This chapter discusses using humor in the classroom to lighten the environment and enhance learning. It defines humor and its purpose in education, exploring how humor can reduce stress and promote creativity. The theoretical foundations of humor are examined, including cognitive and affective theories. Different types of learners are considered in terms of using appropriate and relevant humor. Guidelines are provided for creating optimal conditions for learning using humor, as well as resources and techniques for incorporating humor effectively. Potential problems with humor in education are also reviewed.

1. Chapter 8
Lighten Up Your Classroom

2. Lighten up your Classroom
• Definition and Purpose
• Theoretical Foundations
• Types of Learners
• Conditions for Learning
• Resources
• Using the Method
• Potential Problems

3. Lighten up your Classroom
• The Role of Humor
– The judicious use of humor can influence
the cognitive and behavioral aspects of
learning in at least 6 of Gardner’s
intelligences.
– Well-placed humor can make the classroom
environment a safe, comfortable, and
effective arena for growth.

4. Definition and Purpose
• Humor
– Communication that induces amusement.
– It must be shared.
– Sarcasm tends to be a negative form of
humor.
– Wit is the cognitive process that elicits
humor.
– Mirth the emotional reaction to humor, joy,
and pleasure.

5. Definition and Purpose
• Humor
– Can promote health and learning through
reduced stress, increased productivity, and
enhanced creativity.
– Counterproductive humor can cause fear
and hostility, decrease self-esteem, and
motivation, and disrupt the community.

6. Definition and Purpose
• Humor
– Schibles’ (1989) says derogatory humor and
sarcasm are used as a superiority
differentiation or as a defense mechanism.
– Avoid derogatory humor, maintain
professionalism, use affiliate humor and
self-enhancing humor
– Relieves stress, creates healthy learning
environment, gains attention and helps
motivate students

7. Theoretical Foundations
• Greeks used comedy to entertain and
enlighten.
• Boyd (2004) says that playfulness opens
the participants to creative and critical
thinking and action.
• Humor and laughter can contribute to all
necessary principles of learning.

8. Theoretical Foundations
• Authenticity is one of the most important
qualities of an educator. Humor is an
aspect of authenticity
• Some humor theories state that laughter
or amusement occurs as an intellectual
reaction to something unexpected,
illogical, or inappropriate.

9. Theoretical Foundations
• Cognitive Theory
– Focuses on the understanding of language,
knowledge, situation, and reasoning that
addresses recognition of mistakes,
incongruity, and wordplays.
– Puns, irony, and satire require analysis and
synthesis or words, knowledge, and context.
– Without such understanding, students do
not perceive the humor and may feel put
down or get defensive.

10. Theoretical Foundations
• Affective Theory
– Stresses the emotional components of
humor.
– The affective component of humor engages
the limbic system, increasing short- and
long-term memory and increasing the
learner’s willingness to apply knowledge
and skills.
– Both sides of the brain are actively engaged
during laughter and the perception of
humor.

11. Theoretical Foundations
• Affective Theory
– Right side of the brain involves reading and
interpreting the visual, nonverbal
information of humor
– Left side of the brain interprets language
nuances of humor
– Still needs more research

12. Types of Learners
• Developmentally and intellectually
appropriate humor can be used for all
learners.
• Humor used should be relevant to course
content.
• Important to be aware of students’
cultural backgrounds.

13. Types of Learners
• The match between the educators’ and
students’ senses of humor is also
important.
• Educators need to understand the
cognitive status of their students, or they
risk offending them.

14. Types of Learners
• Gender affects the acceptance and use of
humor.
– Learning outcomes of female students is not
as influenced by teacher humor as male
students
– Females preferred personal stories that
illustrated pertinent points related to course
content.
– Female educators seem to elicit less overall
appreciation of their efforts to be humorous

15. Conditions for Learning
• Humorous activities or icebreakers can
begin a class.
• Tension relievers before exams
• Laughter is likely to be greater in larger,
more crowded classes.
• Humor is not dependent on the comedic
ability of the instructor.

16. Conditions for Learning
• As long as the humor remains embedded
in the content, learners will internalize
the new knowledge, otherwise the flow
of the lesson can be lost or misdirected
and retention of material at any point in
a lesson from initial setup through final
review

17. Conditions for Learning
• Weaver and Cotrell recommend
inserting humorous breaks every 15
minutes.
• Teacher’s nonverbal communication and
tone of voice affect how the humor is
perceived by students.
• If the humor style of the teacher and
student don’t mesh, it will not be
effective.

18. Resources
• The effective use of humor needs to be
learned and refined.
• Collect humorous experiences by reading
comics, visiting comedy clubs, etc.
• Use exaggeration as a way to clarify
concepts.
• Use props, the cinema, and YouTube.

19. Using the Method
• Create a casual and safe atmosphere.
• Adopt a laugh-ready attitude.
• Remove social inhibitions
• Begin class with a humorous example.
• Use persona stories, anecdotes, and
current events.
• Plan frequent breaks in content.
• Encourage give and take; laugh at
yourself.

20. Potential Problems
• Not everyone gets a joke.
• Some people do not value humor in
education.
• Using sarcasm and ridicule can be
counterproductive.
• Humor can be offensive around ethnic,
cultural, and gender issues.
• Class clowns are distracting.

21. Conclusion
• Plato said you can discover more about a
person in an hour of play than in a year
of conversation.
• The development of respect and the
desire to learn can be facilitated through
the thoughtful use of humor.