Audio is a multimedia element that should be used carefully.
If employees are located in open (cubicle) environments, audio should be avoided. (Employees in nearby areas will be distracted.)
- If you decide to deploy audio, you should not make it an integral part of the course. Many business people either do not have the equipment to hear audio at work, or are barred from using audio by corporate policy.
- Be careful when using audio
Audio gives learners a pass at paying attention to a course. People taking courses will move their eyes from the screen 4 to 8 seconds from the time audio starts. If you force people to read (as opposed to read to them) you will force them to look at the screen and use 100% concentration.
- We read much faster then we speak. Having a narrator read what is on the screen is very annoying to adults. Having a narrator read words that are different then what is on the screen is very confusing for adults.
- Only 10% of learners learn from audio. If you base your course on audio, 90% of the people will not retain any information.
- Podcasts are the latest cool technology being used for eLearning. The difference between today's podcast and yesterday's cassette tape is the way the audio is being delivered. A boring audio, is just as boring on an iPod as it was on a walkman.