Memorandum submitted by The Comedy Trust, Liverpool
The Use of Humour for learning in a Classroom Environment
1. Context & Background: The Comedy Trust
The Comedy Trust (TCT) develop programmes of work, which use comedy to help young people build their self-esteem and confidence. Programmes include teaching the skills of stand up comedy or comedy improvisation to help young people find an outlet for their creativity and in turn build their self confidence. Programmes also use humour and comedy as a tool to communicate specific information, such as the teaching of History or English. In these programmes, humour is utilised as a creative technique through which to present information and although students partake in comedy activities, they are not being taught comedy as a subject matter.
Both types of programmes have proven to have positive effects on learner's confidence levels. In specific cases after a comedy programme, teachers have commented on positive changes in behaviour of learners. Introverted and shy pupils with no active participation in class discussions have become more involved and willing to participate in class activities and discussion. (Liverpool Hope University, 2006). It is believed in view of 2005-2006 evaluation report that young people may benefit from increased interaction with teachers delivering sessions including humour, over longer periods of time than the scheduled 6 session slots. It is hoped that a partnership with schools can be created which allows for a more 'comic in residence' approach, where young people have access to teaching via humour once a week or fortnight over the school year.
2. The humour intervention implemented by The Comedy Trust (TCT)
The focus of TCT's intervention was based at one Creative Partnerships Secondary School (Alsop High, Liverpool), with three designated class teachers (from Geography, English and Science disciplines), to examine how they could implement humour into their teaching methods, in a key strand of learning. A humour specialist coached teachers to help them learn basic humour techniques (coaching sessions) and then worked alongside the teacher to facilitate the techniques in a lesson (co-delivery).
The project aimed to examine the impact of using humour as a creative technique in everyday teaching. In this instance humour will not be taught as a subject, but as a creative technique to deliver subject matter. The project is concerned with using humour as a learning tool to assess student comprehension and retention, and a way for teachers to defuse stress and help students to relax. The project is not concerned with teachers learning to be comedians, or for them to actually be funny themselves. It is about learning and applying creative techniques to their teaching methods, which will help to engage young people in learning and to help them feel confident and positive about learning by having fun at the same time. The project aimed for pupils to make connections between learning and other areas in their life, realise the benefits of humour and its relevance to their lives.
3. Aim and objectives of this evaluation:
To investigate how teachers can feasibly use humour techniques in teaching and learning, and explore the impact of using humour as a teaching method to aid pupil engagement and achievement in Secondary Schools.
1. To coach, facilitate and support class teachers to implement some basic comedy techniques, documenting the success and challenges from the teachers and The Comedy Trust perspective in order to create a working best practice model for use of humour sessions in teaching.
2. Understand the utility of humour in the classroom: · Show, using concrete research findings, how comedy and humour can be used to aid learning (i.e. increase memory, assist understanding, heighten interest and engagement) in a core national curriculum subject.
4. The Process - What was involved in Coaching?
5 workshops delivered by a Humour Coach to teachers over 5 consecutive weeks. This involved teachers: · Reflecting on their existing teaching practices and experiences · Engaging in homework (in connection workshop focus) · Learning of humour strategies and techniques, to facilitate the use of 'planned humour'.
Strategies put forward by the humour coach were varied and embraced many aspects of the senses. The 'humour toolbox' included more familiar games such as just a minute (otherwise known as tag time) where teachers had to say as much about a subject as they knew without repeating themselves or saying 'erm'; the use of WIGS AND PUPPETS, which could be used during role play;
The Process - What was involved In Co-delivery?
Two critical co-delivery elements were · preparation and planning · young people actively generating humour
Preparation and planning. Co-delivered sessions were planned between the teacher and humour coach. Humour strategy used would be in the planning of exercises as opposed to the delivery of them. Some examples are given below to demonstrate the later point.
Example 1 In the science class the teacher uses match the sentence game. He explains that each pair will get a different sentence on the rock cycle (geology) and different types of weathering. The task is to match up the words to create the correct sentence and then to come and write the sentence on the flip chart at the front.
The humour strategy used by the teacher was in the actual exercises planned to use. So the finishing off the sentence game was about putting students under pressure in a safe environment to initiate humour i.e. it is very likely the students will mess up or go wrong at some point but instead of this leading to ridicule or embarrassment the nature of the game means that going wrong will at some point happen to everyone.
