF – OCR
PDF – Tagged
HTML, Semantic
ePub
Translated Version
BeeLine Reader

For more information on these alternative formats, visit the Alternative Formats section of the Ally website.

The below video explains alternative formats in Ally, demonstrating how they are accessed and used.

Alternative Formats in Ally – Explanational video

Instructor feedback

Ally provides you detailed feedback and support to help you make your materials more accessible.

The below video explains the instructor view of Ally and how to improve the accessibility of your materials:

Instructor Tools in Ally – Explanational video

Further Resources

For more information on Ally in Canvas, please visit our Ally For Canvas pages on the Learning and Teaching website.

For more information on accessibility please visit our webpages for Digital Accessibility and Universal Design.

18 May, 202318 May, 2023

Creating Accessible Videos in Panopto

Accessibility week –
Day 4

All learning resources we create should aim to be accessible as possible and this includes video content. For the purposes of this blog, we will be looking at video captioning in the Panopto (also know as Recap) system.

When discussing video content, we are referring to recordings that are provided to students for educations purposes (that is delivered via Canvas), for example lecture recordings, teaching presentations etc.

Captioning in Panopto

The ReCap service (Panopto) provides the ability to add ASR (Automatic Speech Recognition) generated captions to your recordings.

The University recognises that automatically generated captions are not 100% correct and have published a captions disclaimer for viewers. 

We recommend reviewing automatically generated captions and making light-touch edits before making them available.

A short video guide on how to add captions to a Panopto recording can be found on the How to Add Automatic Captions to a Video page on the Panopto website.

Further Guidance on Captioning

For further guidance on captioning video content and FAQs, please visit Captions and Transcripts pages on the Learning and Teaching development website.

18 May, 202318 May, 2023

Creating Accessible Pages in Canvas

Accessibility week –
Day 3

This blog post outlines how to make Canvas pages accessible using the Rich Content Editor (RCE). Many of the techniques and tips are similar to those discussed in creating accessible documents.

The Rich Content Editor within Canvas is a powerful tool for create engaging content, blending text with multimedia resources. With a built-in accessibility checker, you can make some great content that not only looks good but is also accessible.

1. Text Headings

Use a hierarchy of headings such as Heading 2, Heading 3 and Heading 4. The heading options are limited in Canvas compared to other software, with the highest level of heading starting at Heading 2. Using headings allows easier navigation for all users, as well as allowing screen readers to identify and describe the structure of a document.

Guidance on how to change heading styles in the Canvas Rich Content Editor can be found in the Canvas Instructor Guidance: How do I add and modify text in the Rich Content Editor as an instructor?

2. Font and text

When selecting a font size use a minimum of font size 12 (which is the default font size setting in the Rich Content Editor in Canvas). For the main text of the page, use the Paragraph setting. It’s also best to keep your use of bold and italic text to a minimum

If lists are used in the page use bullet points for items that aren’t sequential or numbered lists for sequential items.

Guidance on how to change font styles and sizes in the Canvas Rich Content Editor can be found in the Canvas Instructor Guidance: How do I add and modify text in the Rich Content Editor as an instructor?

3. Colour and Contrast

When using colours in a Canvas page, do not use colour alone to convey meaning. If someone has a visual impairment, including colour blindness, the emphasis you’re trying to create by using colour will be lost.

Please also be mindful of the colour contrast. This means the colour contrast between background and foreground content should be great enough to ensure it is legible.

If you want to check your contrast settings, you can visit WebAIM’s Color Contrast Checker website.

Guidance on how to change font and background colours in the Canvas Rich Content Editor can be found in the Canvas Instructor Guidance: How do I add and modify text in the Rich Content Editor as an instructor?

4. Alternative Text (Alt text)

Always use alternative text (or ‘alt text’) to provide a meaningful description of an image. Alt text allows screen readers and text-to-speech tools to read aloud the content of an image to the user.

Alt text should be clear and concise (1-2 sentences) and explain the relevant content of an image. Alt text is limited to 125 characters, so use that wisely and try to describe the key elements of the image.

If your graphic has text in it, this should be added to the alt text also.

If an image is there only for appearance, you can mark it as decorative.

