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Mark Shatz, Ph.D., teaches educational psychology, statistics and a course on writing humor at the University of Ohio, Zanesville. He’s a coauthor of the book, Comedy Writing Secrets. Research shows that appropriate humor in the instructional setting can set the stage for a positive attitude toward learning. It can enhance interest, build rapport and heighten attention. In this conversation, Mark explains techniques for speaking and writing with humor.
WE DISCUSS:
- What funny is
- How to “find funny”
- Why it’s easy to be funny in instructional settings
- The psychology of why people laugh
- How humor can benefit learning
- Whether placement of humor affects learning
- The pitfalls of using humor in learning
- The best style for writing humor
- Beginner mistakes
- Techniques for making situations funny
- The structure of stand-up comedy jokes
- Finding your writer’s voice
TIME: 32 minutes
TRANSCRIPT: Download the ELC 049 Transcript
RESOURCE LINKS:
- Comedy Writing Secrets: The Best-Selling Guide to Writing Funny and Getting Paid for It, 3rd Edition by Mark Shatz and Mel Helitzer
- Enhancing Online Instruction with Humor by Loschiavo and Shatz (Download article on request)
- Does Humor Enhance Learning?
- Teaching Humor: An Interview with Dr. Mark Shatz
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