Tips for Using Sound Effects in E-Learning
As e-learning developers, we’re always looking for new ways to liven up our content and engage learners. Sound effects can be a great way to do this: they bring content to life and make learners feel like they are part of an experience. Not to mention, it’s never been easier to find free, high-quality sound effects that you can use in your projects. Let’s talk about a few tips to make sure you’re using sound effects wisely and effectively. Proper Rights and Attribution First of all, it’s important to make sure you have the proper rights for the audio clips you’re using. You also need to check that you’re using proper attribution, if required. When you download an audio clip from the Internet, look for the associated Terms of Use (usually there’s a link) and read them carefully. The Terms of Use will indicate if and how you can use the audio clip in question. Consider the Learner Experience You may want to let the learner know on the starting slide that audio is included in the course in case they have their volume turned off. After all, you don’t want them to miss important info and have to restart the course! You may also want to give learners the ability to control the volume of the sound effects and to mute them if they choose. Know Your Audience Should you include funny, whimsical sound effects in a serious e-learning module for accounting professionals? Probably not. That would work better in a gamified course you’re building for new employees that is more playful in nature and casual in tone. Know your audience and topic, and make sure you select sound effects that work well with both. Use Sound Effects Sparingly Once you find sound effects that work well with your material, you might be tempted to add a sound effect to each slide and for each mouse click. That can get annoying really fast…so use them sparingly to make sure they remain effective for the learner. Be Consistent This applies to the type of sound effects you’re using, and also to the quality. Certain sounds work well together, and you should consider the quality and volume of sound effects to ensure they’re all consistent with each other. Keep these tips in mind when you’re adding sound effects to your next course and it’s sure to add that extra oomph your learners will love. If you're looking for sources for free audio, try this roundup by Tom Kuhlmann. Got any tips of your own for using sound effects? Let me know in the comments below. You can always sign up for a fully functional, free 30-day trial of Articulate 360. And don’t forget to post your questions and comments in the forums! We’re here to help. For more e-learning tips, examples, and downloads, follow us on Twitter.4 Easy Tips for Writing Great Training Video Scripts
When you think about your favorite movies or TV shows, they likely have one thing in common: a great script. A solid script sets up the story and characters, clarifies the setting and tone, and contains all the character dialogue. Moreover, it’s the blueprint for all the creative work that goes into every form of filmmaking, from the budget, location, and visual design to the costumes, makeup, and special effects. But don’t take my word for it … “To make a great film you need three things – the script, the script and the script.” – Alfred Hitchcock But what does filmmaking have to do with training? Most training teams don’t have access to a multimillion-dollar budget, nor to a multiyear production timeline, but that shouldn’t lead to scrimping on the quality of the training video script. In fact, you should take a cue from filmmaking pros and focus on nailing down a good script first and foremost, since a good script is absolutely essential for creating an effective training video. After all, a training video needs to do more than just entertain people; it actually needs to influence their behavior. So, how can you add “Hollywood-Level Screenwriting Pro” to your training skill set? I’ve pulled together the following four tips to get you started. 1. Identify the type of training video you need Training videos come in many different flavors, from purely demonstrative with short screencasts walking users through an app or highlighting product features to sweeping cinematic experiences with storylines and richly drawn characters. Sometimes training videos feature a narrator who tells learners what’s most important, while other times they follow characters as they navigate situations similar to what learners face on the job, allowing learners to draw their own conclusions about the key messages. There are almost endless ways to mix and match all the different flavors of training videos. But before you sit down to write anything, think about the best way to use video to achieve the outcomes you’re looking for. I find that searching YouTube for examples of different types of training videos can be a helpful way to get inspired if I’m feeling overwhelmed or just unsure where to start. 2. Draft a video treatment before the script Just as you would write a quick design brief for an e-learning course to flesh out ideas with stakeholders, writing a video treatment is a great way to present your ideas to the team before you start writing a full-blown script. A video treatment can be a simple one-page document that provides a high-level summary of the characters and key events in the story. An effective video treatment should be high-level enough for stakeholders to quickly read and comprehend, but detailed enough to paint a picture of the story and setting of the video. To break it down further, an effective video treatment should: Clarify the desired learning outcomes of the training video Provide the structure and key plot points of the story Highlight the characters and their roles in the story Help you pinpoint potential plot holes or areas of confusion before you start writing the script For these reasons and more, taking a few minutes to sit with the objectives of the training video and pull together a short treatment is not only a valuable creative exercise but also a smart strategy for avoiding time-consuming rework. If you’re not quite sure how to structure a video treatment or what to include, download this free template to get started. 3. Keep your videos short and sweet Whether you’re writing an e-learning course or a training video (or both!), it’s always best to keep content succinct. Just as lengthy courses can wear down your learner’s attention, lengthy videos—no matter how well written—can do the same. I like to aim for videos that range from 3 to 8 minutes. Sometimes, however, a longer video is needed to support the learning objectives for the project; in those cases, try writing short scenes and transitions into the script. Doing so will make it easier to edit down a big video into smaller videos in post-production—and ensures your story doesn’t feel too choppy. 