Guidance on how to manage image alt text in the Canvas Rich Content Editor can be found in the Canvas Instructor Guidance: How do I manage alt text and display options for images embedded in the Rich Content Editor as an instructor?

5. Use Tables for Data – Never for Layout

Tables can be great for organising information. However, if used incorrectly, they can be difficult for people to navigate using assistive technologies.

If you add a table to your document, be sure to use it for data and not for layout or document design.

It’s important to ensure that your table has a header row that repeats itself when the table extends beyond a single page. When deciding on a structure for tables, remember they are read from left to right and top to bottom.

Guidance on how to create tables in the Canvas Rich Content Editor can be found in the Canvas Instructor Guidance: How do I insert a table using the Rich Content Editor as an instructor?

6. Hyperlinks

Use hyperlinks to describe where the link will take the user. It is recommended that you create descriptive text about where the URL will take the user so it can be easily read by a screen reader. For example, the “Semester 1 – Assignment Brief” details can be found in the Assignments section of Canvas, where “Semester 1 – Assignment Brief” is the hyperlink. Avoid using ‘click here’, ‘read more’ or ‘for more info’. Also avoid underlining text for emphasis, but rather use the bold function.

Guidance on how to create, edit and remove hyperlinks can be found in the following guides:

How do I create hyperlinks to external URLs in the Rich Content Editor as an instructor?

How do I create hyperlinks to course or group content in the Rich Content Editor as an instructor?

How do I edit and remove hyperlinks in the Rich Content Editor as an instructor?

7. Use an Accessibility Checker

Use the built-in accessibility checker in Canvas to identify any accessibility issues on a page. This tool can help identify any accessibility issues in your pages, ensuring they meet the necessary standards. They will guide you, step by step, on how to make your pages more accessible.

Guidance on how to use the Accessibility checker in the Rich Content Editor in Canvas can be found in the Canvas Instructor Guidance: How do I use the Accessibility Checker in the Rich Content Editor as an instructor?

Further Resources

For more information on accessibility please visit our webpages for Digital Accessibility and Universal Design.

17 May, 202318 May, 2023

Creating Accessible Presentations

Accessibility week –
Day 2

This blog post outlines how to make presentations (Microsoft PowerPoint) accessible. PowerPoint presentations are one of the most popular tools for learning and teaching – especially to accompany lectures.

But have you ever considered their accessibility?

In this article, we’re going to outline some tips on creating inclusive and engaging presentations in Microsoft PowerPoint. While some of the accessibility tips may seem familiar from working with text documents, we’ll also mention a few special tricks for your presentations.

Presentation Design Fundamentals

1. Slide Layout

Most slide layouts should include a slide title, this is usually at the top of the slide. These layouts also include one or more placeholder areas where you are able to add content like images and text to a slide.

Slide titles are treated as a heading in a screen reader and will be the first thing read on each slide. If a slide has a descriptive title, it will make it easier for screen reader users to understand the context the slide.

Make sure slides are read in the order you intend using the Reading Order Pane within Microsoft PowerPoint.

Tip: Use the built-in slide designs. They are accessible, contain placeholders in a correct reading order, and predefined formatting.

2. Headings and Sub-headings

Use a unique title for each slide heading as detailed in Slide Layout above. This provides structure and assists with navigation. Headings assist screen reader users and also help with ease of navigation for all users.

The font size for headings should be minimum 36pt. Sub-headings provide additional navigation when defining a move to a different point.

This is useful when trying to get more than one point across or signals a break/change for the reader.

3. Text and Font

As with text documents use a Sans Serif font. (e.g. Arial, Calibri) as they are more accessible. These fonts are well defined and regular in shape and size and display better on computers and mobile devices. Most popular font styles, like Tahoma or Arial, are accessible; opt for the most popular fonts rather than decorative ones.

It’s also best to keep your use of bold and italic text to a minimum

Use a minimum point size of 24 for all slide text and don’t put too much text on slides.

4. Colour and Contrast

As with text documents, do not use colour alone to convey meaning. If someone has a visual impairment, including colour blindness, the emphasis you’re trying to create by using colour will be lost.

Additionally, when you use colours, please be mindful of the colour contrast. This means the colour contrast between background and foreground content should be great enough to ensure it is legible.

