DIY Narrator: For Instructional Designers Who Narrate eLearning

DIY Narrator: For Instructional Designers Who Narrate eLearning


Why “Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How”?

December 10, 2020

Today, we're talking about finding your intent in your eLearning Narration performance. 
And I may have just simultaneously written the best and worst headline in the history of the Internet, but it will all make sense when you listen to the episode.
What is Intent?
Stop. Right. THERE!
Intent is not a "what". Intent is your "why".
Why are you narrating this eLearning? Why are you saying the thing you're saying? Why are you talking about this concept before the next one?
Do not confuse your "why" with your "what"!
Your intent is not just to get someone to learn something, it's not to diffuse the information you have to all of the learners out there.
What you're trying to do is get people to absorb and learn the concepts. But the harder question is "Why are you trying to get this person to learn this concept." The emphasis on each is very important.
Why do they need to know how to be better, faster, or stronger at their job? (Hint: it's not so the company makes more money)
Why do they need to go through the 2021 benefits training when the 2020 benefits training was almost identical? (Hint: It's not because HR is required to train every employee every year)
Finding Your Intent
To make finding your intent easier, first let's make this less confusing and define our terms.
We already know "Why" = "Intent".
Let's call "What" your "Objective". This is the outcome you're trying to produce: Learning something new, getting better at your job, etc.
You can find your intent by working through the answers to the 6 key questions posed in the magnificent headline of this article.
Listen in and you'll hear me work through these questions and give you some examples of how you should approach each question.
You'll also get a little insight into my own personal "Why".
Links and Things
I've discussed many of these concepts in other episodes, but I was inspired to dig this by Larry Conroy's 2009 article on an actor's intent, "What is the Difference Between an Action, an Objective, and an Intention?"
This episode will also play well with another acting-focused episode: Nebulous Woo Woo Stuff