Humor To The Rescue:  How To Make Introductory Economics An Appealing Social Science For Non-Majors

Jones, George H.

doi:10.19030/ajbe.v7i2.8474

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 21 publications

(12 reference statements)

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“…The use of humor by the instructor has long been regarded as a “promising” motivator for student learning in the classroom (e.g. Jones, 2014; Simendinger et al , 2017); however, it is not necessarily the case in the virtual classroom according to this study. Evidence from the interviews shows that the change in the learning environment speaks of the difference.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 68%

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Humor and learning styles: toward a deeper understanding of learning effectiveness in the virtual environment

Tam

2021

QRJ

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PurposeThis study explores how virtual learners perceive the use of humor in instructor-developed videos and their other factors for learning effectiveness in an online course.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopted a set of qualitative methods flowing from lesson study, to pilot study, to self-declaration of a learning style, to semi-structured interviews. Through the process, 142 undergraduate business students from the same online course, of different learning styles, discussed their perspectives on the instructor's use of humor and their learning preferences in online situations. Thematic analysis was performed.FindingsFirst, humor is deemed harmless, but its value is perceived at different degrees among the four styles of adult learners for their benefit of learning motivation toward an online course. Second, four common themes that respond to learning effectiveness online are addressed.Research limitations/implicationsSimilar studies with additional samples, including students in other countries, in different age groups and/or on different online courses, are encouraged to strengthen the current findings.Practical implicationsThe results provide evidence to school administrators, course developers and instructors on the importance of using a diverse pedagogy in online education. To motivate virtual learners, being humorous from instructors proves insufficient but developing the course with all respective features for different learners' styles is a clue.Originality/valueIt is among the first studies contextualizing a differential relationship between humor and learners' styles as well as evaluating the effectiveness of an online course from the learning-style standpoint.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 68%

“…Empirical studies on face-to-face teaching and learning clearly indicate that perceived teaching quality and student motivation are directly related, in which humor – if used appropriately – is a viable pedagogical strategy (e.g. Benjelloun, 2009; Dahl and Smimou, 2011; Jones, 2014; Simendinger et al , 2017).…”

Section: The Magic Of Humormentioning

confidence: 99%

Humor and learning styles: toward a deeper understanding of learning effectiveness in the virtual environment

Tam

2021

QRJ

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“…Using humor in the English classes has been recommended to enhance educational effectiveness (Davies, 2003;Kher, Molstad, & Donahue, 1999), increase message comprehension (Booth-Butterfield & Wanzer, 2010), create an exciting and more comfortable classroom atmosphere (Jones, 2014;Neuliep, 1991), and progress student learning level (Baringer & McCroskey, 2000;Gorham & Christophel, 1990). The purpose of this study was to examine the role of humor on better learning of English language vocabulary.…”

Section: Email: Info@ijreeonlinecommentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of Humorous Movie Clips on Better Learning of English Language Vocabulary

Mahdiloo

Izadpanah

2017

IJREE

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This study examined the effects of humorous movie clips on better learning of English language vocabulary. Humor is an important human behavior that plays a vital role in communication and social interactions. This subject has been rarely investigated in Iranian English classes. The researchers used quantitative method. Because all of variables were not controllable, therefore quasi-experimental method was employed to conduct the study. To this end, a proficiency test was administered to 60 Iranian EFL learners. Then 48 intermediate language learners who were homogeneous based on their rank scores were chosen and randomly divided into two equal groups (i.e. 24 as experimental and 24 as control groups). To assess their vocabulary knowledge at the beginning of the study, both groups participated in a researcher-made, 30-items and multiple choice vocabulary test adapted from PET test and scored out of 30. Experimental group watched the humorous movie clips but the participants in control group taught in a conventional way. After 10 sessions of treatment, both groups were tested on the similar items covered in the pre-test. The effect of humorous movie clips on the groups' vocabulary achievement was evaluated through Paired Samples t-test analysis. Results have shown that the experimental group outperformed the control group since humorous movie clips had a positive effect on developing vocabulary learning among intermediate EFL learners (p<05) in the experimental group. EFL teachers can use humorous movie clips to raise the learners' motivation.

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“…The use of humor as a viable pedagogical tool has been on the rise in almost every discipline (Jones, 2014). Studies conducted on integrating humor in classrooms have revealed its positive impact on instructional efficiency and learners' psychological well-being.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Potent Roles of Humor in EFL Classes in Higher Education: An Exploratory Study of Lebanese Perspectives

Joudi,

Ayoub

2024

ESJ

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This paper focuses on scrutinizing the attitudes and opinions of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instructors and learners on the use of humor in higher education in Lebanon as a pedagogical tool in classroom contexts. It is used in building a harmonious relationship between instructors and students, lowering affective barriers to learning, keeping students attentive to class activities, developing creativity and increasing instructional effectiveness as well as students’ learning. It also aims to describe the instructors’ experiences in employing it in their classrooms and to determine the students’ perspectives on its potent roles in learning. In this exploratory study, a mixed-method design and a convenient sampling of participants were utilized. A total of 13 EFL instructors, working at 1 public and 4 private universities in Lebanon, and 86 EFL students participated in the study. To describe and quantify their perceptions of the potent roles of employing humor in EFL classes, two online surveys of two sets of questions each, including closed-ended and open-ended, and four focus group discussions were administered. The overall qualitative and quantitative analysis of the data indicated that Lebanese EFL instructors and students have positive attitudes towards integrating humor as a pedagogical tool and as a fundamental part of the teaching strategies in EFL higher education classes. This is because it creates an open communication climate, captures students’ interest in the subject matter, boosts attention, reduces anxiety, makes the instructor more approachable, and yields better instructor evaluation. The findings of this study also revealed the need to train teachers to use humor artfully.

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Humor To The Rescue: How To Make Introductory Economics An Appealing Social Science For Non-Majors

Abstract: Despite efforts made over the past few years to improve upon the way introductory economics is

Cited by 6 publications

References 21 publications

Humor and learning styles: toward a deeper understanding of learning effectiveness in the virtual environment

Humor and learning styles: toward a deeper understanding of learning effectiveness in the virtual environment

The Impact of Humorous Movie Clips on Better Learning of English Language Vocabulary

Potent Roles of Humor in EFL Classes in Higher Education: An Exploratory Study of Lebanese Perspectives

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