The value of humor in learning has been written about by many academics and writers. Generally, most believe that humor provides a number of benefits to both the learner and the instructor. Instructors who use humor usually get positive evaluations from their students, and students usually have an enjoyable experience learning the material. Many studies seem to prove it.
For example, Michigan State University writes on their website that humor reduces stress, increases student interest and attentiveness and does much to improve the classroom environment. They offer a list of articles on one of their resource pages that offer guidelines and examples of how to use humor in the classroom and in online courses.
Supporting the Need for Humor in Learning
In a news release published June 8, 2005, The American Association for Psychological Science reported that a study by two University of Ohio professors of Psychology, Mark Shatz and Frank LoSchiavo, found that using levity in a virtual classroom can “significantly boost student interest and participation.”
The National Teaching and Learning Forum agrees. In an article published as a supplement to their October 1998 newsletter, they write that humor is a factor in helping learners, but they caution instructors to use humor intelligently. For example, they do not recommend using humor during tests or other times when students may experience anxiety. They also warn teachers not to make themselves, or their students, the target of any jokes and not to make any remarks that might be considered sexist. Additionally, they suggest that humor from a female instructor may not be accepted as well as a humor from a male.
Nevertheless, they did write that “a touch of relevant humor will perk up even the dullest topics.”
Using Cartoons in the Classroom
One safe way to incorporate humor in an online course is to use cartoons.
In an article for linezine.com, Eric Parks, Ph.D. writes about an elearning course he wrote for a major Fortune 500 client. Parks is President/CEO of ASK International and has written for many publications including Training Magazine, Online Learning Magazine, and IOMA Reports.
Parks used eight cartoon characters to communicate different aspects of the various learning objectives in his course. “We chose to design custom cartoon-style graphics for the characters, and used photos of the products highly treated in Photoshop to minimize their size,” wrote Parks.
Another example is the series of Dummies books. Look at the success these books enjoy on almost any topic. Part of their success may be the generous use of cartoons throughout their books. It seems that cartoons help people relate to complicated material in a way that makes it is easier to digest.
How to Acquire Cartoons
If instructors go to professional cartoon sites, they can be more confident that the humor will be funny and not offensive. There are many websites that provide excellent cartoons at a nominal fee. Some of them include cartoonstock.com, cartoonbank.com (great source for New Yorker cartoons), and glasbergan.com for artwork drawn by the well-known cartoonist Randy Glasbergan. A simple Google search will also provide many sources.
Most cartoonists categorize their humor so it is easy to find cartoons on just about any subject. If not, many cartoonists will be willing to create one for a reasonable fee.
Using Cartoons for Online Learning
As stated earlier, many experts believe that humor is an important factor for making learning an enjoyable and, more importantly, memorable experience. The safest way to incorporate humor into an online course is to use cartoons written and illustrated by professionals. When designing an online course, do a search for cartoons that can make a difference in a PowerPoint presentation or next to an article about the subject.
Joseph Giunta - Although Joe Giunta's background includes doing everything from drafting to teaching computer graphics, he is primarily a writer and ...
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