Audio Learning is the Future

Is Audio Learning Just a Trend?

Whether it’s educational podcasts, audiobooks, or dedicated audio learning apps like Alpe Audio, more and more people are receiving an education through their ears only. But is audio learning just a trend? Alpe Audio CEO Yehoshua Zlotogorski sat down with the EdTech podcast to discuss the latest developments in audio learning. Check out what he has to say on the topic:

Audio Learning is as Old as the Bible

“When we’re talking about how old audio learning is… I’m going to go 2,000 or 3,000 years back pre-printing press, when the spoken word – audio – was the main form for education. Whether you’re talking about the Bible, the Quran, the Iliad and the Odyssey – all of these were oral works. And the principles of teaching something in an auditory first way have existed for a long time. Whether it’s chunking information, repetition or mnemonics, all of those aspects have really been around for a long time. And today if you want to teach something properly in audio you also have to consider those elements. And infuse what you’re teaching with those elements.”

While a lot of the present-day conversation surrounding audio learning focuses on educational technology (like podcast players or the like), we’re reminded that audio is not a new format. That actually we’ve been using audio learning since long before we sat down in front of books – or Zoom screens – to get an education. And that the basics of all good learning techniques actually originally come from audio learning.

Audio Learning for All Sorts of Learners

There are lots of reasons that people take audio only courses. Because of its rich history, audio learning is uniquely situated to address the needs of many different types of learners. In the same conversation, Yehoshua goes on to share:

“Learning is one word that has a lot of subsections, and so learning can be anything from osmosis – listening to people talk –  all the way to intentionally solving math problems or coding, where you’re really hands on. And the WHY we learn matters just as much, if not more, than WHAT we’re learning or the way it’s structured as content. So if someone is approaching material as – they have to ace an exam tomorrow morning – their mindset is very different than if they’re listening to Joe Rogan or whatever [they] listen to on their commute. Sure you want to learn, but it’s also your companion for your commute or for your flowerbeds. And just like we have Youtube vs Coursera or Udemy or cohort-based courses, where each format is very different, I think the audio landscape is going to shape up the same way.”

If podcasts are great for addressing the needs of the casual learner, or someone who needs something to keep their mind occupied as they weed the garden, then Yehoshua predicts that we’ll begin to see more options for audio learning to address different learning needs. There are so many tools to learn visually already, but audio learning technology is just starting to have its moment in the sun. 

Audio Learning is the Future

At Alpe Audio we spend a lot of time thinking about how we can be lifelong learners. By far the easiest way to build a learning habit is to build it into your schedule, and audio learning is perfectly suited to that task. This is evidenced by the growing interest in audio learning. Yehoshua, along with the other guests on this episode of the EdTech podcast are a testament to the growing influence and power of audio learning. 

For more, listen to the full episode here.