4.Keep it real One easy way to spot a poorly written video script is by dialogue that sounds robotic and forced. That’s not what you want! (Side note: there’s a terrible/delightful example of stilted dialogue in this classic example of a cheesy training video.) Avoid this error by writing content that’s meant to be heard and seen. Not sure what I mean? Here are some more scripting tips that can help: Write in a conversational tone. Read your dialogue aloud as you write it. As you hear the words, try swapping out formal language for informal language and phrasing (e.g., use “can’t” instead of “cannot”). Speak to the viewer. When your audience is watching your video, ready to learn, they expect to be spoken to rather than spoken at. That means writing in ways that are engaging and personal. For instance, avoid wordy third-person phrasing like, “Before we get started, viewers should note that the audio volume can be adjusted by clicking on the + or - icons” and try something more personal and direct, such as “You can adjust the volume of this video by clicking the + or - icons.” Use the active voice. Passive voice, particularly when spoken, sounds incredibly awkward. For instance, try reading the following sentence aloud: “The car was started by Tom.” Painful, right? Now read this rewrite aloud: “Tom started the car.” Aah! That’s so much better, isn’t it? Not only is the active voice version much clearer and easier to understand—it’s also shorter! Don’t use dialogue to describe things viewers can see for themselves. For example, avoid having the protagonist say things like, “The customer walked in looking angry” just as the actor playing the role of the customer walks in glaring. Not only is that painfully obvious and far-from-compelling dialogue, but it’s also an acting direction for the person playing the role of the customer! Burying that direction in another character’s dialogue is confusing and may cause cast members to struggle to decipher their character’s moods and motivations. Summing It Up It can be challenging to write a video script that’s engaging and effective for learners and easy to follow for the video’s cast and crew—but it’s a challenge you’re sure to embrace with a little practice. By using the tips I’ve shared here, you’ll be cranking out a training blockbuster in no time! Liked these writing tips? You’ll find loads more on E-Learning Heroes. Here are a few of my favorites: More Than a Dozen Tips for Writing Awesome Audio Narration Scripts Top Writing Tips for E-Learning 4 Impactful Ways to Boost Your E-Learning Writing Skills What are your top writing tips and tricks? How do you keep things conversational when you’re writing dialogue? Share your ideas and experiences with me and the rest of the E-Learning Heroes community by leaving a comment below. Don’t have Articulate 360? Start a free 30-day trial, and come back to E-Learning Heroes regularly for more helpful advice on everything related to e-learning.6 Things to Consider When Using Audio in E-Learning
Adding audio to e-learning—like ambient noise, narration, or sound effects—can be a fun way to create a more immersive learning experience, add context, or provide helpful cues to learners. But there’s a fine line between effectively using audio and misusing it. If misused, audio can be a nuisance, overwhelming, or cause important pieces of information to be lost. For example, if you play background music loudly throughout a compliance course, it might distract people from the course content. The key to effectively using audio is to determine whether it will truly add value. And although trying to figure out if you should use audio might seem a little overwhelming at first, don’t worry! By considering these six things, you can quickly determine if audio is a good fit for your course. 1. The Kind of Course You’re Creating Think about the type of project you’re developing. By considering the context of what you’re designing, you can quickly decide what type of audio—if any—best fits the situation. To illustrate this, let’s take a look at some concrete examples: Course Type Type of Audio Value Add? Software simulation Sound effects that play when learners complete certain actions. Yes. It could provide learners with a sense of satisfaction. Gamified course Subtle background music. Yes. It could create a fun atmosphere. Course on communication Audio clips of conversations. Yes. It could help make the content feel more realistic. Technical training Voice-over narration. Yes. It could reduce on-screen text and make complex topics easier to understand. Compliance course Background music. No. It could distract from the main course content. Anti-harassment training Sound effects that play when learners complete certain actions. No. It could clash with the tone of the course topic. Task simulation Voice-over narration. No. It could distract learners from what’s on screen and make it difficult for them to perform the simulation. 2. The Timing of Audio Usage Just because you’ve decided that a certain type of audio could add value to your course doesn’t mean you should use it throughout the entire project. When it comes to audio in e-learning, in most cases less is more. To make sure audio doesn’t interfere with learning, take care not to include it at times when learners really need to focus. For example, background music that plays throughout an entire project is rarely a good fit because it tends to distract learners as they’re trying to absorb the content. However, it might make sense to use background music on the introductory slide to set the tone for the course. Since typically this isn’t a place where learners are processing key information, it shouldn’t take away from the learning experience. 3. The Audio Control Features Your Learners Need Even though the device your learners are using to take the course will likely have system volume controls, if you decide to include audio it’s helpful to give learners the option to adjust the course volume independently. You’ll also want to make sure your course has controls that allow learners to rewind or replay audio in case they need to revisit important pieces of information. This allows learners to adapt the learning experience to best suit their needs. If your course can’t or won’t include these controls, it’s best to avoid including audio. 4. The Speed of Your Learners’ Internet Connection Although many of us have access to speedy wi-fi, not all learners do! Adding large audio files to a project can cause a course to load slowly, especially for learners accessing it over a slow or spotty connection. If there’s a chance your learners will be located in rural settings or areas with slower internet speeds, be mindful of the amount of audio you add and the file size of each clip. You might be better off minimizing or skipping the use of audio so it doesn’t delay the time it takes to launch or move through the course—which can frustrate learners or cause them to tune out. 5. Your Learners’ Environment This one might seem like a no-brainer, but it’s often overlooked: think about the setting learners are likely to be in when taking the course. If they’re going to be accessing the course on a noisy job site or with clients, audio likely isn’t a good fit because it will be challenging for learners to hear it. If you know learners are going to take the course in a quiet and controlled environment and have access to speakers or a headset, then audio could be a more viable option. 