Every e-learning course, no matter the topic and audience, all have one thing in common – they need to make the information stick!A successful e-learning voice-over catches and holds the attention of the listener to enhance learning outcomes. The voice is a key component in most e-learning courses. You can argue that the voice-over can ‘make or break’ an e-learning project. To ensure that the voice-over ‘makes’ for a successful e-learning course, you should always consider the following.
Align the Voice with the Subject and Audience
Ask yourself, “Who would I hire to give a live presentation on this subject for this audience?”. The answer will provide an idea of a persona, which will make it much easier for you to find the right voice for your e-learning project. To answer this question, consider the fact that people learn best from persons (or voices), who they can relate to in the given context. A funky teenage voice is not likely to succeed in teaching experienced CMO’s the latest business strategies. Instead, this material should be taught by an experienced and professional-sounding voice. Credibility is key.
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Keep the Script Conversational
The voice-over must feel real and not sound like someone just reading the words. Imagine the previously mentioned presenter reading his material from a piece of paper – not especially motivational or engaging – right? To achieve the necessary natural feel to the script, you should write it in a “conversational language”.
Use Experienced and Professional Voice Talents
E-learning voice-overs set high standards for the voice talent. They need to sound knowledgeable and credible, even though they know nothing about the subject. They have to stay in character, narrate and motivate listeners for a longer period. They must have perfect enunciation and be able to change the mood according to the script, by using only their voice. This is not something everyone can do. If you want to make sure that the voice-over will serve the right purpose, we always recommend that you use experienced e-learning voice talents.
Post-Production is a Must
Clear and high-quality audio is crucial for an e-Learning voice-over. If your post-production is poor quality, this will most likely distract your audience and thereby limit the knowledge retention. Often, e-Learning courses include dialogues between one or more characters. If these aren’t recorded in the same room with the same technical setup, it will almost always sound like the characters are in different locations. However, professional post-production can provide quality recordings and make the dialogue sound natural and credible.
Apply Music and Sound Effects
Have you ever tried feeling brave after watching an action-movie in the movie theater? Or feeling awesome, strolling down the street, listening to the latest monster hit on iTunes? Music has a great impact on human emotions and can compliment the voice-over to emphasize key points, keep the motivation high and set the right mood for learning environment. There are lots of synergies to find here (yep – I know it’s a cliché – but it’s true).
No e-learning course is the same. It all comes down to your project! Apply this advice as a guideline for you next e-learning project.