Humor as an Instructional Defibrillator: Evidence-Based Techniques in Teaching and Assessment Review

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(More customer reviews)This guy is really lost. Perhaps he is funny in person, but his book leaves quite a bit to be desired. He has delusions of mediocrity. Nothing in the book is ground breaking or even original. Some of his great ideas come from things like "keep them interested with a hook." This idea he keeps repeating over and over...ad naseum. Don't waste you time or energy on this. Honestly, I can't think of anyone who would be able to use anything in here.

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Grab those paddles. Charge 300. Clear! "Ouch!" Now how do you feel? "Great!"Humor can be used as a systematic teaching or assessment tool in your classroom and course Web site.It can shock students to attention and bring deadly, boring course content to life.Since some students have the attention span of goat cheese, we need to find creative online and offline techniques to hook them, engage their emotions, and focus their minds and eyeballs on learning. This book offers numerous techniques on how to effectively use humor in lectures and in-class activities, printed materials, course Web sites and course tests and exams.These techniques can convert any course into an adult version of Sesame Street. "If Dr. Hannibal Lecter ate books, this one would make a tasty hors d' oeuvre." -- Clarice Starling"A non-page-turning marvel...I could stop reading at any point and know I 'm not missing anything." -- Forrest Gump"Not as much fun as Quidditch, but would be required reading for faculty at the Hogwarts School." -- Harry Potter"How did you get this book published? Read my letters: YOUR KNOT FUNY!" -- Bart Simpson

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Professors Are from Mars®, Students Are from Snickers®: How to Write and Deliver Humor in the Classroom and in Professional Presentations Review

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(More customer reviews)Dr. Berk generates a great perspective for working with college students. I recommend this book for more experienced, tenured professors whose style may need refreshment. Great suggestions on dealing with the usual classroom events such as too hot, too cold, no power, I applied a number of his suggestions and the students and I had much more fun. An unexpected benefit is that now I have a different job, too.
So, if you want to find yourself enjoying teaching more, and possibly even getting a new job, carefully read and apply.

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Professors and students seem to come from different planets (or candy bars). Barriers frequently exist that impede their communication, such as age, income and cholesterol level.Humor can break down these barriers so that professors can better connect with their students and other audiences. It can be used as a teaching tool to facilitate learning. Ron Berk describes and illustrates a wide variety of techniques that can be integrated systematically into instruction and professional presentations. For professors who consider themselves as "jocularly arthritic", this book moreover provides a special feature: it is close-captioned for the humor impaired.Berk's techniques are "the product of ten years of inadequate development, testing and research." But why take the author's words at their face value? Consider the testimonials of those who have actually attempted these methods in their own classes and presentations:'Before I tried Ron's methods in my philosophy class, I had an attendance problem. Now, no one comes to class.' -- H.I., Slot Machine U., Nevada'Applying humor to my engineering courses led me to understand the meaning of humiliation and rejection.' -- J.K., Toyota College, Kentucky

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