6. The Accessibility Features Learners Need Many of the points we’ve already discussed are related to accessibility—like having proper controls in place—but there’s another consideration that’s important to keep in mind to ensure all learners can benefit from the course content, regardless of ability: text versions of your audio content. Whenever you include audio (or video for that matter!) you should also include closed captions and a transcript so no one misses out. Captions and transcripts benefit learners with permanent disabilities—like hearing loss—and situational disabilities—like those taking the course in a noisy cafe. It’s definitely something you won’t want to skip! Wrap-Up Now that you know what to consider when adding audio, you’ll be able to decide when it makes sense to use it in your course. For the projects that could benefit from it, explore some creative types of audio you can use in your next e-learning course by reading this article: 5 Ways to Use Audio in E-Learning. And to learn even more about using audio in e-learning, take a look at these helpful articles: Audio Basics for Online Course Design E-Learning Audio Tips from an Expert Tips for Using Sound Effects in E-Learning Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest e-learning inspiration and insights directly in your inbox. You can also find us on LinkedIn and X (Formerly Twitter).Expand Your Possibilities With These New Articulate 360 Features
Articulate 360 is constantly evolving to better meet your needs. Our latest collection of features is full of exciting new ways for you to design, develop, and share your e-learning courses. From new resources to enhance the learning experiences you build, expanded options for distributing courses, and one of our most requested enhancements to Storyline 360, there’s so much that can make your work easier and more effective! Check out this video for some of the highlights. And keep reading to dig in to the details. Create exciting and engaging e-learning 64-bit Storyline If you create large, media-rich courses, you’ll experience a noticeably speedier authoring experience with this release. The new 64-bit Storyline 360 takes full advantage of the power of modern computers, giving you increased stability and faster performance—even with your most complex projects. Learn more about this highly requested feature here: Storyline 360: 64-bit App. Improved Text-to-Speech Voice Quality The more natural text-to-speech voices sound, the less likely they are to distract from your course content. That’s why we’ve upgraded many of the voices included in Storyline 360 using new neural voice technology. They sound better than ever, and they’re still incredibly easy to use! Check out this link for the current list of neural voices in Storyline 360. Background Audio Triggers Building on the Storyline 360 background audio feature from earlier this year, this update gives you even more options for controlling the experience. With it, you can use triggers to play, pause, or stop the playlist on each slide. So you and your learners have more ways to customize course audio. Find out more here. Trans-inclusivity Microlearning Need to get much-needed training out fast, but don’t have the time research, write, and build it yourself? Our library of Rise 360 real content templates has you covered! Our latest addition—4 Ways To Build a Trans-inclusive Workplace—helps define key terms and gives learners concrete steps they can take to make their organization more inclusive. We’ve taken care of the hard work of researching and building the experience. You can either launch it to your learners exactly as written or tweak it to fit your company’s needs. It’s your call! New Illustrated Characters Finding just the right character can help your courses connect with learners and make scenarios ring true. That’s why we’re excited to add three new illustrated characters wearing casual outfits to Content Library 360: Shanae, Wren, and Don. Template Accessibility Updates We’re always looking for ways to make it easier to build accessible e-learning—and this latest update is a real timesaver! We’ve reworked many of our Storyline 360 and Rise 360 templates so they’re even more accessible right out of the box. The former now has updates to the focus order and video controls. And the most popular templates for the latter feature the removal of italicized content, as well as broader improvements to their content and design. With the templates taking on more work for you, it’s faster than ever to create courses that all learners can access. Collaborate with team members and stakeholders Share Link Permissions Want more control over who can and can’t see an item in Review 360? You’ll love this new feature. With it, you’ll be able to make a Review 360 item invitation-only—so it’s only visible to the specific reviewers you’ve chosen. Distribute courses to all your learners Custom Certificates From branding your course completion certificates to including important accreditation requirements on them, this feature is here to help. With our simple certificate editor, you can include company information like logos and learner performance details like course duration, quiz scores, and more. Plus, you can save time by creating a library of certificate templates to use in any course in Reach 360. SSO for Learners Make taking training in Reach 360 even simpler with Single Sign-On (SSO). Since this method allows people to securely access multiple applications with just one set of log-in credentials, your learners don’t have to remember yet another password to check out all the training you share with them in Reach 360. Learn more about how to use this feature to manage groups and users here. Microsoft Teams Integration - COMING SOON Weave training into the flow of work with this upcoming Reach 360 integration. With it, learners can get due date and enrollment notifications and also see previews of training right in Microsoft Teams. And by including that information in a tool they already use for work all the time, you’ll make it easier for them to stay on top of training deadlines and explore what courses you’re offering. Reporter Role Want to streamline reporting for different groups in Reach 360? Try assigning users to the new reporting role. With this feature, you can grant someone access to the analytics from just one or more specific groups, so they don’t have to wade through the training data for all your learners to get access to the targeted information they’re looking for. Wrap-Up If you want to get your hands on everything these new features have to offer, you’ll be glad to know most of them are available right now! Just log in to your account, make sure you’re running the latest version of Storyline 360, and you’ll be all set. And keep an eye out for the features labeled “coming soon”; they’ll be available to you in no time at all. But not to worry if you don’t currently have an Articulate 360 subscription. Just start a 30-day free trial to try out all these helpful features and more. And you can also subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest product updates, e-learning examples, and expert advice sent directly to your inbox. If you have questions, please share them in the comments.Top Tips for Using Text-to-Speech (TTS) in Storyline 360
