Scriptwriting and Audio Production for eLearning

Blended Learning Course

Well-written audio scripts prompt learners to pay attention, engage, and apply what you are trying to teach. This interactive course focuses on how to produce audio scripts so your eLearning course material will stick and meet the needs of your learners.

Course Description:

This course will help you create high-quality, well-written audio scripts and soundtracks for your eLearning courses. You will evaluate audio tracks, write and record a voiceover narration script, and add sound effects and music to create eLearning courses that inspire and engage.

Course Objectives: In this course, you will:

• Write and edit an eLearning voiceover narration script that meets best-in-class criteria
• Learn to avoid common scriptwriting pitfalls that negatively affect attention and learning
• Define relevant characters, storyline, style, and branching
• Apply several storytelling practices, including scripted narrative (dialog) and documentary styles
• Learn to conduct pre-production tasks, including voice talent selection and script recording preparation
• Use the audio recording tool of your choice to record your script (see Requirements section for list of recording software)
• Edit your recording and add appropriate sound effects to aid attention and retention

Syllabus

The following topics are covered:

SESSION ONE: Tuesday, September 22, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM PT

Synchronous Web Session via Adobe Connect

• Course overview: Course structure, what’s expected to earn certificate
• Audio exercise: Good or not so good, and why?
• Lecture and handout: Scriptwriting and editing basics—best practices for writing audio scripts
• Assignment: Draft a 300-word script and submit it for review.

The instructors will provide feedback and suggested script edits prior to Session Two.

SESSION TWO: Sunday, September 27, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM local time

Face-to-face in Las Vegas, Nevada

Morning

• General feedback on script reviews
• Lecture: Additional scriptwriting and editing tips
• Lecture: Script mark-up for recording
• Demonstration: Basic sound recording with Adobe Audition and a recorder
• Lecture and handout: Basic voiceover narration tips and techniques
• Assignment and lunch: Record your 300-word script and submit it for review (Use Adobe Audition; a couple of recorders will be available to borrow during the class, or use your own digital recorder)

Afternoon

• Lecture: Writing dialog, including objective, plot, character, and scene specifications
• Brainstorming exercise to develop basic plot and characters for each participant’s topic
• Assignment: Write a 300-word dialog-style or documentary script and submit it for review.

The instructors will send comments on the recording assignment prior to Session Three.

SESSION THREE: Monday, September 28, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM local time

Face-to-face in Las Vegas, Nevada

Morning

• General feedback on recording reviews
• Lecture and handout: Music and sound effects, and where to find them
• Demonstration: Audio editing in Adobe Audition
• Assignment and lunch: Instructors review dialog scripts while participants edit their narration recordings, including adding music and sound effects

Afternoon

• Activity: Work in groups of two or three to record dialog scripts
• Discussion: Play finished audio segments for the class and provide constructive feedback to each other

Certificate Criteria

To earn a certificate, participants must attend all three sessions and turn in the following assignments:

• A 300-word narration script
• Edited and recorded narration script
• A 300-word dialog or documentary script
• Narration script with music and/or sound effects added

Who Should Attend:

The target audience for this course is instructional designers, technical writers, media professionals, and others who are responsible for writing eLearning storyboards that include voiceover narration and other audio. It is also appropriate for developers who must take scripts, from SMEs or others, that need heavy rewrites. This is an intermediate-level workshop. While participants do not need to have experience in scriptwriting and audio production, a working knowledge of instructional design or technical writing and audio is helpful.

Pricing:

$1195.00 USD: Rate for Associates and Non-members
$995.00 USD: Rate for Associates and Non-members with DevLearn Registration
$956.00 USD: for eLearning Guild paid members
$756.00 USD: for eLearning Guild paid members with DevLearn Registration

Learn more about other registration discounts for which you may qualify.

Dates & Times:

• Tuesday, September 22: Live online training from 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM PT
• Sunday, September 27: In-person training (DevLearn 2015 Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada) from 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM local time
• Monday, September 28: In-person training (DevLearn 2015 Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada) from 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM local time

Instructor:

Jennifer De Vries, CPT, is a speaker coach and online host for The eLearning Guild’s Online Forums, and is President and Chief Solutions Architect for BlueStreak Learning.

Stephen Haskin directs and consults for eLearning projects and video and is the author of several books about media and learning. He has worked with digital video and eLearning since the late 1980s, and he has been at the forefront of streaming media.

Additional Information:

Duration:This blended course combines one 1.5-hour live virtual instructional session and a two-day face-to-face workshop.

Class Size: Class size limited to 15.

Prerequisites: Taking an eLearning-focused instructional design or technical writing course prior to this course would be helpful, but is not required.

Requirements: The live online component of this Guild Academy course uses Adobe Connect 9—more info. For the face-to-face component, you will need to bring a laptop computer, headset, and microphone, and have Adobe Audition pre-installed on your laptop. If you prefer, you can use Audacity or SoundForge, but we will demonstrate Audition during the class. We will provide some good-quality audio recorders as well, but if you have a digital recorder, please bring it.