Voice to Text for Instructional Designers
Your expertise is in learning design, not typing speed. Blurt lets you speak your course content, learning objectives, and storyboard narration while your ideas flow naturally. Hold a button, articulate your vision, release. Text appears wherever your cursor is — in Articulate Storyline, Rise, Canvas, Google Docs, anywhere. No transcription delays. No breaking your creative momentum. Just talk and create.
The Typing Problem
Writing course content when your head is full of ideas
You've just finished a SME interview and your mind is buzzing with insights. The content structure is crystal clear in your head. But the moment you sit down to type it out, the friction starts. Your fingers can't keep up with your thoughts. By the time you've typed three paragraphs, half your ideas have evaporated. You know exactly what the learner needs to understand — getting it out of your head and onto the screen is the bottleneck.
Crafting learning objectives that actually mean something
You need to write objectives that are measurable, learner-centered, and aligned with Bloom's taxonomy. You know what you want to say, but typing forces you to think about spelling and formatting instead of instructional intent. The objectives come out stilted and generic. When you explain them out loud to a colleague, they're perfect. When you type them, they lose their clarity.
Designing assessments that match your content
Each module needs assessment questions that actually test comprehension, not just recall. You're staring at a blank question bank, trying to type out scenario-based questions. The cognitive load of typing pulls your attention away from what matters — whether the question actually assesses the right skill. You end up with simpler questions because complex ones are exhausting to write.
Storyboarding narration scripts that sound natural
The storyboard template is open. Each slide needs narration that sounds conversational, not robotic. But when you type narration, it comes out formal and stiff. You know how it should sound because you can hear it in your head. The disconnect between your internal voice and your typing fingers creates scripts that will need three rounds of revision before they sound human.
Your hands ache after long content development days
A single eLearning module can require thousands of words of written content — storyboards, scripts, quiz questions, feedback text, instructions. After a full day of content development, your wrists are throbbing. You've started wearing braces. The ergonomic keyboard helped a little, but you're still typing eight hours a day. You're an instructional designer, not a data entry clerk, yet your hands tell a different story.
How It Works
Blurt works in every tool instructional designers use — Articulate Storyline, Rise, Captivate, Canvas, Google Docs, your LMS admin panel. Anywhere you can put a cursor.
Hold your hotkey
Press your chosen shortcut. A small indicator shows Blurt is listening.
Speak your content
Articulate your learning objective, narration script, or assessment question. Blurt handles punctuation.
Release and done
Text appears at your cursor. No copying, no pasting, no extra steps.
Real Scenarios
Drafting course content after SME interviews
You just finished an hour-long interview with a subject matter expert. Your notes are scattered but the key concepts are fresh in your mind. Instead of typing while the details fade, hold your hotkey and speak: 'The main concept learners need to understand is that compliance isn't about following rules, it's about understanding the intent behind the regulation and applying professional judgment.' Capture your insights at the speed of thought. Edit later when the structure is already there.
Writing learning objectives that pass the SMART test
The module needs clear, measurable objectives. Hold the button and articulate what you want learners to achieve: 'By the end of this module, learners will be able to identify three warning signs of phishing emails and demonstrate the correct reporting procedure using the company's security portal.' Objectives written in seconds, not minutes. They sound natural because you spoke them naturally.
Creating scenario-based assessment questions
Your quiz needs realistic scenarios, not just factual recall. Hold and speak the situation out loud: 'A customer calls saying their order arrived damaged. They're upset and demanding a full refund plus compensation. Based on Module 2, what should the representative do first? A, apologize and offer immediate compensation. B, gather information about the damage before making any promises. C, transfer to a supervisor. D, explain the return policy.' Complex questions in 15 seconds instead of 3 minutes of typing.
Writing storyboard narration that sounds human
Each slide needs narration that sounds like a person, not a textbook. Hold your hotkey and speak the way you'd explain it to a learner: 'Now that you understand the basics, let's look at how this applies in real situations. In the next scenario, you'll see a common mistake and we'll break down exactly what went wrong.' Natural, conversational scripts — because you actually spoke them.
Adding feedback text for quiz responses
Every wrong answer needs constructive feedback. You have 20 questions with 4 options each — that's 60 feedback messages to write. Hold and speak: 'Not quite. Remember, the first step is always to acknowledge the customer's frustration before jumping to solutions. Review the HEAR method in Module 3.' Personalized feedback for each option, spoken in seconds instead of typed in minutes.
Documenting design decisions for stakeholder review
The project manager wants to know why you structured the module this way. Hold and explain your rationale: 'I chose to front-load the compliance scenarios because the SME emphasized that learners need to see real consequences before they'll engage with the regulatory details. The assessment is at 70 percent threshold because anything lower doesn't predict on-the-job compliance based on the 2024 industry study.' Design documentation that actually gets written because speaking is faster than typing.
Writing facilitator guides and instructor notes
The instructor-led version needs detailed facilitator notes. Hold and speak your guidance: 'At this point, pause and ask participants to share their own examples. Expect answers about email scams and phone calls. If no one mentions social engineering in person, prompt with the tailgating scenario from the video.' Facilitator guides that are actually useful because you captured your real facilitation instincts.
Why instructional designers choose Blurt over built-in dictation
| Blurt | macOS Dictation | |
|---|---|---|
| Activation | Single hotkey, instant start | Click microphone icon or double-tap Function key |
| Speed | Text appears in under 500ms | 2-3 second delay before transcription |
| Reliability | Consistent accuracy across sessions | Often fails silently or mishears |
| Educational terminology | Handles 'Bloom's taxonomy', 'scaffolding', 'formative assessment' | Struggles with instructional design jargon |
| Long-form content | Designed for paragraphs and full scripts | Optimized for short commands and messages |
Frequently Asked Questions
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