The rise of e-learning has made educational content more accessible than ever, but it’s not without its own challenges, particularly when it comes to learning retention.
One way of overcoming this hurdle is through the use of high-quality eLearning voiceovers.
As some learners struggle to focus or retain information when studying online, eLearning voiceovers can help to keep students engaged.
That said, it’s impossible to reproduce the back-and-forth dynamic that students are used to in in-person settings.
While eLearning voiceovers can bring a human aspect to a digital environment, learning retention itself is a complicated topic.
Researchers are still working to understand how information is retained, but there are some good strategies you can use to maximize retention.
In this article, we’ll explain how learning retention works and how to find a voice actor who can help you craft more memorable content.
What Factors Affect Retention?
E-learning has been growing for years, but the demand accelerated even more after the coronavirus pandemic over five years ago.
Schools and universities around the world were forced to implement digital learning methods, often with relatively little preparation or advance notice.
As education moved online, the importance of learning retention became a central concern, opening the door to a deeper exploration of how information is both delivered and retained in digital learning settings.
To Speak or Not to Speak
Online learning now takes many forms, from animated or non-speaking videos to live ones or videos that use e-learning voiceovers.
Outside of the live videos, these other formats generally allow students to study at their own convenience.
However, when it comes to retaining the information they’re learning, research shows that how information is presented plays a significant part.
According to the dual-coding theory, people code information in two different ways depending on whether the information is linguistic.
In other words, language-based content only affects the “linguistic side” of our minds, while non-linguistic content, like images, cannot be remembered in words.
A 1992 study by Richard Mayer and Richard B. Anderson, both researchers in brain science, found that students retain more when exposed to both visual and auditory content together.
So while a simple voiceover can spark linguistic memory, and an animation or music-backed video can push the button on visual memory, combining them will likely increase overall retention.
Of course, everyone has different learning tendencies. But it makes sense to provide both types of inputs in order to ensure that most learners will remember what they’ve seen.
Making the Most of eLearning Voiceovers
No matter which retention strategies you use, they won’t make a difference if learners aren’t engaged or interested.
This is where eLearning voiceovers step into the spotlight.
Effective voice actors can cover a range of topics from simple to complicated while using vocal techniques to keep the listener’s interest and focus.
As Derek S., an experienced voice actor, explains:
I use my audiobook and tour guide narration experience and skills when presenting eLearning content, and try to put myself in the listener’s shoes, picturing in my mind what might be happening for the learner.
One of the most common mistakes in eLearning content development is having voice actors read text word for word.
If you’re showing a PowerPoint slide, for example, you don’t need a voice actor to repeat the text verbatim.
Instead, they should expand on the most relevant topics or cover other information that didn’t fit into the slide.
If you’re not sure how to pull out the relevant information in a way that’s concise and compelling, consider using our FREE AI copywriter tool.
By providing the information and directing the software to write it in the way that you need, you can be sure that the right information is being relayed to your students.
Why eLearning Voice Actors are a Better Choice than Actual Teachers
You might think that a teacher or subject matter expert is the best person to read your voiceover, but this isn’t usually the case.
A professional eLearning voice actor will be much more effective when it comes to communicating information in a compelling way.
Derek S. highlights how he does it:
I incorporate pauses, inflection, and energy while also following any guidance the client may have shared.
I keep in mind that the person who is listening to you is likely watching an accompanying video, and while there is (usually) no time restriction to the audio, you have the luxury of guiding the listener along his or her learning path.
Tips to Improve Learning Retention
1. Make the Experience Interactive
One challenge of e-learning is that it puts students in a much more passive role.
They might simply watch a recording without the opportunity to ask questions or actively engage with the material.
In the example above, the e-learning module frequently asks questions to confirm that learners are keeping up.
If the student provides the wrong answer, they’ll quickly be corrected and receive an explanation of the mistake.
This strategy also improves retention since topics will automatically be reiterated until the student recognizes their error.
On the other hand, students who understand the content the first time won’t need to waste time with additional repetitions.
Quizzes are the simplest way to ask for student input, but there are many other ways to make content more interactive.
Simulations, for example, enable students to respond to different situations and apply their knowledge in a more dynamic environment.
2. Give Learners More Breaks
While e-learning comes with drawbacks, it has also exposed some shortcomings in conventional educational practices.
In-person classes often last an hour or more, while many experts believe that student attention spans can be as short as ten or fifteen minutes.
It’s no surprise that more and more educators are designing learning modules with short periods of instructions followed by quick breaks.
This breaks complicated topics into brief sections that are more manageable for learners who are less experienced with the topic.
3. Optimize Pacing
As an e-learning creator, you need to design content that works for every learner.
This is especially tricky when it comes to pacing since some students will assimilate information more quickly than others.
Professional eLearning voiceover actors understand how to pace their voiceover.
Providing a clear, concise explanation at a moderate pace will make it easier for learners to follow along while also improving retention.
4. Reiterate the Main Points
You don’t want to be overly repetitive, but it’s still important to repeat critical points.
Rather than saying them again and again, try to reference them later on by drawing parallels or relating them to the current topic.
Consider using a mnemonic or pattern to reinforce how each element relates to the larger whole.
For example, you might model each point as a step in a process or use the first letter of each one to spell out a word.
From there, you can come back to the pattern and keep the overall picture fresh in your students’ minds.
5. Use Real-Life Examples
Learning abstract information is one thing, but understanding how it fits into your life is another.
Tying content to real-life examples will aid retention by giving learners helpful context.
Of course, this starts with showing your audience that the topic is actually worth learning about.
It’s critical to motivate students before asking them to remember new information.
Each learner should understand how the subject relates to questions and issues in their own lives.
6. Keep It Short and Sweet
As mentioned earlier, learning retention depends on the way information is presented.
The average student won’t be able to absorb an entire topic at once, and talking about it for several hours won’t help.
They’ll have an easier time piecing everything together if it’s broken up into a longer series of quick modules.
Along with intermittent breaks, you should also avoid overloading your audience with too much material in a single day.
This will also help you keep each lesson narrowly focused on a few key topics.
7. Ask Students to Take Notes
To maximize retention, you need to reinforce a memory in as many ways as possible.
With that in mind, you should encourage learners to take notes for their own benefit.
Typing the information is better than nothing, but it’s even better to write it down on paper.
This is especially true for kinesthetic learners who need to reinforce what they’re learning through physical motion.
Takeaways
Learning retention can’t be reduced to a single factor, especially when people learn in such different ways.
That said, there are a few reliable ways to make your educational modules more memorable.
Remember that the e-learning voice actor you work with will have a major effect on the way the content is perceived.
We hope that these tips will help you develop content that connects with your audience.
If you’re planning to use eLearning voiceovers in your next online videos, you can check out Voice Crafters wide range of voice talent.
Or, if you need support casting the right voice actors, drop us a line — we’re always happy to help!
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