Audio or no audio? The debate continues. While audio can add authority and personality to any e-learning course, unfortunately, in the most common training instances, it is used to simply provide learners with an alternate method of accessing information. Or worse, it duplicates what is on screen.

Which is better, audio or text? Both have their place in e-learning. Text is the foundation for the digital learning experience. It’s easy to create, update, and doesn’t require much programming knowledge to maintain. But too much text results in a visually overwhelming “wall of words,” and emotional impact is completely void.

On the other hand, while audio can bring rich emotion and personality to a course, changing just a single word in an audio file involves a lengthy, expensive process. Typically, you’d have to bring in the narrator, record the audio, edit it, and then program it back into the e-learning course. Even with an AI voice added, the process is still more cumbersome than text only.

Both audio and text improve the learning experience when used intentionally. Each one has its benefits and flaws. The key is to use the right one at the right time.

The Link Between Text and Audio

In many cases, we see e-learning courses incorporate text and audio side-by-side where a narrator simply reads the text on the screen. During the infancy of the digital age, this seemed to be the best approach, but studies have proven that it’s not as effective as you might think.

The fact is individuals process text and audio differently. These two forms of media work well together, but they must be implemented independently of each other as industry experts have taught us. Clark and Mayer’s redundancy principle and other studies have proven that combining the two overloads a learner’s auditory and visual channels, which means they only learn from one media. Combining them is redundant and ineffective.

Furthermore, text and audio are processed at different rates. People prefer to listen at 200 words per minute but read at a faster rate of approximately 300 words. This leads to a mismatch in processing speeds that throw off the brain. Have you ever watched a show with captions on? You’ll notice that you read dialogue before it’s spoken, thus limiting the emotional impact of the actor’s performance.

Using Audio With Visuals and Limited Text

Text and audio could work in combination, but they need a unique approach to combining them effectively. For instance, combining audio with on-screen movement or animation improves the learning experience so the learner can focus on the visuals, charts, and on-screen elements while the auditory component explains what the learner sees. In this way, the visuals and accompanying audio are designed together for cognitive purposes. But for this method to be successful, any on-screen text needs to be concise and kept to a minimum or timed so the audio isn’t coinciding. Designing a course for this auditory experience needs to be intentionally created from the start; simply retrofitting a typical e-learning course with text on screen and the narrator reading it will not work.

Limited Use of Identical Audio With Text

There are exceptions where text and audio can be identical. In most cases, instructions work better as text, and they should be visually present until the learner has completed the task. This aligns to the proven classroom training methods whereby instructions are always able to be read as well as verbally explained. If learners are not fully paying attention to the audio, the concise written text augments their understanding of the activity.

Accessibility Through Audio

Audio is necessary for visually impaired learners or those with other textual conditions like dyslexia. But that doesn’t mean your only option is to have a narrator read the on-screen text. In many cases, screen-reading software is the preferred choice for learners with visual imparities.

Screen reading software acts as a bridge between an application and its user. Users input commands using their keyboard and the software can spell words, read words, read full sentences, or read everything on the screen. Typically, learners set their screen readers to read everything in an e-Learning. That’s why proper adherence to accessibility requirements is important. It gives learners with visual impairments the ability to understand what’s on the screen in front of them in the way that they prefer.

Narration actually interferes with screen-reading software. Learners who use this technology often increase the speed on their reader so narration would slow the audio down to a speed that would likely frustrate them. So, it makes sense to deliver learning content through screen-reading software.

Of course, not all learners who suffer from visual impairments will use screen-reading software. Some might use screen magnifiers while others prefer narration. Courses that are heavy in text can benefit from narration. For instance, if the course uses large words where the learner needs help with pronunciation, then narration would be a useful tool. However, they must be given the ability to turn audio on or off.

In short, having audio available will benefit certain learners but narration alone doesn’t ensure that the course is assessable.

Design Approaches to Audio in E-Learning

Now that we’ve established the time and place for audio in e-learning, let’s give careful consideration to designing it. Learning through narration with on-screen animation and sound effects plays an important role.

Narration

There are both good and bad forms of narration. For example, if a piece of content is pulled from a blog or a manual and read by a narrator, it’s not going to have the desired impact because the writer didn’t create this content with audio in mind. It was created for an audience to read it.

Excellent narration requires two things: a good voice actor and a great script. A voice artist should deliver the words in an engaging way by speaking at the right pace and using intonation when necessary to improve the learning experience. The script must be intentionally written to guide the artist, so they understand the context of what they’re delivering.

Communicating Complex Concepts

Complex learning content always presents a challenge for an eLearning program. Fortunately, audio can be used to create a bridge between the learner and complex diagrams. The key is to ensure that the audio and visuals complement each other rather than collide.

When dealing with these forms of complexities, the audio must stand mostly on its own and users should examine the imagery for key points. For example, there are audios that explain quantum theory. They use a few animated visuals to describe certain points, but the audio mostly stands on its own as the source of the content.

Audio That Immerses Learners Through Storytelling

People love hearing stories, so the overall learning experience could be used to enhance valuable lessons. Interviews are a great way to achieve this and having experts share their real-life experiences adds value to a lesson. Additionally, it’s also possible to immerse learners in realistic scenarios to teach important lessons.

Immersive storytelling audio can complement e-learning to draw in learners and increase their engagement. The auditory component becomes critical to the learner experience.

Provides Context Through Inflection

Have you ever read a transcript and then listened to the audio? If you have, then you understand that the two provide a completely different experience. That’s because a talented voice talent will add inflection to certain words or phrases. This properly conveys the context of the message in ways that text alone can’t.

Excitement might be emphasized at points where you want to motivate the listener while slowing down speech for certain sections gives the listener more time to retain the information. Using inflection in audio has a profound impact on the message being portrayed.

Audio Connects With Listeners on a Deeper Level

Even though text can be written in an authoritative manner, audio will hit deeper than text alone. Audio conveys the information and provides context into the message behind it. This is because listeners can experience the emotion that the voice talent is trying to convey.

It is possible to convey emotion with written text, but much of it is dependent on the imagination of the reader. Audio makes the message clear, but more importantly, emotions create a memorable experience. This is a critical component of e-learning because it allows listeners to retain and recall the information.

In Conclusion

It is best to use your judgement about whether to include audio in training. Several factors, such as context for the audio in that specific training, will ultimately affect the quality of the learning solution provided. Audio can be used effectively, but it requires an intentional audio strategy and script.