Example 2
Young people were asked to create a newspaper report (role play style) using the information on certain sheets given to them. The teacher explains that one of the students will be the journalist giving the information out on what the issue is and at one point they will cut to another person in the group who will act as the person that this issue is affecting.
For example those groups focusing on Hydrocarbons, are told to look at swampy the eco warrior and he is concerned about all of the pollution there is in the world.
The newspaper report exercise again was not about making the students laugh, the humour was very subtle. However the actual performances were meant to initiate humour because students would be in character so they might use an accent or use props or dress up. (Which some of them did). This is meant to be seen as a more fun way of getting across information in a class and a more enjoyable way for students to learn facts i.e. from their peers.
In summary: The structure of humour is actually built into the exercises, so students are learning information in regular straightforward manner i.e. reading information from a handout to memorise facts and information. Then they have to remember this information during an exercise that is trying to initiate humour so the 30-second game and the newspaper report performance are both examples of this. The actual learning of the information tends to be left to standard teaching methods i.e. the teacher asking questions, giving out facts, writing things on the board, reading handouts etc but then the process of what the students do with that information is where the humour comes into play
5. Methodology Procedure: Methods used: consultations, observation, video, questionnaire for young people, & teachers' reflection diaries.
6. Key Findings: coaching sessions
Coaching Sessions with teachers
General issues
· In the initial sessions the coach introduced the concept of humour to facilitate learning. · Teachers very reflective about their practice · Some exercises, because of their learning structure were thought to be good for team building e.g. role play. · Environment/setting: as expected on a few occasions teacher arrived later to classes because of school issues. This would cause the sessions to appear slightly hurried some time. However, teachers did not appear to be perturbed by this situation. · Initial ground rules formed by teachers included the following: a) Never use humour to put down pupils. b) Use in appropriate parts of the lesson. c) If a pupil doesn't want to participate don't force them to. d) Has to be controlled to a various extent, if it is to aid learning as opposed to disrupt it. e) In the interest of creativity - 'to let the mind wonder and be as wacky as it can create'
Teachers' response to exercises· Teachers tended to be relaxed with exercises although one or two felt challenged by how to enact them on occasions. · Another teacher felt exercises could 'brighten up a dry, factual session'. · Subject specific needs: teachers indicated the need to make exercises more appropriate for subject material 'rather than a book a relevant piece of text can be used' · Teachers were very engaged in the strategies/exercises generally. · Teachers appear to be very humorous in their use of exercises - making observers laugh.
Humour Coach Feedback About Coaching Sessions
Teacher Textbook Challenge The humour specialist felt that the teachers were looking to take exercises straight into the lesson, reflecting a 'textbook' approach to learning. She explained that it was a challenge to work with teachers, coming in with a series of exercises for them to grasp when it might have been better, initially, to work on general creativity. It was felt that this would be helpful for getting teachers to think 'outside the box', which would then be helpful in allowing them to use the tools offered more creatively.
Fear of Loosing Control
Metaphorically, the humour specialist role was to facilitate a butterfly from a caterpillar pupa. The specialist felt that for one of the teachers had exhibited a fear of loosing control and not being able to get it back again. On reviewing the teacher's homework, who she particularly associated this issue with; it was felt this in itself showed no resolution to such concerns. Indeed, the use of strategies and techniques for some teachers was equated with delivering 'the best man's speech'.
Teachers critical of music strategy despite its apparent benefits
In view of the critical response to the use of music by all teachers, the humour specialist paradoxically felt that music had facilitated an 'upbeat approach' with teachers perceived as more interactive and enjoying themselves, with exercises being completed more quickly. Music had been used to create a sense of pressure, which given the classroom context, was believed to very important.
Personal learning In view of personal learning the humour specialist remarked that given the invariable constraints posed by the school for delivering sessions i.e. delayed starts to lessons, teachers arriving later, disruption during lesson that it was essential to work very flexibly and think of an alternative on the spot. Essentially it was thought important to have a plan B in order to counteract arising challenges.
