Understanding the Relationship Between Different Types of Instructional Humor and Student Learning

The purpose of this study was to examine the frequency of use of different types of humor in the classroom for a possible relationship with perceived and actual learning. This relationship was examined using quantitative methods. Participants answered questions about their perceived and actual learning and the type of humor to which they were exposed (examining the frequency of such exposure). Student’s final grade in the course served as the measure of actual learning. The study consisted of 195 undergraduate students ranging in age from 18 to 25. A factor analysis identified two distinct types of humor (relevant/appropriate and non-relevant) used in the classroom with relevant/appropriate humor predicting perceived learning. No relationship was found between the different types of humor and actual learning. There was also no difference in the interaction between different types of humor with gender.