Humour



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= =﻿ How can humour increase motivational drive? Does a laugh render students the ability to do more work? = = ﻿ =  ﻿ “  Why do we laugh? It’s a vocal sign to communication safety. A smile is a derived visual symbol with the same meaning [Berk] Laughter in a classroom can be interpreted as a sign that students feel safe in the classroom and this will enhance their connection to the class and the teacher. Research reveals that a strong connection to the teacher is critical to learning. Laughter improves mental functioning by increasing interpersonal responses, alertness and memory. [Berk] You can also reflect on this--If you think about how you feel after a chuckle, you do feel good. When you are in a lecture and the instructor makes a funny comment, you feel engaged.

A 6 year study reported that undergrad and graduate students feel humour is effective at reducing their anxiety and making it possible to perform their best on exams. This in turn, provides more reason or increases the motivation to learn (because it is easier to remember). (Berk) If as instructors, we are testing on retention and application of the material presented and humour increases the retention rate, why not add this to your instructional tool kit?

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__ Humour in the Classroom. A look at research and humor to improve classroom management and motivation. __

There are physical reasons as well that prove that humour is a motivational tool. //“Humour leads to laughter and laughing releases a chemical called Dopamine. Dopamine is considered part of the brain's reward system and leads to a reduction in stress. Making humorous connections to new material in a lesson causes a student's body to physically react in a positive manner. Since the students are then relaxed and happy, they are more likely to retain the information. The more they experience learning in a positive way, the more relaxed they will be in a testing situation.”[//Humour] Whether we can look at humour as a drug is beyond the research, but there appears to be evidence of it being used as an internal reward. As an instructor, if you can tap into this intrinsic motivator, you will have more buy-in. 

So, there are emotional reasons that humour is a good motivational tool—it increases connection in the classroom, provides a safe environment and adds to providing a reason for students to want to learn the material. As well, the physical increase in the chemical Dopamine caused by laughter is another reason to use humour in the classroom. The challenge is to know when to use humour and in particular, how to use it if you are not naturally funny.....Suggestions for this include using the infamous Youtube for appropriate humourous clips, or trying url's or web pages that add comic relief to the topic, or thinking of personal funny stories that would emphasize the point.

__References: __ Andrew, Tammy. Using Humour as a Learning Tool. Accessed from: []

Berk, Ronald. //Humor as an Instructional Defibirillator//. 2002. Stylus Publishing.