7. Key findings : Co-delivery sessions
Types of exercises used by teachers
Documented here are some of the exercises that teachers adapted from coaching sessions to use in their classes, together with associated responses from young people. Response can be engaged by laughter, engagement and/or dialogue as witnessed in observers' reports
Example 1
1. The Science teacher took a kinesthetic approach to learning in his demonstration of various scientific concepts, outside in the classroom. Young people move around in response to the teacher's requests to demonstrate: reaction time, surface area, temperature and catalysts through a series of kinesthetic exercises.
"The teacher asked for 4 volunteers. He explained that he was going to demonstrate a reaction. The 4 students were blindfolded and told to go to an open space in the playground and spin around. The students began to do this, one of them asked 'Sir why are we doing this?'
After a couple of minutes the teachers asked the other students: 'How many times did they bump into each other?'
The students shouted out "3 times"
The teacher then asked for some more volunteers who were then blindfolded, during this time he asked the remaining students what they thought would happen now that there were another 4 people added to the reaction? He asked them how many times they thought people would collide this time.
Students shouted out "six times".
Humour coach assisted with blindfolding of the students. Teacher positions the students out in the open space and asked them to walk round, the rest of the class had to count how many times there would be collisions between students.
They started off okay walking around each other but then 3 students started to mess around whilst doing this and started to deliberately bump into each. The teacher stopped the activity and asked other students 'how many more collisions happened that time?'
Students shouted out "seven".
The teacher gathers the whole class together in a group and explains theory on collisions. Students all seem to listen. The humour coach assisted in taking off the student's blindfolds. The teacher had a lesson plan with notes on which he kept in his hand and referred to throughout the lesson."
Example 2
2. The Geography teacher demonstrates various principles of weathering using a selection of exercises · An onion exercises for an onion peeling competition, which mimicked the action of freeze-thaw weathering. During the onion exercise, the teacher donned a mask and a persona (Professor X) and explains the process further, relating what they've done physically to what they need to know theoretically for their exams. · A team exercise to demonstrate the principle of freeze-thaw weathering a group plasticine -sculpture exercise to illustrate biological weathering. An observer's report of teacher, young person and coach interaction for the following exercises in documented below
Example 2: observer's notes: To demonstrate freeze-thaw weathering, the laughter specialist picked the least perky group of boys, got them into the centre of the room, and asked them to form a circle and link arms. The unexpected proximity amongst the boys woke them up, and they were slightly uncomfortable, but were able to express this in a "jokey" way: "Yaah", "I feel quite gay", "I'm not very comfortable with this." The laughter specialist offered them an alternative to linking arms: "Or hold hands, whatever you feel comfortable with", which provoked a heartfelt "Noooo!". The rest of the class had to try to get inside the circle, and the pressure they exerted was to demonstrate the pressure exerted when the water inside porous rocks freezes, forcing the boys in the outer circle to move further apart. Some of the boys in class claimed claustrophobia rather than come that closely into contact with their classmates.
When the teacher donned the hand puppets to explain weathering using different voices for each puppet, there were some moans from the young people, exclamations of "Oh my God" and "Oh no". After a few minutes, the teacher took off the gloves and continued to explain the phenomenon by asking the young people if they had ever put a bottle of water in the freezer. The explanation using this example, but without visual aids, seemed more successful in capturing the boys' imaginations.
To demonstrate the peeling effect of freeze-thaw weathering, the laughter specialist and teacher had an onion peeling competition. They built up suspense by not telling what the plan was at first, but handing out plastic gloves: Boy "Aah, this is going to be boss, this. We got gloves." Quickly the smell of onions permeates the room. "Ugh, smell the gloves!", "they've been used before", "ugh, that smell of onions!" They are told to peel the onion - the team that peels off the most layers wins. The competitive element quickly takes hold."
Observer feedback: general summary
· Increased engagement noticed during programme · Humour coach and teacher interaction: generally full but differ according to subject and learning environment · Each teacher adapted humour techniques to their own teaching style e.g. a number of techniques were used · Attendance improved over time. 100% in one class · Lot of laughter generated in class (result of banter and exercises) · Young people engaged by the competition between groups · Teachers show increased confidence in delivery · It was noted that the inclusive use of humour could be difficult for particularly sensitive individuals.
