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TCC 2010 Proceedings

Examining the Do’s and Don’ts of Using Humor in the Online

Classroom

Cathy Taylor, Cathy.Taylor@park.edu

Heather Zeng, Heather.Zeng@park.edu

Stephen Bell, Stephen.Bell@park.edu

Michael Eskey, Michael.Eskey@park.edu  

Park University

Parkville, Missouri, USA

Abstract: Integrating the use of humor into online classroom

environments has many benefits for both the professor and students.

Humor has gained recognition as a tool to help individuals cope and

experience therapeutic value; however, the use of humor in online courses

by instructors is often contemplated but rarely applied. Presenters with

extensive experience teaching online will engage participants in

interactive questions and guided handouts. The pros and cons of humor

online will be the focus. Questions for self reflection by instructors when

using humor are posed for further consideration. Recognizing that the

continuum of what is humorous is highly variable is key with essential

considerations to language, context, and culture. Integrated research will

be shared to highlight these factors. Appropriate teacher humor and the

potential legal and ethical issues will be explored. This paper will also

examine how to effectively use humor in the online classroom and also

discuss what to avoid including possible liability for libel and copyright

violations.

Introduction

Humor is by far the most significant activity of the human brain. -- Edward De Bono

(Moncur, n.d.a)

Although humor is often resigned to the comic strip section of the daily newspaper,

college instructors and students have much to gain by integrating humor into a

curriculum and into the online classroom itself. If humor is truly the “most significant

activity of the human brain” as claimed by De Bono, to leave it out of the classroom

would be a huge error on the part of instructors (Moncur, n.d.a). How can online

instructors integrate humor into their classrooms? How can humor be used to further

course learning objectives and foster critical thinking? This paper will examine these

issues as well as possible instructor pitfalls such as forgetting to reference sources when

citing a joke and posting about cultural or location-specific humor that some students

may not understand.

TCC 2010 Proceedings

What is the value of Humor in the human experience?

Humor creates a type of release evoking psychological, emotional and physiological

change. In turn this can afford further perception of self and environment towards a more

healthy perspective (Maples et al., 2001). Humor provides a chance to adopt a new view

or existential “lens” to find new meaning on a situation. In some ways it reduces a sense

of one’s own struggles in isolation and furthers connecting communally. Norman

Cousins the editor of The Saturday Review for over 30 years, authored Anatomy of an

Illness . When diagnosed with a chronic illness, he read humorous stories and watched

Marx Brothers movies. In 1989, it was finally acknowledged in the Journal of the

American Medical Association (JAMA) that laughter therapy could help improve the

quality of life for patients with chronic illness and that laughter has an immediate

symptom relieving effect (Read-Brown, 2009).    Corey (2009) notes that one should never

forget we can laugh, especially at ourselves. A sense of humor can go a long way towards

the obvious breaking the ice and getting interactions moving in a positive direction

between counselor or counselee (in some cases) and with professor and student. Corey

(2009) also states that "Both client and counselors can enrich a relationship through

humor” (p. 32). However, a therapist needs to distinguish between humor that distracts

and humor that enhances the situation.

Past studies of humor and work have found humor to be both functional and

dysfunctional for various settings, groups, and individual workers (Mauldin, 2008).

Mauldin’s research analyzing humor in work settings and the particular content found

that: 1) the content of humor reflects the concerns of different social groups and 2) that

the level of alienation experienced by individual workers while related to the structure of

work, is subject to factors which can affect reporting. The researchers performed a

content analysis coding jokes and humor as empowerment, understanding, self-

actualization, social isolation, self-estrangement, or general humor. Overall this study

offered a way of assessing group sentiments on humor and alienation which is important

for prospective researchers who might approach researching online student’s reactions to

humor and jokes.  

Use of Humor in pedagogy (online and traditional settings) and counseling

Corey (2006) a key contributor to the field of counseling noted the appropriate use of

humor in counseling as a potential strategy for helping Clients place events of their lives

into manageable perspective. Livingston (2004) affirmed, “Of all the forms of courage,

the ability to laugh is the most profoundly therapeutic.” He also notes “laughter is a type

of sharing—we are all in this lifeboat together. The sea surrounds us; rescue is uncertain;

control is illusory—still we sail on together (p.156).” This existential nature of humor has

been widely depicted in more fatalistic types of humor on the human condition.

TCC 2010 Proceedings

Frymier et. al (2007) examined student perceptions of inappropriate and appropriate

teacher humor. The findings confirmed that student’s perceptions of appropriate use of

humor in the online class by teachers are largely influenced by their own communication

disposition. For example, those students who communicate well are more sensitive and

responsive to others and therefore forecast what might be ill received. Moreover, students

did not perceive inappropriate humor (sarcasm) as appropriate even when a categorized

funny teacher used the examples in online teaching. They also found that verbally

aggressive students view the borderline and risky types of humor as being more

appropriate. Student personality characteristics also seemed to affect how appropriate

they rate types of teacher humor use. Overall findings confirmed that teachers’ using

certain humor is correlated to the way the teacher acts in the classroom and in turn, how

students evaluate their humor usage.