If you want to check contrast, you can visit WebAIM’s Color Contrast Checker website. (Links to an external site)

Tip: You can also go to View -> Grayscale to have a quick check whether the contrast is great enough. The images below show the same presentation in the full-colour and grayscale view.

5. Hyperlinks

When linking to a page or document via a hyperlink, use the hyperlink text to describe where the link will take the user. It is recommended that you create descriptive text about where the URL will take the user so it can be easily read by a screen reader.

For example, if you link to additional resources in your slide, avoid using “read more” or “for more info”. Also avoid underlining text for emphasis, but rather use the bold function.

6. Alternative Text

If you include an image in your presentation, if that image is essential to the context for the slide, always use alternative text (or ‘alt text’). When doing this provide a meaningful description of an image. Alt text allows screen readers and text-to-speech tools to read aloud the content of an image to the user.

If your graphic has text in it, this should be added to the alt text also. Alternatively, if the text is too long to fit in the alt text box (e.g. for charts, infographics), provide a text-only version on the slide.

If an image is there only for appearance, you can mark it as decorative. For example, In Microsoft PowerPoint, select the “Mark as decorative box” when the image is selected.

7. Tables – Use for Data not Never Layouts

Tables can be great for organising information. However, if used incorrectly, they can be difficult for people to navigate using assistive technologies.

If you add a table to your document, be sure to use it for data and not for layout or document design.

For design, use the dedicated layout templates (e.g. two columns, three columns).

8. Don’t go overboard with the animations

Animations can make your presentation more engaging and are an easy tool to illustrate processes. However, don’t use animations alone to convey meaning and keep in mind that some people can get vertigo or be sensitive to flashing or rapidly moving images.

9. Accessibility Checker

Use built-in accessibility checker in PowerPoint to identify any accessibility issues in the presentation.

These tools can help identify any accessibility issues in your documents, ensuring they meet the necessary standards. They will guide you, step by step, on how to make your document more accessible.

10. Captions and Transcripts for Video

If you add videos to your presentation, you also need to make sure it’s accessible. With video content it is likely that the audio and visual content are both key to the meaning and delivery of the message.

By adding captions/subtitles will make material accessible to hearing and visually impaired users. This is also useful for users that are unable to watch video with sound.

You can also add a link to transcript or include text-only version on your next slide.

Software Specific Guides

Microsoft PowerPoint

For specific guidance on how to make documents accessible in Microsoft PowerPoint visit the Good Practice Guide for Microsoft PowerPoint.

Further Resources

For more information on accessibility please visit our webpages for Digital Accessibility and Universal Design.

16 May, 202317 May, 2023

Creating Accessible Documents

Accessibility week – Day 2

In learning and teaching, it’s crucial to ensure that everyone can access and engage with the materials we share. In this post, we’ll guide you through the fundamentals of document design that apply to various platforms such as Microsoft Word, Adobe PDF, and even Canvas pages.

Document Design Fundamentals

There are some key points of accessible document design that are true across all platforms, be it Microsoft Word, Adobe PDF, and even Canvas pages.

1. Text Headings

Use a hierarchy of headings such as:

Title
Heading 1
Heading 2
Heading 3 etc.

This enables ease of navigation for all users, as well as allowing screen readers to identify and describe the structure of a document.

2. Font and text

Use a minimum of font size 12 and 1.5 line spacing for Microsoft Word documents. When using lists use bullet points for items that aren’t sequential or numbered lists for sequential items.

Use Sans Serif fonts (e.g. Arial, Calibri) as they are more accessible. These fonts are well defined and regular in shape and size and display better on computers and mobile devices. Most popular font styles, like Tahoma or Arial, are accessible; opt for the most popular fonts rather than decorative ones.

It’s also best to keep your use of bold and italic text to a minimum.

3. Colour and Contrast

Do not use colour alone to convey meaning. If someone has a visual impairment, including colour blindness, the emphasis you’re trying to create by using colour will be lost. Additionally, when you use colours, please be mindful of the colour contrast. This means the colour contrast between background and foreground content should be great enough to ensure it is legible.

If you want to check if you contrast, you can visit WebAIM’s Color Contrast Checker website. (Links to an external site)

4. Alternative Text (Alt text)

If your graphic has text in it, this should be added to the alt text also.

