Instructional Humor in College Teaching: Laughter Matters1
Keywords:
humor, ; instructional humor, humor in teaching, offensive humor, online teaching, multimedia, PowerPoint, student engagementAbstract
Instructional humor is intentionally designed to attain specific learning outcomes. The latest technology, including PowerPoint (PPT) and similar platforms and artificial intelligence (AI), enables any professor to present forms of print and multimedia humor in face-to-face (F2F) and online teaching. The accumulated research evidence on the psychological, physiological, and educational benefits of humor and laughter is briefly reviewed. Twenty humor techniques, with examples, are described and categorized by risk of success: high, moderate, and low. They can be adapted to hybrid, hyflex, synchronous, and asynchronous delivery. Humor can add value to students’ academic experience beyond its instructional benefits.
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