Adding voiceover to your courses can help bring content to life and make your e-learning materials more engaging. In an ideal world, we could all use professional, high-quality, natural-voice talent. But let’s face it: sometimes that’s unrealistic, in which case you’re going to find Text-to-Speech (TTS) to be a really helpful feature for adding some oomph to your courses. Even if you’re using professional narration, TTS is useful during the up-front storyboarding, to help you nail down the final script and to allow stakeholders to get a better feel for the final content. Another benefit: TTS can make your courses more accessible if you use it to provide audio information for low- or non-sighted learners. There are quite a few advantages to using TTS for your narration. Got changes to your script? Need to tweak a word or term used throughout your audio? With TTS, there’s no need to re-record. Simply pop into the text window to makes script changes. With a few clicks, you’ve updated the audio. Translation is also quick and easy with TTS, because you won’t need to record audio in multiple languages. It’s as simple as copying over the translated text, assigning a voice for that language, and clicking Insert. Writing for TTS voices does come with its own challenges: TTS voices don’t have intonation or tone, and they always pronounce words the same way. Let’s look at some tips you can follow to improve your script and make sure your TTS audio sounds as good as possible. Don’t use abbreviations Spell out words to make sure they're pronounced correctly. Double-check spelling The TTS voice will read the script text exactly as it is written, errors and all, so make sure to double-check your script for spelling mistakes and typos. Adjust the spelling If a correctly spelled word isn't pronounced the way you want, try spelling it phonetically or adding hyphens between syllables. For example, Articulate vs. Articu-late. Use punctuation Make sure to use a generous amount of periods and commas. TTS writing tends to use commas for “breathing room” and clarity. If you would pause momentarily while speaking, insert a comma. If you need longer pauses, convert your text to speech, then open the clip in the built-in audio editor and insert silence where it's needed. Preview audio clips One of the most important things you can do is preview each and every audio clip. Listen carefully to how each one sounds. You might then want to make some tweaks to get a specific sound. These are a few simple tips you can follow to make sure your audio sounds great. Want to learn more about TTS and see examples? Have a look at these resources and articles: 3 Examples That Showcase Text-to-Speech in E-Learning Add Polished Narration to Your Courses with the Text-to-Speech Feature in Storyline Storyline 360: Converting Text to Speech Do you have any tips of your own that you use to improve your TTS? Let me know in the comments below. Want to try something you learned here, but don’t have Articulate 360? Start a free 30-day trial, and come back to E-Learning Heroes regularly for more helpful advice on everything related to e-learning. If you have any questions, please share them in the comments.13 New and Enhanced Features That Will Help You Get the Most From Articulate 360
There’s so much we’ve been working on lately that we’re thrilled to share with you. If you want to expand the e-learning experiences you can create, streamline your development processes, and get great training out fast, check out these new and upcoming features that will help you do all that and more. Create exciting and engaging e-learning Rise 360: Linked Padding Speed up your Rise 360 layout formatting with this new option to link the padding on the top and bottom of a block together. When this feature is on, you can quickly change their values at the same time. Need to adjust the top and bottom padding independently? Simply click the Unlink Padding icon. To learn more about all your block padding options, check out this post. Rise 360: Random Block Images Automatically liven up your Rise 360 designs with this enhancement. Instead of seeing the exact same photo every time you insert a block with a background image, Rise 360 now randomly selects background images on a block-by-block basis. Rise 360: Team Folders Enhancements Now working with large numbers of Rise 360 courses is even easier thanks to this set of new Team Folders features. You can quickly view just the courses you created with the Owned by Me filter. Accessing courses that have been shared with you is faster too, as they’re now automatically added to the Shared with Me folder. And if you want to fully reorganize your folders, Move Dialog allows you to move both source files and shortcuts in a jiffy. Want to know more? Check out this post. Rise 360: Women’s History Month Course Celebrate the broad spectrum of ways women have contributed to history, society, and culture with this Rise 360 real-content template. This fully built course covers the history of women’s rights in America and strategies for continuing to move gender equity and equality forward. Share it with learners right away or customize it as much as you like! For more information about this course, give this post a read Storyline 360: Emphasis Animations Grab your learners’ attention with this new selection of Storyline 360 emphasis animations. You can now add effects like pulsing, shaking, and teetering to shapes, images, buttons, characters, markers, textboxes, videos, and more. Learn more in this post. Storyline 360: Global Notes Formatting Adjusting the font color, size, style, or paragraph spacing in the Storyline 360 Notes panel is easier than ever! With this feature, you can now customize the Notes panel formatting across the entire project in one fell swoop. What a timesaver! If you’re excited to know more, check out this post. Storyline 360: Player Tooltips Help learners get to know the modern player controls in Storyline 360 with these accessible tooltips. If someone isn’t sure what a particular player button or control does, all they have to do is mouse or tab over to it to display a bite-size pop-up with more information. Find out more here. Storyline 360: Background Audio Volume Variable Fine-tune your course’s audio with this new Storyline 