If an image is there only for appearance, you can mark it as decorative. For example, In Microsoft Word, select the “Mark as decorative box” when the image is selected.

5. Use Tables for Data – Never for Layout

Tables can be great for organising information. However, if used incorrectly, they can be difficult for people to navigate using assistive technologies.

If you add a table to your document, be sure to use it for data and not for layout or document design.

6. Hyperlinks

For printed documents, it’s advised to use the full URL or you can use bit.ly or other link shortener if the hyperlink is very long

7. Use an Accessibility Checker

Use built-in accessibility checkers to identify any accessibility issues in a document. Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat and Canvas all have built-in accessibility checkers. These tools can help identify any accessibility issues in your documents, ensuring they meet the necessary standards. They will guide you, step by step, on how to make your document more accessible.

Software Specific Guides

Microsoft Word

For specific guidance on how to make documents accessible in Microsoft Word visit the Good Practice Guide for Microsoft Word.

Portable Document Format (PDF)

For specific guidance on how to make documents accessible in Adobe PDF visit the Good Practice Guide for PDFs.

Conclusion

By implementing the strategies and recommendations outlined in this article, we can collectively make a significant impact on the accessibility of our documents, creating an inclusive environment for all students and educators.

Let’s get started!

Visit our blog tomorrow for more tips on digital accessibility.

Further Resources

For more information on accessibility please visit our webpages for Digital Accessibility and Universal Design.

15 May, 20235 February, 2024

Global Accessibility Awareness Day

Thursday 18 May 2023

What is Global Accessibility Awareness Day?

Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) is an international event intended to get everyone talking, thinking and learning about digital accessibility and inclusion. This year the event will be held on 18 May 2023, but in the run up to the big day, we’ll be posting tips and techniques to help you improve the accessibility of your own teaching materials.

Every user deserves a first-rate digital experience on the web. Someone with a disability must be able to experience web-based services, content and other digital products with the same successful outcome as those without disabilities. This awareness and commitment to inclusion is the goal of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, a global event that shines a light on digital access and inclusion for people with disabilities (from https://accessibility.day).

At Newcastle University, accessibility is about ensuring that things can be used by as many people as possible, working towards equality of opportunity. Our commitment to inclusion is underpinned by both the Equality Act and the more recent Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) Accessibility Regulations.

This week

In a nutshell, it’s our collective responsibility to design out any barriers to engagement that may occur in our digital content, teaching materials, learning activities and assessments. Fortunately, it’s quite easy to do, and we have a range of resources, guides and tools to help.

To mark Global Accessibility Awareness Day, we will be posting a series of daily articles here on the LTDS blog covering a wide range of topics related to digital accessibility and inclusion:

Day 1 – An introduction to accessibility and inclusion
Day 2 – Creating accessible files (including PDFs, Word and PowerPoint)
Day 3 – Creating accessible pages in Canvas
Day 4 – Creating accessible videos in Panopto
Day 5 – Using Ally in Canvas

Can’t wait? Get a sneak peak of what’s coming this week on our new Digital Accessibility and Universal Design pages.

12 May, 202312 May, 2023

AI in Education: The Art of The Possible

26-30 June 2023

The art of the Possible AI in Education graphic

Artificial Intelligence is this year’s hot topic for our Art of the Possible week 26-30 June 2023.

We will be offering a series of in-person, online and asynchronous opportunities to join the conversation, share ideas and reflect on the ways AI affects education.

Save the time in your diaries to join in and hear from external speakers and colleagues, and to experiment with a range of AI tools.

Schedule

Monday 26 June

Embracing the AI Landscape: Debbie Kemp from the University of Kent will open our week, sharing and reflecting on how she has incorporated AI in her teaching and assessment.
Online 10:00-10:45
Introduction to AI: a one-hour overview from LTDS and FMS TEL colleagues.
In person 14:00-15:00

Wednesday 28 June

AI and Assessment: a one-hour session exploring the impact of AI on assessment.
In person 10:00-11:00
Embracing AI @Newcastle: find out how colleagues at Newcastle University are embracing AI in their teaching and learning. 
Online 14:00-15:00

