10 Things to remember when using Voiceover Narration in E-Learning Courses

1. Increased bandwidth and streaming media have enhanced the feasibility of integrating audio in online learning environments.

2. The human voice is immensely powerful and expressive.  By modifying loudness, pitch, pace and tone, voiceover narration can be used to motivate and inform students.

3. Use of Voiceover narration can significantly help the learning experience particularly in learning a foreign language.

4. Audio instruction is beneficial for children who have not learned to read and adults who are visually challenged or are unable to read to a functional level.

5. Some studies have shown that learning is more effective when animation and narrations are presented concurrently rather than sequentially. It is recommended that extraneous material such as sound effects and music be excluded from a multimedia presentation.

6. The appropriate narrator (male, female, old, young) depends on the type of course you're creating.  For example, if the course tells a story for young children, it may be more suitable to use a child or female voiceover artist.

7. Choose a voice that can enunciate clearly and at a pace that is suitable for the type of course and the audience it is aimed at.

8. What Gender of narrator should you choose?  Some studies have shown that a combination of male and female was the preferred option to hold attention and interest.

9. Is it necessary to narrate all the text on the screen?  It may be more effective to voice key points and ideas.  However, use audio narration, rather than text or text and audio, to explain a complex visual. Using audio and images manages a learner’s mental load during learning.

10. If you choose to use on screen characters (or Learning Agent) as part of your eLearning course, consider the importance of the agent’s voice. Agents that use conversational audio narration in a familiar human accent rather than onscreen text or machine-generated language have better learning results.

Written by Alison Pitman. For further information about the author and to hear her voice demos visit http://www.thephonevoice.com