360 variable. With it, you can raise or drop a slide’s background audio by whatever percentage you choose—adding more precision and customization to an already helpful feature. Collaborate with team members and stakeholders Review 360: Manage Integrated Comments Seeing Review 360 comments directly in Storyline 360 and Rise 360 is a real timesaver. But what about when you need to have separate, independent reviews of the same course? Thanks to this new feature, that’s easy! With it, you’re able to see the comments for multiple Review 360 items in your authoring app workflow. That means you can create multiple copies of your course in Review 360—one for each reviewer segment—but still see everyone’s comments in your original Rise 360 or Storyline 360 file. Curious to know more? Check out our feature posts for both Storyline 360 and Rise 360. Distribute courses to all your learners Reach 360: Starter Plan If you have an Articulate 360 Teams subscription, distributing and tracking training just got easier. That’s because you can now use Reach 360 Starter to share courses with up to 300 learners per year at no additional cost. This new Reach 360 Starter access makes it easy for everyone to try out all the features of our fast, flexible, and frictionless LMS. Check out the details here. Reach 360: Manager Role Give people just the Reach 360 access they need with the new Manager role, which can invite and remove learners, assign training, and view reports for any group assigned to them. It’s perfect for when someone needs more administrative powers than with the Reporter role—but just for one or more specific groups. Need help determining which Reach 360 role is right for a particular user? This article compares the permissions for each role, making it easy to narrow down the option that best meets your needs. Wrap-Up There’s a lot here to be excited about! And since all of these new features are available right now, trying them out is as simple as opening up your Articulate 360 apps. Not only that, but there are lots more exciting features coming this year—including AI capabilities. So keep an eye on our roadmap and E-Learning Heroes to stay in the loop about all the other cool functionality we’ll be adding soon. Feeling left out because you don’t currently have an Articulate 360 subscription? Not to worry—just start a 30-day free trial to try out all these helpful features and more. You can also subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest product updates, e-learning examples, and expert advice sent directly to your inbox. If you have questions, please share them in the comments.Follow These 5 Steps to Record Your Screen in Storyline 360
One of the great things about the screen recording feature in Storyline 360 is that you can use it to simulate real-life tasks inside different systems and software apps. It’s a robust feature with lots of customization options and great capabilities—and it’s super easy and intuitive to use! Let’s walk through how to get started. 1. Launch the Recorder You have a few options to launch the screen recorder. One is to start a new project by picking Record Screen. Another option is to go to the Home tab, click New Slide, and select Record Screen: Finally, you can select Record Screen from the Slides tab: It doesn’t matter which way you do it. It just comes down to personal preference. 2. Set the Recording Dimensions When the recording tool launches, start by setting the dimensions for your screen recording. You have two options: 1. Choose a pre-set dimension from the drop-down list. This is helpful because it’s easy to match the size of the course you’re creating and also helps ensure consistency across multiple screen recordings. 2. Adjust the window size using the sizing handles. Not sure what size you should use for recording? Check out this article for some tips on recording high-resolution screencasts. 3. Choose Your Recording Options Next to the “recording size” drop-down menu, you’ll notice a gear icon. Click this to adjust the settings—like which microphone (for voiceover audio) you want to record. In the Screen Recording window, you’ll also find another cool feature, called Move New Windows into Recording Area. If you plan to switch between apps or windows during your recording, be sure to check this option. This allows you to show multiple windows during your screen recording instead of just one. 4. Record Your Process Once you’ve specified your dimensions and settings, you’re ready to record your screen! Just click the red Record button, wait for the countdown, and then go through the steps you want to record. When you’re done, hit the Escape key on your keyboard or click Done in the recording bar. If you make a mistake and want to start over, click the trash can icon. 5. Choose Your Insert Option After you record your screencast and are ready to include it in your course, it’s time to decide how you want learners to experience it. In Storyline 360 there are four different ways to include your screencast. You can: Insert it as a video demonstration for your learners using View mode. Let your learners practice what you’re teaching them by inserting the screencast using Try mode. Check your learners’ knowledge on the material by inserting the screencast using Test mode. Finally, you can insert the screencast as a video. The first three options break your screencast out into multiple different slides automatically, making it easier to add information to your course, whereas the fourth option allows you to add your screencast as a video to just a single slide. Once you’ve inserted your recording, you can add any information or multimedia you want, just like you can on any other type of slide. For example, you might want to add some contextual information to help learners understand why and when they’ll need to use the features you’re showing on the screen. Wrap-Up And that’s all there is to it! Recording your screen in Storyline 360 is super easy. And once you’ve recorded, it’s easy to customize the recording so it fits your learners’ needs. Want to learn more about creating software training? Check out the articles below. Follow This Process to Create Software Simulations and Systems Training Like a Pro The Difference Between Screencasts and Software Simulations Storyline 360: Inserting Screen Recordings Why Use Storyline for Software Simulations? A Useful Technique for Recording High-Resolution Screencasts in Storyline 360 How to Decide Which Articulate 360 App to Use for Screen Recording Have any Storyline 360 recorder tips of your own? Feel free to share in the comments section below! And, of course, if you have any questions, be sure to leave those there as well. Want to create your own screen recording, but don’t have Articulate 360? Start a free 30-day trial, and come back to E-Learning Heroes regularly for more helpful advice on everything related to e-learning.Use Cue Points to Pause a Video in Three Easy Steps
