Ask any group of course creators how to make e-learning more engaging and you’ll get plenty of creative suggestions for using images, videos, and animations. While visuals and interactive ele...
Published 11 years ago
Version 1.0
Blog Post
I have used a variety of sounds in our courses depending upon the design and style of the course. A few examples have been:
- course designed like a talk show with a musical intro and announcer
- course designed with correct/incorrect scenarios, with office sounds (typing, machines humming, phones ringing) very lightly in the background.
- ambient sounds on slides related to the graphics and narration. E.G. A slide explaining a "deep dive" into a topic - the slide background is an underwater scene with a scuba diver and it is paired with a soft bubbling sound that only lasts a few seconds. We did this to establish the concept but then faded the sound out as the narration took over. Same course later referenced this same topic and we animated a scuba diver silhouette behind the text and again added the brief bubble sounds.
As with fonts, graphics, and other design elements, I tend toward minimalism and only adding elements that have a clear purpose. That being said, I believe that sound adds a compelling dimension to the immersive nature of a course.
- course designed like a talk show with a musical intro and announcer
- course designed with correct/incorrect scenarios, with office sounds (typing, machines humming, phones ringing) very lightly in the background.
- ambient sounds on slides related to the graphics and narration. E.G. A slide explaining a "deep dive" into a topic - the slide background is an underwater scene with a scuba diver and it is paired with a soft bubbling sound that only lasts a few seconds. We did this to establish the concept but then faded the sound out as the narration took over. Same course later referenced this same topic and we animated a scuba diver silhouette behind the text and again added the brief bubble sounds.
As with fonts, graphics, and other design elements, I tend toward minimalism and only adding elements that have a clear purpose. That being said, I believe that sound adds a compelling dimension to the immersive nature of a course.