"He was in a group. The other two were tectonic plates and he was supposed to be the earthquake. He just had to shake, but he couldn't do it"
· Engagement shift - some disjuncture shown amongst pupils in early sessions but generally improved engagement · Enhanced group interaction · Role play - a good method to use for engaging young people and generating humour · Importance of repetition strategy in using exercises, for learning purposes · Some strategies to be avoided (e.g. those using materials that have the potential to be mis-used)
Feedback from young people on engagement, fun and learning during the humour sessions:
This feedback is based on the collective responses from 43 students people across the three classes being investigated.
Young people across all three teaching groups felt the introduction of exercises with the potential to generate humour: · Made the session more fun, and brought a greater sense of involvement, achievement and less boredom. · Improved learning was associated with: · greater enjoyment of the class, and improved memory associated with 'visual teaching'. The significance of this kinesthetic approach was commented upon by one young person:
"When you write, you just look at words, you don't take them in, but with the activities you're actually doing it"
· a new way of working which promoted more physical interaction with objects and people and a faster way of thinking, which again was fun. One young person remarked:
"'It changes the way you grasp ideas and understand things, but not the way you learn facts"
· Had a positive influence of relationships with other young people in the class and fostered a feeling of respect. This is demonstrated in the following comments: "
"The activities meant that we spoke to people in the class we wouldn't normally interact with; 'When they stand up in front of the class, you wouldn't laugh at them, because you know you've got to do the same thing' 'It's more teamwork"
· Appears to have increased individual sense of self-esteem in others opinions with those previously in the background seemingly not contributing, finding a new forum for contribution:
"Some of them have got up when they never used to'. 'Thought they were boring but not now"
· Created a much more positive environment: livelier, more relaxed and cheerful, and generally better for group cohesion. Comments from young people included:
"Better, livelier, more likely to chat to people you don't normally', 'Makes you want to come"'.
· Nurtured a greater feeling of involvement for the self, with each other, and team work principle.
"The things we've been doing get you involved'; 'Because you take turns, so everyone's got to be involved'; 'Helps us to interact as a group. Helps us to mix with each other more easily'; 'Get to know more people and everyone joins in, no one's left out"
In view of the above positive findings based on direct comments from various members of the 43 young people across the three class groups being investigated, the last evaluation exercise, which focused on obtaining individual voting on certain aspects of the humour initiative, showed the following 'unambiguous' weightings
· 98% (n=42) felt that the initiative had improved the classroom environment · 95% (n=41) young people reported that the recent classes had made them think differently about learning · 95% (n= 41) felt that it influenced involvement in the class · 81% (n=35) remarked that it influenced the way they remembered lesson material · 70% (n= 30) said it influenced the way they were with people in the class · 72% (n=31) reported it not having any influence outside the class
This feedback was documented through homework that the teachers completed after each co-delivery session. Comments are based on · the use of humour strategies in class · teacher's view on young people's engagement · any concerns teachers had about the sessions and anything else they wanted to mention. Where a comment does not specifically refer to a particular session, it applies in general to all sessions. It is based on feedback from two of the teachers, which returned evaluation feedback.
How well did the humour strategies work (use of by teachers and learning of young people)?
· Role play was viewed as a method easy to use "in terms of getting a point across, and matching subject matter, despite the fact that it was not always possible to engage all pupils." (Science teacher)
· Pupils were felt to engage positively with 'timed' activities. Repetition of material across exercises was associated with increased interaction and therefore increased learning. The teacher notes: "Repetition in the exercises used helped them a lot in terms of learning the material and the majority of pupils engaged to a greater degree than what they would normally do so should have taken more from the lesson." (Science teacher)
· The teacher used 'lively exercises' as he believed students would be more willing to try these. He also felt it was important to use different strategies each week to keep people engaged and entertained: (Geography teacher).
