Forum Discussion
Is using voiceover adding any value to e-learning?
I have just come off a conference call where we were discussing whether the use of voiceover in e-learning adds any actual value to your content. I cannot find any articles online about this and tho...
I think voiceover can add value. However, we should ask ourselves if it is
necessary and if we want it, ask what value it provides. After all, it adds
time and money. Is there a decent return on this investment?
A client recently decided they didn't want voiceover to save money. For two
of the modules, it really wasn't needed. The slides (This was a storyline
360 project.) had, for the most part, a content title or label, some kind of
interesting and supporting visual element and text with key points. There
might also be a sentence or blurb set off from the rest of the text giving
an interesting statistic, piece of data or a reference to where the learner
can find more content. The notes contained more text with information
written in complete sentences so it was easy to understand.
For a third module, most of it was a conversation between various people
with only two on a screen at a time. This was a little trickier. On screen,
I put the two characters with speech bubbles. There the conversation was
very brief and included either the start of the conversation or the key
points. I put the more full conversation in the notes. I think the learners
may find some redundancy. Hopefully, it won't be annoying. The client liked
it. I think it works but would love to hear how others deal with this.
When there is a story and conversation, I prefer to use voiceover. A good
voiceover person can make it come alive and make it more engaging and
memorable. However, in this module, I had about 10 characters and this can
add to the cost and complexity. Eliminating voiceover avoided that.
Another thing I think about is where will the learner view the elearning
course. Most likely it will be in the office, often with cubes or a more
open setting. Or they may view it at home or even a public place like a
Starbucks. Wherever - probably no one else in the area wants to listen it so
the learner typically uses earphones or earbuds. If there is no voiceover,
this is no longer an issue.
So there is no single answer. This is a design element and therefore we need
to ask what is the value, will it help the learner be more engaged, and what
is the client's preference and budget. This is why instructional designers
should start with analysis and design before jumping in to creating a
product.
I would love to hear more opinions. Thanks!
Kind regards,
Susanne Flynn
Agree the analysis part would have picked up if audio was required (by the client) and also justify the design decision not to include it.
