Audio Technology in Modern Learning Environments

Bad course audio makes smart content feel untrustworthy.

When you open an online training module, the first thing you will hear generally the same sound; either a sign-in chime or an introductory video. These auditory cues can either entice you into an online training course, or make it a very unpleasant experience for the learner. People seem to put such an emphasis on having a polished presentation and maintaining consistency with their user interface that they will frequently release audiobooks and online courses with audio that has peaking, hissing, or requires the user to constantly adjust the volume for 20+ minutes. As a provider of education that is a manifestation of self-punishment. I personally have found several learners outsourcing some of the tasks associated with the online learning, and you can always find them using services such as write my college paper, when they find that the online learning experience is just stacked upon itself, or filled with friction.

Using technology from an audio perspective in a learning environment is not an ancillary enhancement but rather the sole difference between comprehension or fatigue and having a learner trust in their instructor versus disconnecting from instruction altogether.

Why audio changes how people learn

Using tools like the Promosound Group makes using audio in this manner easy to manage. Audio is also the quickest way to lose a person's attention; it can also be the most difficult to ignore. Typos can be maddening on a slide. Yet the echo of a lecture space, inconsistent audio levels, and the sound of a laptop fan can make people spend mental energy on these extraneous noises rather than on the actual idea itself.

The impact of changing Loudness/Tone between clips on learner's ability to retain information is something Product Teams typically do not consider when developing a course. If learners have used their limited amount of focus on adjusting to the varying loudness/tone of the new clip than they have on actually understanding the material, then that new clip will only serve to frustrate them and cause them to lose motivation and possibly even their desire to continue learning. Increasingly companies involved in Audio Tech used in/for classrooms have also begun to think less about the positive attributes of the current technology being used and more about the necessity of investing in foundational infrastructure (speech reinforcement and clarity), as indicated in the Classroom Audio Overview Edtechmagazine.

Here is an awkward analogy. When you have bad audio, there is a sense of unpredictability, uncertainty regarding if you have missed something or perhaps if the term that you just heard was fact of significance to your experience. Conversely, good audio creates a sense of security and allows the student to stay focused on your lesson because their attention has been drawn to other distractions distractions.

Voice and clarity earn trust

If you've recorded a video of yourself teaching, you know about the awkward feeling: the content may be just fine but your delivery needs to do more than normal. It's important to consider both pacing/tempo (factor in how much use/recruitment from your body) and tone (how well do we express warmth) as these factors contribute greatly toward whether students will accept you as having expertise on the subject matter! This is even MORE so true when teaching using online platforms because there can be no canvas in which to read the room, requesting clarification or thinking through problems face-to-face etc...

Many creators and instructors use their livestream recordings (the audio portion) as the "already recorded" portion of their digital education. Because of this, most are going about using the previously recorded audio incorrectly because of how the audio on a livestream is optimized. The primary difference between audio used on a livestream and normal audio recordings is that a livestream's audio is optimized for immediate delivery rather than clarity. A few examples of how a creator will get themselves into trouble with audio from the livestream include: having the microphone too far from the source, aggressive compression, and/or a high noise floor. If a learner has difficulty hearing something, they will not attribute the problem to the equipment; rather, the learner will identify the teacher as the problem.

Guideline for recording informational content: Treat voice for recording as you would when recording a podcast. Maintain proximity to your microphone, use consistent distances from the microphone, and deliver information in a calm manner (with enough breathing space between your words) so that there are very few short pauses left before you get to your next sentence. You'll feel like you've provided your audience with a lot of time to digest what you've just said and they'll have felt that they have heard everything you wanted them to hear, before they move on to their next sentence.

Sound design is UX, not decoration

In education, sound design is often minimized to simple "beeps," but sound feedback also plays a role in defining and shaping the learning experience by influencing learner behaviour without additional text. Restraint is the most important factor when creating audio feedback. A subtle tone can help eliminate doubt and a jarring tone will create an increase in anxiety.

Visualize how you would like to use sound in the transition from one module to the next or to notify someone that they have just passed a quiz or that they need to remember something. When using sound, you should strive to limit the types of sounds used to develop a small dictionary of auditory cues that are consistent and meaningful. Random sound effects/ambient background music quickly go from being cool/fun to being annoying, and music typically interferes with verbal directions; thus, it doesn't enhance the learning process, it covers it up.

It's at this time that organizations like Promosound Group would generally be valuable to companies due to being able to define sound rules, rather than provide additional sounds (for example, what would warrant a sound cue, volume level for any given sound to be played, and ensure consistency in audio across all devices).

Tools that actually move the needle

The technology used in online education today is much better than it used to be; you don't have to have an entire professional studio setup to produce high-quality audio. It is still a little daunting, but the tools available today make it easier to get your work done. The challenge now will be to choose tools that will help you avoid common points of failure in your work.

• A real microphone (even a modest USB mic) so voice is intelligible without cranking gain.
• Basic acoustic treatment or a quiet recording corner to reduce echo and room noise.
• Editing software to normalize loudness and cut dead air, mouth clicks, and long breaths.
• Tools for enhancing speech can help to reduce interfering sounds from the environment; however, some tools may produce mechanical-sounding artifacts (check first before committing).
• Podcast-style formats for some lessons, because audio-only content can be absorbed while commuting or doing low-focus tasks.

Audio elements that allow users to interact are being introduced at a rapid rate: pronunciation practice, call-and-response activities, scenario playback with multiple choices for the user. The edtech trends in Eschoolnews consistently point toward more immersive, multimodal learning experiences. And audio is one of the least expensive ways to provide a more immersive experience without full 3D production.

Accessibility is not just captions

The foundation of accessible learning is speaking clearly, but it does not stop there. When compared to native speakers, many people require clearer enunciation from non-native speakers and have less background noise to deal with. For a person who has difficulty reading, having a voiceover that is matched to the images being displayed on-screen without the voice overrunning is helpful. In an environment with a lot of noise, people require a mix of sounds that remain audible even at low levels.

While transcribing the audio visually and adding captions are important to create an accessible learning experience, they can only support the effort of providing clean audio. If the audio is muddled, then the captions will be more of a crutch than a tool to facilitate learning, and thus, learners will find it difficult to focus on what they're listening to while they read. Quality of the audio should take priority in all aspects of production so that learners can receive quality sound no matter how much background noise is also present. Sound balance also means that the audio being spoken is the primary component of the final audio product, while the background music and sound effects will always be lower in terms of volume.

An additional way to improve this experience is to increase the speed of playback - make it a top priority! Recorded audio sounds just fine at 1.25x or 1.5x speed if recorded clearly (as opposed to being blown out) and there's a number of learners doing it this way right now.

What the next wave sounds like

The audio of tomorrow will be personalized and interactive. AI-powered voice assistants will provide rapid identification and navigation. Simulations will employ spatial cues in order to make sure that participants learn to develop situational awareness. Lessons delivered in a podcast-style format will continue their rapid growth, as they fit into our busy lives.

The challenge with this is, however, that there must be effective governance to allow teams to create, mix, and ship synthetic voiceovers while maintaining quality assurance that meets their audiences' expectations for trust; without it, the same issue of lack of trust will continue to occur with this new tool. Having a strong brand identity through sound, proper recording processes, and consistency throughout the volume levels of each recording will outweigh whatever 'next big thing' occurs within the next few months as a new feature.

Sound technology is more than a way to move sound around; when sound is used wisely, it decreases mental effort, increases understanding and allows people to learn digitally in a more human manner than through machines. If you are developing a course, app or education by creators, look at your audio first, as you would your UX; ask yourself what is distracting to the user, what is directing them and what has established trust quietly.