This is my test environment for the H5P Article:
The All-New Creator+ offers two flavours of Accordion. The Creator+ Accordion was developed as a Brightspace Element, and the H5P Accordion is part of the H5P suite of interactives.
Both Accordions are great options for learning designers, and they function in a similar manner. However, there are a few subtle differences to keep in mind.
On this page, we’ll explore each Accordion and discuss the key differentiators.
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Creator+ Accordions
Creator+ Accordions are part of the Insert Element feature. Like other Elements, these tools are native to Brightspace and were developed based on Brightspace design standards.
They function like any other Accordion on the web. Users will see a stack of panels and they can select a panel to expand it.
Here is an image of a Creator+ Accordion with one panel expanded:
Benefits of the Creator+ Accordion
- Native to Brightspace: As noted above, the Creator+ Accordion was made for Brightspace. It follows Brightspace design conventions and will instantly load on any content page. It also works with the Creator+ Content Styler tool, letting designers customize display settings such as accent colour.
- Expanding panels: Creator+ gives users flexibility in how they want to display panels. Users can expand multiple panels and use the ‘Open All Panels’ button to instantly expand the entire Accordion. This is different from the H5P Accordion, which allows users to expand a single panel at a time.
- Embedding media: Designers can embed images and videos directly into a Creator+ Accordion panel. By contrast, H5P Accordions can only contain text.
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H5P Accordions
H5P Accordions were developed by H5P Group as part of their suite of interactives. These Accordions can be designed in Brightspace or on H5P.com. Designers can directly embed an H5P Accordion onto a Brightspace content page.
H5P Accordions have the same basic functionality as Creator+ Accordions, but with some slight differences in features and visual design.
Here is an example of an H5P Accordion:
https://d2lftue.h5p.com/content/1292461519296317758/embed
Benefits of the H5P Accordion
- Additional accessibility features: Both H5P and Creator+ Accordions are accessible to learners. In addition, H5P Accordions offer the ability to change the heading level of the panel titles, making it even easier for screen readers to navigate the page.
- Shareability: As with any H5P interactive, Accordions are saved into H5P’s exhaustive content management system. You can easily reuse the Accordion across courses and share editing privileges with others.
Summary
Creator and H5P Accordions are essential tools for any learning designer. While they offer some differences, you can’t go wrong with either option.
Next time you build an Accordion with the All-New Creator+, experiment with both options to see which one you prefer. If you’d like to learn more, explore the following Accordion resources on our Creator+ Instructional Design Best Practices course.
Do you have any questions about Accordions? Ask your question in the comment section below and we’ll help you out.