The Proof is in the Punchline
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| Image: gavinsharples.co.za |
Three weeks ago I was lucky enough to attend a presentation by Gavin Sharples, self-described Action Man of motivational speaking and business training, hosted by the South African National Small Business Chamber (NSBC). That would not be so remarkable, except that today, three weeks later, the concepts he introduced are crystal clear in my mind. What is more, I have been acting on them. That, ladies, gentlemen and idle hangers-on, is what is remarkable. While Sharples uses a bundle of techniques to make learning stick, the most powerful is a lightning-fast, razor-sharp (and somewhat devillish) sense of humour.
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| Image: The Book Depository |
Scholarly Support for Learning with Humour
The pedigree of studies investigating humour in learning goes back some time. The more recent Using Humour to Maximize Learning: The Links between Positive Emotions and Education by Mary Kay Morrison not only gathers the findings, but offers practical guidelines. According to Morrison, humour benefits learning in the following ways (summary via iae-pedia.org):
- Humour contributes to mind/body balance, especially through the physical effects of laughter
- Humour optimizes brain power by focusing attention
- Humour enhances creativity by creating unlikely connections and giving fresh perspective
- Humour supports the change process by opening minds to new possibilities
- Ultimately, humour is both a cause and symptom of an ideal learning environment
The American Psychological Association, too, has devoted the pages of its prestigious journal to discover How Laughing Leads to Learning. Meanwhile, in the controversial, virtual halls of online learning, humour has been found to be a powerful antidote to the common ailment of online learner attrition in a Science Daily article.
The Formula for Funny?
Humour can, of course, be a minefield, and treading on anyone's toes is never funny. Some of the most hilarious moments happen unexpectedly, and cannot be contrived. However, the Information Age does generously provide for the humorously impaired. In the rib-tickling film Keeping Mum (2005) a priest played masterfully by Rowan Atkinson scours the Web to find jokes that bring the parish salvation from his formerly dull sermons. But humour and fun are more than just verbal jokes, as the great online resource for lightening up public speaking and training at dummies.com demonstrates so well.
A formula for humour is a bit of a paradox, since humour at its best sprouts organically in the unscripted, the unexpected and the unformulaic. The best we can do is to take ourselves lightly and be ready to see things from a fresh perspective.
That would be the punchline, except that it isn't a straight line: it's an ongoing learning curve.
