This is the deck from a presentation I made for a weekly Adobe eSeminar on Humor in eLearning

1. Louder, Faster, Funnier – Humor in eLearning
Dr. Allen Partridge | Adobe eLearning Evangelist
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2. The big picture
What’s so funny? And Why?
Current Context – the status quo
Humor – the potential
Designing appropriate humor
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3. What’s so funny? And Why?
 Incongruity
 Superiority
 Relief
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4. Incongruity
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5. Superiority
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6. Relief
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7. Current Context
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8. No room for comedy in eLearning
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9. The offensive consequence: When humor goes wrong
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10. Diminished Learning: Off-topic outcomes
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11. Waiting for the next gag: Entertainment over Learning outcome
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12. Humor: The Potential
Instead of saying, “Let’s use humor,” pitch a specific idea
(“What if we used a Twilight Zone theme and…”). This
shows the team what you mean by “humor” and gives
them something to reject.
Laugh, and your learners laugh with you. Maybe.
--Cathy Moore
One e-learning solution I was involved in creating had
a feedback loop that included comments like, “are you
just guessing?” That just sounds real doesn’t it? … It
sounds like something a person would say.
“Rich, what are you doing buddy, just guessing?”
Humor in the design of eLearning
--Janet Clarey
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13. How can humor be used effectively in eLearning
Who doesn’t like to have a good laugh? I could certainly
do with some laughter, particularly if I have to stare the
screen for 30 mins or so to complete an eLearning
course …
3 Ideas to Include Humor in E-learning
--Aruna Vayuvegula
Clearly any funny stuff you add to courses needs to
be directly on topic, and further the educational
content upon which the course is focused.
Make ‘em Laugh. Is Comedy Appropriate in
eLearning?
--Allen Partridge
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14. Understanding & applying the research
…a growing body of research suggests that, when used
effectively, classroom comedy can improve student performance by
reducing anxiety, boosting participation and increasing students'
motivation to focus on the material.
How laughing leads to learning
-- Zac Stambor
Professors Are from Mars®, Students Are from
Snickers®: How to Write and Deliver Humor in the
Classroom and in Professional Presentations
--Ron Berk
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15. Designing appropriate humor
See audience’s point of view
Stay on topic
Is it funny?
Could it be offensive?
Is this the moment?
Consider an ice-breaker
As response to assessment
Show negative consequences
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16. © 2012 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.