Videos are often used in e-learning as a way to share information, but they typically don’t require much (if any!) interaction: learners simply sit and watch. In certain cases that’s fine, but in other instances, you want to enrich your videos with additional contextual information or pop-up questions that engage the learner and make them think about what they’re watching. With Storyline 360’s cue points, you can easily pause your videos to add interactivity in a few quick and easy steps. What are cue points? They are small indicators or flags inserted directly on the Storyline timeline, where they allow you to precisely align objects and their timing. Take note of the three cue points on the timeline. Cue points are commonly used to sync animation, but they can be used to trigger just about any type of interactivity—including pausing a video. After you pause the video, you can have just about anything happen, from showing a new layer to displaying a text caption. Let’s explore the steps to pausing (and restarting) a video using cue points. Step 1: Insert Your Video Your first step is to insert a video on your slide. Finding high-quality videos to use in your courses is easier than ever with Content Library. Simply navigate to the Insert tab of the Storyline 360 ribbon and select the Videos button from the Content Library section. Content Library provides stock videos at your fingertips. You can then search for a video and click the Insert button when you’ve selected the one you want. In the screenshot below, you’ll see I’ve inserted a Content Library video on a slide. Note that its duration is 10 seconds on the timeline. By default, learners will be able to click on the video to play and pause it. However, we want to prevent learners from doing that because it can cause our slide timeline and video to get out of sync, which can prevent the interaction from working as desired. So, how to prevent learners from clicking on the video? Overlay a hotspot over the video. Hotspots are also available under the Insert tab of the Storyline ribbon. The hotspot covers the entire video. Once you’ve added the hotspot, right-click on the hotspot and from the menu disable “Show Hand Cursor on Hover.” Disable the Show Hand Cursor on Hover option. You’ve now inserted a video on a slide. The next step is to add the cue points that will be used to pause the video. Step 2: Add a Cue Point Inserting a cue point is quick and easy. Click on the timeline where you want to insert the cue point. This will move the blue playhead to that spot. Place the playhead where you want to insert the cue point. Next, insert a cue point by right-clicking anywhere on the timeline and clicking “Create Cue Point at Playhead.” The cue point is added behind the playhead. In my example, I want to pause the video at the three-second mark. If you need to move the cue point, simply click on it and drag it anywhere on the timeline. Step 3: Add a Trigger Your next step is to add a trigger that will pause the video when the cue point is reached on the timeline. Use the trigger panel on the right-hand side of the application to create a trigger. The wizard should look like this: It’s a good idea to use the “Pause timeline” action (as opposed to “Pause media”) to ensure that your video and slide timeline don’t get out of sync. Now, what you do from here on is totally up to you. One thing you could do is add a second trigger to the cue point that changes a text caption’s state from “Hidden” to “Normal.” Or you can use the cue point to also display a new layer. On this layer you could provide additional information or ask a question about the video content. You could even just skip to a new slide altogether to have them answer a graded quiz question. The options are really endless. When it’s time to restart your video, add a trigger that will resume the timeline, like this: With that trigger, the slide timeline (including the video) will be restarted. Cue points are a quick and easy way to add pauses to your videos where you want to insert interactivity or additional information. Do you have any tips of your own about working with cue points? I’d love to hear your comments below. Want to try something you learned here, but don’t have Articulate 360? Start a free 30-day trial, and come back to E-Learning Heroes regularly for more helpful advice on everything related to e-learning. If you have any questions, please share them in the comments.5 Reasons You Might Want to Start Using Text-to-Speech
Audio narration is a big part of e-learning. It works well with on-screen visuals to engage learners and help them retain information. But recording, updating, and capturing narration can be time-consuming and costly. Thankfully, text-to-speech—a feature you can find in apps like Storyline 360—makes it easier than ever to speed up course development and save money, even for those who hire professional voiceover talent. Take a look at five reasons you might want to start using text-to-speech. 1. You have a limited budget Course designers wear many hats—which may include recording your own voiceover for your e-learning courses. Since hiring voiceover talent can be costly, you might be expected to record your own narration when a project is on a budget. But if recording engaging high-quality voiceover isn’t in your wheelhouse, that’s okay! With text-to-speech, you have more options to add audio narration to your courses at no extra cost. 2. You don’t have a lot of time If you’re on a time crunch and don’t have a voice actor to record audio before the launch date, text-to-speech can be a quick and easy alternative so you can meet your deadline. And if you want to add your own narration or professional voiceover talent but won’t have those files before your launch date, you can use text-to-speech narration as a stop-gap solution. 3. You need to localize narration in different languages If you need to create a course in multiple languages, finding fluent voice talent for each one may prove challenging—and costly. But a text-to-speech voiceover tool that supports various languages—like Storyline 360—can make localizing courses fast and easy. 4. You need the SMEs to see how it will all look together As the course designer, what makes sense to you might not be entirely clear to someone else. Including voiceover in early drafts helps reviewers—such as subject matter experts (SMEs)—get a clearer picture of what the final course will look like. But if you’re planning on hiring professional voiceover talent, the time and cost of recording and refining multiple iterations of a script are often prohibitive. Text-to-speech provides a useful temporary solution because it gives your SME a version of the course that’s closer to the final product. This makes it easier to identify changes to the script early on, which also saves time because edits to text-to-speech narration can be done in minutes. When the script is fully approved, you and the SME can feel confident knowing you’ve taken steps to avoid costly retakes. 