A chance encounter in a crowded McDonald’s afforded me the opportunity to rethink some old concepts I have about the role of humour in a classroom. While queuing at the restaurant, a group of students in front of me was talking about how they appreciate a good sense of humour in their teachers and it set me thinking. These comments do in fact support surveys that rank humour as one of the top five traits of an effective teacher (James, 2004). Yet, just 20 years ago, humour “had no place in the classroom nor on test materials” (Torok, McMorris & Lin, 2004, p. 14).

I do not remember having attended any teacher’s training on how to use humour either. Indeed, only a few researchers tackled the use of humour at the college/university level (White, 2001). In my classes, humour has been limited to the discussion of Freud’s tendentious jokes (Burger, 2000) and the occasional cartoon strips to help explain an idea or as a starting point for discussion. However, as I review the current literature on this topic, I realise that humour and cartoons can be effective in the undergraduate classroom setting (Tomkovick, 2004).

Is there learning in the laughing?

“If teachers want students to learn, then they should consider making learning more palatable, even enjoyable” (Torok, et al., 2004, p. 14). This not only supports the use of humour in the classroom, but the authors also advise that humour be incorporated across all academic levels. This is particularly true for ‘dread courses’ (White, 2001) that students “avoid because of perceived difficulty, a previous negative experience, or the students’ lack of confidence” (White, 2001, p. 338).

Torok, et al. (2004) further provide the following reasons in support of humour in the classroom:

• Facilitates retention of novel information;
• Increases learning speed;
• Improves problem solving;
• Relieves stress;
• Reduces test anxiety;
• Increases perceptions of teacher credibility.

The prudent use of “content-related, non-hostile humor” (James, 2004, p. 93) has added benefits:

• More supportive learning environment;
• Enhanced students’ attention and pleasure in learning;
• Improved thinking skills and test scores;
• Improved attitudes towards the subject matter.

According to the learner-centred psychological principles of the American Psychological Association, the “motivation to learn… is influenced by the individual’s emotion states, beliefs, interests and goals, and habits of thinking” (APA, 2006). If classroom humour is appropriately used, it has the potential to “humanize, illustrate, defuse, encourage, reduce anxiety, and keep people thinking” (Torok, et al., 2004, p. 19). Furthermore, “humour and positive thinking provide salve for the wounds, add joy to our lives, and help all involved to enjoy the passage of time. It also helps to open up our minds” (Tomkovick, 2004, p. 111).

What about using humour in course tests?

If humour reduces tension and less tension makes students perform better, then the use of humour could very well work for students. For course tests, Berk (2000) recommends incongruous descriptors under the test title, jocular inserts in the instructions, humorous notes on the last page, or humour in the test items. Of course, the teacher needs to decide how much humour to include in the tests, especially for exams under time pressure.

However, Berk (2000) warns that “the few studies on the use of humor in testing yield insufficient and inconsistent results” (p. 155). Besides, it could be quite challenging to construct a test, humour notwithstanding, that would still ensure the test’s validity and reliability. I like Berk’s suggestion to use a distracter “so ridiculous and outrageous” (p. 154) in a multiple choice question that students will not choose it for the answer. Just in case someone does however, Berk recommends letting the students know beforehand about the humourous distracter, perhaps in the test instructions.

What types of humour do students appreciate?

Most students appreciate funny stories, comments, jokes, professional humour, puns, cartoons and riddles while sarcasm, inappropriate jokes (e.g. sexist or ethnic) and aggressive or hostile humour generally do not work very well in classrooms.

Where do I begin?

The willingness to make the atmosphere in the classroom sunny and moderately stress-free is a decision that the teacher makes, but it may take some time and a lot of practice to implement it effectively. Tomkovick (2004) suggests that to set the tone, one might like to play some music before the lecture, or use some self-deprecating humour during class.

The important thing is not to suddenly turn into the stand-up comedian but rather to appreciate a good laugh now and then without sounding phony. An open mind and a good, healthy sense of humour will go a long way.

References

(2006). ‘American Psychological Association Learner-Centered Psychological Principles’. Accessed: 1 March 2006.

Berk, R.A. (2000). ‘Does Humor in Course Tests Reduce Anxiety and Improve Performance?’ College Teaching, Vol. 48, No. 4, pp. 151–158.

Burger, J.M. (2000). Personality, 5th ed., CA: Wadsworth.

James, D. (2003). ‘A Need for Humor in Online Courses’. College Teaching, Vol. 52, No. 3, pp. 93–94.

Tomkovick, C. (2004). ‘Ten Anchor Points for Teaching Principles of Marketing’. Journal of Marketing Education, Vol. 26, No. 2, pp. 109–115.

Torok, S.E., McMorris, R.F. & Lin, W.C. (2004). ‘Is Humor an Appreciated
Teaching Tool?’ College Teaching, Vol. 52, No. 1, pp. 14–20.

White, G.W. (2001). ‘Teachers’ Report of How They Used Humor with Students Perceived Use of Such Humor’. Education, Vol. 122, No. 2, pp. 337–347.