I touched on the different content types last week, but I need to expand on the options you have here. It’s like an Iceberg where it’s easy to see the tip, but as the saying goes that’s “just the tip of the iceberg.” I plan to give you a thorough review of each one independently, but for now, I’ll focus on selecting the right content type for your needs.
Iceberg tip #1 – The Editor
To put it in one sentence, it’s like Word online. This is where you would display text, images, videos, and insert links. The content you add here will be displayed directly in the MyWaterCollege interface as shown below. This differs from the display of a PDF which could contain much of the same content, but is available for print or download. I’ll cover that a little farther down under the File content type.
This is great for the information you need to be online, but not necessarily downloaded or printed. It also works well for adding images or videos in line with the text. This is one of the most mobile-friendly options. It resizes everything and adjusts based on the screen size. PDFs, on the other hand, display the entire page every time and shrink to fit the screen. That can make it hard to read on a phone but works well for a tablet or computer.
Iceberg tip #2 – H5P editor
The H5P editor is where you will find a bunch of interactive content types. These range from Dialog Cards (great for flashcards) to interactive videos. The basic idea behind interactive content is to give the student an opportunity to apply the information right away. It activates the brain to recognize the information learned as Necessary or Useful and so it retains it long term. Sometimes you can use these interactive types to teach the information, but more often you will want to use these for review.
You can find all the available content types at H5P.org
Iceberg tip #3 – URLs
The URLs allow you to embed a web page or video. Most often we link to Video on YouTube or Vimeo that cover the material we need. It’s great when you have access to training material online from one of your vendors. Just copy the URL and paste it in. You can then click “Embed” or use the drop down to “Parse” which just means it reads the page and copies the content without displaying the page itself. More on these differences in a couple of weeks.
Iceberg tip #4 – Files
Files like images, videos, word documents, and PowerPoints, can be uploaded directly to MyWaterCollege. You can even upload training you’ve purchased from other organizations. This option is great when you like to work on your computer and then upload the completed work.
There is so much to discuss with each of these that I simply don’t have time to get into today. I’ll be writing on each on of these in the next few weeks, but in the mean time you can start your free trial and see them all for yourself.