5. You want to simplify content maintenance You likely already have a lot on your plate, so streamlining content maintenance might be what you need to stay afloat! Whether you have a course that needs regular revisions or you anticipate future changes, you might consider using text-to-speech. If you use your own voice recording, a minor word change could mean recording an entire audio clip. Matching recording quality for clips recorded at a different time can be a time sink. If you use a professional voiceover artist, you have to track them down and hope they have time to re-record the changes. If they’re unavailable, you’ll have to pay a new narrator to re-record the entire course so the voice is consistent throughout. A lot to think about! With text-to-speech, there’s no need to re-record. You can simply update the text and republish your course. That’s it! Content maintenance never looked so easy! In Summary There are many reasons to use text-to-speech in your e-learning projects. Ultimately, it can speed up course development, giving you more time to focus on creating meaningful content. If you haven’t been using it, it’s never too late to start! We also want to hear from you. If you’re already including text-to-speech in your courses, how has it improved your process? Let me know in the comments below! Want to learn more about using text-to-speech in your projects? Check out the following resources: Storyline 360: Converting Text to Speech Top Tips for Using Text-to-Speech (TTS) in Storyline 360 3 Examples That Showcase Text-to-Speech in E-Learning Follow us on Twitter and come back to E-Learning Heroes regularly for more helpful advice on everything related to e-learning. If you have any questions, please share them in the comments.Audio Basics for Online Course Design
A great way to create an engaging learning experience for your audience is to include audio narration with your explanatory text and visuals. You could narrate the entire course, use audio just for character scenarios, or include first-person accounts from learners or Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). And now it’s easier than ever to add audio to your online courses. High-quality microphones and recording software are readily available to everyone. In fact, both Windows and Mac computers ship with studio-quality recording apps preloaded. And if you don’t want to record audio in a third-party software suite, many content creation apps include their own audio recording tools. But even with easy access to high-quality microphones and recording apps, it can be tricky to make professional-quality audio if you’ve never done it before. Don’t worry, though; we’ve got you covered! By following these tips and tricks, you’ll be creating audio like the pros in no time. Write a Narration Script The first step to recording high-quality audio has nothing to do with audio equipment or software at all. Good narration starts with a script. To create a narration script, move the note text out of your course file, or wherever you’ve been compiling it, and into a table-formatted document. This way you can quickly see and read the text that needs to be recorded as well as make any changes on the fly (without losing your place). A narration script can take many forms, as long as it has these three main components: Slide number: Slide numbers let you know which text goes with which slide. It’s also helpful for naming your audio files after recording. Narration script: This is the actual text you’re recording. Narration notes: These notes provide direction for the narrator on how to read the script, including pronunciation guides, tips for emphasis, and narration pacing. Here’s an example of what that might look like: Slide # Script Notes Slide 1 Sooner or later, everyone gets a flat tire. And chances are it won’t happen at a good time. I can hear some of you saying, “Why should I learn to change my tire? I have roadside assistance.” Use a firm but friendly tone here. Pitch your voice a bit for the quote but avoid making it sound whiny. For more tips on writing effective audio narration scripts, check out this article: More Than a Dozen Tips for Writing Awesome Audio Narration Scripts. Choose the Right Microphone Now that you have your narration script, it’s time to take a look at your microphone. Whenever possible, you want to avoid using the microphone that’s built into your computer. Not only is it not made for capturing audio narration, but it can pick up mechanical noise from your computer. The same goes for microphones embedded in your earphones. They’re fine for phone calls and meetings, but shouldn't be relied on for professional recordings. For crisp, clear narration, invest in an external microphone. You don’t have to buy the most expensive one on the shelf, but with audio equipment, you really do get what you pay for. If you’re recording audio on a regular basis and want high-quality results, be prepared to invest at least $100. There are many different types of microphones out there, but the two most common are omnidirectional and unidirectional. Each has its strengths and weaknesses. Deciding which one is right for you depends on what you’re looking to record. Omnidirectional Unidirectional An omnidirectional microphone picks up sound from all directions. It’s great for capturing: Ambient sounds Outdoor sounds On-the-scene sounds People speaking in a large room It works best for situations where you don’t have a specific or target audio source or when you need to capture a scene or an environment’s audio profile. A unidirectional microphone records audio sounds only from one direction (typically, the front), so it's usually the best type to use for audio narration. These do a better job of minimizing ambient or background sounds that might distract from the actual spoken words. The best ones come with enhanced pick-up algorithms that focus specifically on the narrator’s voice. Keeping all this in mind, many popular USB microphones can do double duty as omnidirectional and unidirectional microphones. Some let you control the mode manually with software, while others will automatically shift between modes if they detect multiple speakers. Consider Buying a Windscreen or a Pop Filter With omnidirectional and unidirectional microphones, you have two main options to sharpen the quality of sound you capture. Let’s take a quick look at these helpful accessories. Windscreens Pop Filters Windscreens filter the most sound and can reduce background ambient noise. You can generally find a windscreen for $20 or less. Pop filters reduce popping sounds on “p” and “b” sounds by adding a layer of protection to the microphone. They also minimize unwanted breath sounds that happen when you exhale too close to the microphone. Most pop filters cost less than $20, though you can easily make your own. Just wrap nylon stockings around a clothes hanger and place it in front of the microphone before you start recording. Again, if you're using a software-enhanced