Audio in eLearning
Many of our elearning courses have included audio as part of the content. Here are some tips I’ve learned about using audio in elearning.
1. Keep music to a minimum
Music is best kept to a short piece at the beginning and end of your elearning. An elearning course with full background music on at all times can be distracting, especially if there is already narration in other parts of the content. We once created an elearning with a piece of background music that turned out to be an earworm, and everybody had it stuck in their heads for days.
2. Sound effects are useful
If you are creating a piece of elearning that is fun and casual, sound effects are a great way to add realism and/or humour to your course.
3. Keep It Short & Simple
KISS is useful in almost any situation, but especially when it comes to narration in your elearning. Once you have written the script for your audio, try timing how long it takes you to say the words on one screen. You might be surprised at how long that will take compared to how long it looks on the page.
This is the amount of time you need to keep your learner engaged. Are there enough graphics or other visual elements happening during this time? Perhaps you will need to break up the script into several shorter screens.
Also, consider any text on the screen that users with screenreaders will also have to listen to after the main narration, and add that to the amount of time.
With these simple points in mind, you can create elearning that stays fresh, interesting and fun with well-placed audio! Contact us if you need help advancing your elearning content to the next level!
