Reimagining Architectural Education: Leveraging H5P for Enhanced Engagement and Lifelong Learning

The global shift to online and hybrid educational models, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has significantly challenged traditional pedagogies, especially in disciplines like architecture that heavily rely on hands-on and studio-based learning experiences. This study investigates the integration of H5P, a versatile digital tool, to address these challenges by enhancing student engagement and promoting active learning within architectural studies (Karadag et al., 2018). It explores the broader implications of H5P for fostering lifelong learning, adapting to hybrid education models, facilitating online learning, and enabling collaborative and participative design processes in education.
This research was conducted within a senior undergraduate lecture-based module on architectural studies in China, adopting a digital game-based learning pedagogy supported by H5P. Through the implementation of H5P escape room activities, the study engaged 14 students who provided feedback via an online questionnaire based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model (Venkatesh et al., 2003). The analysis focused on Technology Adoption, Learning Engagement, Learner Autonomy, and the specific impacts of H5P's features on students' learning behavior.
In the context of this investigation, two primary research questions were identified: 1) What factors influence students' use of H5P? 2) How do the features of H5P contribute to students' learning behaviour engagement?
The first research question aimed to explore the factors that affect how students use H5P. The adoption of H5P by students is influenced by its alignment with new pedagogies that emphasize interactive and student-centered learning, its role in supporting digital education through easily accessible, flexible content, and its compatibility with hybrid education models that blend online and traditional learning. Additionally, H5P's effectiveness in facilitating engaging hybrid learning experiences and promoting collaborative and participative design projects further drives its utilization. Moreover, the second research question investigates the ways H5P's features foster engagement in students' learning behaviors. This aspect of the study is in harmony with the core principles of digital education and lifelong learning, examining the role of digital tools and platforms in enhancing learning experience.
The findings reveal that H5P significantly enhances students' learning engagement, with 50% of participants reporting substantial improvements. These enhancements are attributed to the interactive features and gamification elements of H5P, which resonate with the iterative nature of architectural design. However, 25% of the respondents indicated a need for broader integration of H5P to fully exploit its potential for enhancing architectural education.
This study contributes to the debate on new pedagogies, methodologies, and strategies for architectural education by demonstrating how H5P can be effectively integrated into hybrid and online learning environments to support lifelong learning and collaborative design processes. It underscores the importance of digital tools in adapting architectural education to contemporary challenges, providing a roadmap for educators to foster more engaging, participative, and effective learning experiences. The insights gained from this research highlight the critical need for incorporating digital education tools like H5P to not only navigate the current educational landscape but also to prepare students for the evolving demands of the architectural profession.