microphone, there may be virtual options for improving your sound and reducing unwanted noise. Check the settings before you begin recording and play with the different options to make sure they deliver the kind of audio output you’re looking for. Reduce Ambient Noise While a good microphone and clever software can make your audio sound great, the direct audio input is only half the story. The other part of the equation is ambient noise. Build a Portable Studio Box When you’re recording in a professional studio, the walls, floors, and overall room acoustics are specially insulated to cancel unwanted ambient noises. Since this type of setup is neither affordable nor portable for the average e-learning designer, many users build their own recording studio boxes. With something as simple as foam seat cushions, you can put together a portable recording box that encases your microphone. It cancels out a large portion of ambient noise and gives you a quick bump in audio quality. Don’t have seat cushions or you’re stuck recording narration away from home? Use pillows! For more information about portable studio boxes, check out this article: Record Better Audio with an Affordable Do-It-Yourself Sound Booth. Silence Your Recording Space It’s not possible to remove all sounds, but there are some things you can do to minimize ambient sounds. When possible, designate a particular room as your recording room and use it for your entire recording project. Your room’s layout, wall treatment, and furniture all affect the quality of your recordings. A carpeted room with furniture sounds different from an empty room with wood flooring. Here are some common ambient noises and tips for minimizing them: Air conditioning: While it might not be ideal if it’s summer, you should still consider turning it off. Air conditioning is responsible for most of the noise in your office. Computer: Computer fans and hard drives produce a lot of noise, so place your computer under your desk. The more distance you can put between your computer and your microphone, the quieter the room will be. External devices: Disconnect unused computers, printers, and external hard drives. You’d be surprised at how much ambient noise idle electronics produce. The fewer devices you have running the better. Hard surfaces: Even if you don’t have sound-dampening material on the walls like in a professional studio, you can make a big dent in ambient noise with carpet, window treatments, furniture, and any other materials that absorb sound. If you can’t make a portable studio box as described above, placing pillows around your laptop and microphone makes a huge impact. In fact, that’s what NPR correspondents do when they have to file reports from their hotel rooms! Create a Consistent Environment Even if you don’t have access to a professional recording studio, you can improve the quality of your narration by creating a consistent recording environment. Here are some tips that’ll help you do just that: Microphones: Use the same microphone each time you record. Microphones have personalities, and even if you always use a high-quality mic, you’ll notice a difference in the audio when listened to back-to-back if you don’t use the same one. Capture your recording settings: Whether you’re sharing a recording setup with co-workers or going solo, you should always capture the important settings you use for your recordings for consistency. This includes input levels, microphone settings, and any other audio settings you’ve tweaked during recording. Take a screenshot or a picture of your settings before you close out of your project. Microphone stands: Microphone stands come in both desktop and floor models. They help capture clean and consistent audio recordings by normalizing the distance between you and your microphone. Find the ideal distance by placing the mic stand in different positions, then note that in your recording settings. Record Your Audio Your room is set up and you’re ready to record, right? Almost! There are still a few things you should do before you jump into your first official take. 1. Check Your Mic Input Levels This is one of the most important things you can do when recording. If the levels are too high, you’ll pick up cracks, pops, and other digital artifacts. If the levels are too low, it’ll be difficult to hear in the published course. A general rule of thumb is to keep your input levels between -12db and -6db. Since you’re recording digitally, you’ll find all audio recording programs make it easy to identify the ideal levels. Here’s what good input levels look like: Notice how the levels are between -12 and -6? That leaves enough room for louder sounds without the risk of clipping. Here’s an example of audio that’s too “hot” and likely producing unwanted distortion: 2. Test Your Recordings After you’ve verified your input levels, record a short piece of test audio. Even with perfected settings, other recording issues can unexpectedly occur, such as a problem with hardware, an accidental audio setting change, or your voice not projecting as loudly as expected. It happens. Always take the time to record at least 30 seconds of test audio before you jump into your actual script recording. 3. Listen to Your Audio with Headphones Headphones isolate ambient noise and help you hear your recorded audio clearly. Because they’re worn over the ears, you get the closest, most realistic playback of your audio. Also, most users will listen to your courses with headphones—especially those in corporate or academic settings—so you’ll want to hear exactly what they hear. 4. Record in One Session For optimal consistency in your recording, it’s best to record your script in a single session. Even when you control your recording environment, your voice can sound different from one session to another. When you record in a single session, you’ll have more control over small but noticeable recording variables that occur. If you do have to rerecord some of your audio, record the full paragraph or slide rather than a single word or phrase. Differences in your voice are less obvious when you rerecord larger sections of audio. Summary Now that you have a basic understanding of audio recording for e-learning, you’re well-equipped to record your next project like a pro. Looking to take the next step and do even more with audio? Check out these articles: 3 Steps for Recording Microphone and System Sounds Simultaneously How to Use Audio in E-Learning More Than a Dozen Tips for Writing Awesome Audio Narration Scripts Want some hands-on audio experience? Jump into one of these e-learning challenges and share your audio examples: E-Learning Podcasts: Audio Interviews with Course Designers #266 Using Interactive Audio Soundboards in E-Learning #317 Using Audio and Sound Effects in E-Learning #242 And remember to follow us on Twitter and come back to E-Learning Heroes regularly for more helpful advice on everything related to e-learning. If you have any comments, please share them below.
