I found it interesting to have to compose both an audio essay and the same written essay. I liked that I was able change the tone of my voice to make a point in the audio essay. There were also some detriments to the audio essay. My essay included some references to 1984, specifically “Big Brother is watching you.” (Here is a link to a summary of the book.) The last sentence of my essay was, “Professors at small, liberal arts colleges should not be Big.” I liked having more control over the tone of the words in the audio essay, but the written essay ended up expressing the punchline better. I realized that one essay form isn’t necessarily better than the other. It just depends on what and how the author is trying to express a point.
I experienced the same sort of thing, and found it interesting that the two could end up existing as separate pieces based on factors such as tone and speed. Granted, since I had never done this before, there were some difficulties encountered, most notably having to repeat sections several times due mistakes. The process should become easier after more practice.
I definitely agree that there are pros and cons to the audio essay. It is definitely easier to emphasize certain things over audio essay as opposed to the written essay. As opposed to italicizing words or bolding them you are simply able to just change your tone of voice.