Thursday 29 June

Hands on Explore AI Tools: Join us in the Herschel Learning lab to try out a range of AI tools.
In-person, bring your own device: 10:00-11:30

Microsoft 365 and AI: Join the NUIT Digital Adoption team for an overview of what is currently possible, and what the future holds, for AI in Microsoft 365. 
Online 14:00-15:00

Friday 30 June

AI, Information Literacy, and the impact on information seeking: Join the Library Liaison Team to explore how AI is shifting the way students and researchers search for and find information.
Online 10:00-11:00
AI in Education Retrospective: Dr David Kennedy, Dean of Digital Education will present his thoughts on the week and comment on outstanding challenges going forward.
Online 14:00-15:00

Get involved

We will be blogging over the week, gathering question, sharing comments and recordings on our Learning and Teaching Development Blog, so come back for updates.

20 April, 202320 April, 2023

ALT North East – Teesside University

On the 24th of March 2023, Teesside University hosted a meeting for ALT North East where attendees discussed the latest developments in education technology. The event was well attended by various institutions in the region, namely the 5 Universities, Middlesbrough College, and the Workers’ Education Association.

The meeting began with a welcome and introduction from the host. 4 of the Universities presented slides that demonstrated the way their teams are organised with Durham’s model of technologists based both centrally and in Faculty sparking discussion.

The first topic discussed was Turnitin, a plagiarism detection software that helps educators check the authenticity of student submissions. Dr Malcolm Murray facilitated a discussion about the quality of the support provided by Turnitin with quite a lot of dissatisfaction voiced, particularly with the proposed launch of their AI checker on the 4th of April.

The next topic covered was the Adobe Creative Campus program. Teesside University is an Adobe Creative Campus. This program offers students and educators access to a range of Adobe Creative Cloud tools, including Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. Teesside discussed how these tools could be used to enhance teaching and learning, as well as to develop students’ digital literacy skills. Problems (sorry, opportunities) were highlighted where Adobe products were encouraged to be used where a more appropriate technology may be available that has a lower learning curve.

The third topic discussed was student feedback, an essential component of the education process. Sunderland University discussed their use of Qualtrix within Canvas through which student module feedback can be collected and analysed to improve the teaching and learning experience.

After lunch, the attendees discussed AI technologies such as CoPilot and OpenChat GPT, a language model trained by OpenAI. Chat GPT is a sophisticated AI tool that can respond to text-based questions and generate coherent responses. Teesside University led a discussion on how institutions were responding to AI technologies, what was the policy taken at each institution, what sessions were being developed, what resources, etc. It was a very useful and lively discussion regarding the various approaches.

The day finished with an enjoyable tour of the beautiful Teesside University campus.

In conclusion, the meeting of ALT North East held at Teesside University was a valuable platform for learning technologists and educators in the region to share ideas, discuss the latest developments in education technology and explore potential use cases for emerging technologies such as Chat GPT. The event was a success, and we hope attendees left with new insights and ideas to improve teaching and learning in their respective institutions. Thank you to Teesside University for being excellent hosts, and we look forward to reconvening on the 9th of June at Durham University.

Please note – AI technologies were used in the creation of this blog post 🙂

3 April, 20233 April, 2023

The Vice Chancellor’s Education Excellence Awards

The Vice-Chancellor’s Education Excellence Awards aim to raise the status of education at Newcastle University by rewarding individuals and teams who make a marked impact on the student educational experience.

The deadline for submission of applications is 12.00pm Wednesday 19 April 2023.

Categories and eligibility for award

The award is open to all members of staff at Newcastle, NUIS and NUMed, whose work enhances the student educational experience. In addition, applications are welcome from staff of associated employers with direct and substantive involvement in the delivery of the student experience at Newcastle (e.g. staff of INTO Newcastle University). Groups of colleagues who work closely together are invited to apply for the team award.

Up to five awards will be made across the following two categories:

Category one: Individual award

Individual members of staff (academic or professional) whose contribution to education at Newcastle is exceptional.

Category two: Team award

Teams of staff (either academic or professional services staff, or teams consisting of both) whose contribution to education at Newcastle is exceptional.

Documentation to support your application Documentation and guidance notes are available on the Learning and Teaching @ Newcastle website. Please contact ltds@ncl.ac.uk if you have any questions.