In a study by Berk and Nanda (2006), employing one of the most rigorous experimental

designs found that humor in test directions can significantly increase test performance,

particularly on constructed-response problem-solving items. The authors also found that

“humor in course tests may be worthy of consideration because it was found to pose no

harm to performance and self report studies found students preferred it” (p. 446).

Another study by Garner (2006) affirmed that humor can have an impact on content

retention among a sample of college students in online courses. Through follow up

interviews with participants this article reinforced the finding that humor used online

created the perception of extra effort to make the course enjoyable, allaying some anxiety

and improving the learning session.   According to McGuire (2009) therapists who use

humor are also encouraged to take care of its use in working with client. "Something is

beginning to catch on," says Dunn, a psychotherapist in Jackson, Miss., and publisher of

the monthly newsletter Humor & Health . "Humor is woven into the fabric of life, as are

tragedy and suffering," says Dunn (McGuire, 2009?). "So, helping people realize they

have the freedom to laugh--not trying to make them laugh, but inviting it--can make a

point and serve a therapeutic purpose. But I don't try to be a stand up comic (p. 1)."

Another therapist interviewed interviewed by McGuire noted “We're trying to help

people problem-solve, to develop, to know they're alive. These are things that humor

does."

Humor: Implications in diverse learning settings

It’s also essential to examine humor through the lenses of a multi-cultural context.

Parameters and basic guidelines of using humor vary with individuals of different ethnic

backgrounds. For example, Achter (2008) noted that comedy has a special role in helping

societies manage crisis moments, and the U.S. media paid considerable attention to the

proper role of comedy in public culture after the 9/11 tragedies. In reaction to this, a

panel was formulated to discuss this issue with a variety of media, whether online, in

TCC 2010 Proceedings

newspapers or news magazines, in films, in music, or in standup. Thus even those with

expertise and proficiency in using humor in societal outlets move prudently in its

application within certain issues, subjects, contexts, and situations.

Individual Differences Prevail

Humor is interpreted, perceived, defined, and valued differently by various cultures. It is

important that online teachers and counselors consider the individual cultural values of

the student(s) they are working with online. Bell (2007) confirms that the recognition of

humor is a dynamic construct, always changing and developing as individuals are

exposed to new forms of humor, with different conversational styles as well. This

research also emphasizes that no speech community is homogeneous, so even two native

speakers of a language can encounter in each other culturally different ways of speaking.

The authors of this article have developed a checklist of considerations for instructors

teaching online to consider in Table 1.

Table 1. Questions for Instructors to Consider prior to using Humor Online

Questions for Self Reflection

What degree of traditionalism exists of

individuals in the course towards culture?

For the organization? For the individual

student? (For example, some environments

might be more conservative than others.)

What is the purpose for using humor in

online teaching or counseling? Is it related

to a key construct in the course that will

lead towards further attainment of the

learning objectives and critical thinking?

What is the degree of acculturation to the

mainstream or dominant culture amongst

the group? Have I taken into consideration

individual learners and their acculturation

to assure they won’t feel left out in not

understanding a humorous passage, story,

cartoon, or vignette?

Have you as an instructor developed trust

and respect in the online environment?

What evidence do you have of this as

observed in student behaviors?

Consider the timing- or even query if the

students are interested in a humorous story

or cartoon to elaborate the point (ask

permission).

Think about times when humor was used in

your own life and its application.

Perhaps, a job interview— to make you

feel comfortable; a doctor’s visit to

reassure your nerves; or a cartoon or

humorous story shared to show an example

that can help one’s efficacy in starting a

TCC 2010 Proceedings

new task or learning

Does the humor have universality in the

course I am teaching?

Does the humorous sharing need prefacing

or further context explanation? Will the

humorous interjection or cartoon affirm

overcoming difficulties in the course or any

mistakes that can happen in some way

learning online?

Having a sense of humor may help put life in perspective (Corey, 2009). However it isn't

always a necessary tool in helping a person overcome obstacles. To show a sense of

humor in a professional setting should be eased into when taking into consideration the

fact that we all will be helping people from a multi-cultural standpoint. One culture might

view humor and laughing as an important part of the healing process while the next three

cultures might find it offensive and disrespectful.

Global & U.S. Regional studies on the Use of humor

Chen and Martin (2007) studied humor styles, coping humor, and mental health between

Chinese and Canadian university students. In both the Chinese and Canadian students

younger participants reported more use of affiliative and aggressive humor than older

students. Withstanding global studies on humor differences, Romero et. al (2007)

affirmed that significant differences exist in humor across regions in the U.S. In the U.S.

the authors found that overall men seem to use more humor than women; younger people

use more humor than adults (confirming Chen et. al’s findings). The researchers found

that the effect of education intervenes, in that those with masters degrees scored higher

on self-enhancing and coping humor, while high school graduates scored highest on

attitudes towards humor. In terms of demographics, the distinctive pattern of humor was

revealed in the self report measures with implications that humor awareness training can

help a manager or firm realize the positive benefits associated with humor use while

avoiding conflict and misunderstanding when humor is used inappropriately (Chen and

Martin, 2007).

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