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USING HUMOROUS VIDEO CLIPS TO ENHANCE STUDENTS' UNDERSTANDING, ENGAGEMENT AND CRITICAL THINKING

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 September 2014

Mordechai Gordon
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Abstract

This essay examines the results of my attempt to use humorous video clips in a ‘Philosophy of Humor and Laughter’ course taught in the Fall of 2010 and 2011. The regular display of these clips was designed to enhance my students' understanding of the central concepts of the course, participation in class discussions and to encourage them to think more critically and creatively. The results of a survey I administered at the end of the semester suggest that there is a positive correlation between the use of the humorous clips and my students' understanding of the content, engagement in the lessons and ability to think critically. Both the quantitative and qualitative results of the survey as well as other methods of data collection indicate that watching and analyzing the humorous clips provided the students with a very valuable perspective that illuminated the ideas that we read. The results of this study also suggest that a course on the philosophy of humor and laughter can be very effective in getting students to think philosophically and appreciate the value of philosophy for their lives.

Type
Research Article
Information
Think , Volume 13 , Issue 38 , Autumn 2014 , pp. 85 - 97
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal Institute of Philosophy 2014 

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