· Reflecting on his last co-delivery session, one teacher documented the extent of, and energy in young people's engagement, as well as enjoying his role as part of this: "They were all engaged throughout and the role play showed real understanding and some asked some excellent questions which put me, as quarry owner, on the spot. They enjoyed the fact that I was under pressure to answer and it spurred them on to think of others" (Geography teacher)
Learning: Use of humour not always associated with learning immediately - repetition of material using another strategy seemed to be effective at increasing learning. After session 1, the teacher notes: "I don't think the strategies made much of an influence on learning today but they may have made them look forward to the next session. I am concerned that they have not learned about the characteristics of rocks and this will mean that we will need to cover the material again." and "I was very disappointed to find that most in group had learned less than 50% of content covered. I had to do the work again using a different strategy where the students decide how they would learn the material. Most chose to draw symbols but some chose to write out the definitions and then revise them. This strategy proved more efficient and I was in a position to move on." (Geography teacher)
· In session 4, the use of humour positively associated with learning with the teacher commenting: "I was able to do some quality explanations and they were able to show understanding and learning. The room was put back together and the next group were able to come in without any fuss". (Geography teacher)
How engaged were the students? · In view of engagement, not all the class appeared to be engaged all the time. For example in session 1 the teacher notes how most got involved in the strategies although there was some disjuncture with some being reluctant. A similar pattern was seen in session 2, as commented upon by the teacher "16 students - 8 are not at ease about being involved and the two girls were less involved when they were put into different groups. When students were asked why they had come up with unusual ideas they were quick to blame the others in the group " I didn't write it, it was him" (Geography teacher)
By the last session, the above sense of disjuncture seemed greatly reduced: "16 students really good today! The girl who had stayed off was in and she was well into the tasks as she was in a group. I have found out that she is uncomfortable with her educated London accent and is a bit of a target for stick if she answers any questions. She was not happy with the first lesson and stayed off for the other two but she was on top form today1 Even two of the lads who were uncomfortable were also involved." (Geography teacher)
· A general concern about discipline when using certain exercises was raised. The teacher notes after the second session: "they took a while to respond to the humour coache's request for silence and she may have been unaware that I was having to give non-verbal eye signals towards certain students about their lack of attention. After they had finished with the plasticine one student was quick to make "missiles" from spaghetti and small pieces of plasticine and had only managed to throw one when I stopped him. He would not normally have exhibited poor behaviour., This situation would have escalated as others on the next table started to make some to throw back. They were not listening to the humour coache's instructions for the next activity." (Geography teacher)
In view of the above the teacher documented later: "I would avoid using modeling materials as a number of our students display ability when given the opportunity to make wonderfully realistic genitalia and animals in sexual positions. I am keen for students to stay behind at break and play with the materials demonstrating this ability and then tidy up the room for the next class but this rarely happens and the knock-on effect is negative as I am put under pressure and the next class gets off to a poor start" (Geography teacher)
· Some group interactive benefits were witnessed during the last co-delivery session "Some pupils worked in groups they normally wouldn't due to the activities, this in general had a positive influence on their behaviour" (Science teacher)
· It was felt that further coaching was needed at the end of co-delivery sessions to explore further how to get more pupils involved in certain activities i.e. role play. The teacher indicated disjuncture with type of strategy used for some young people: "Most pupils were at ease, Some pupils found the task a little threatening and didn't engage in the lesson fully" (Science teacher)
Other comments · The teacher expressed positive reflection, after his last co-delivery session, about his relationship with the humour coach: "I felt that the humour coach and I were working quickly and anticipating what the other would do. I added further explanation to a point she had already explained but she was able to ask me to cut my explanation short when I was going on too long! The students enjoyed the banter between us". (Geography teacher)
Summary
Both teachers highlight pupil increasing engagement with the new strategies that they use. However, in both teacher's reflection, it is documented how the use of humour is not always associated with learning immediately, with repetition of material using another strategy having an impact in this area. This suggests the benefit of following up and alternating humour exercises to reinforce ideas and facts. In some instance, negative control and discipline were noticed in conjunction with a use of humour strategies, which caused teachers to be wary of using them again due to the discomfort it brought them as teachers.
8. Conclusion The humour and learning intervention conducted at Alsop High School (Liverpool) has proved to provide a quality learning experience for both teachers and young people. It's associated positive emotional energy and environment influences amongst teachers and young people, and it's demonstrated benefits and practical nature should be perceived as something that can be incorporated into the curriculum to benefit learning and personal development of staff and young people.
What have we learnt from this evaluation?
Coaching
1. Personal development: All teachers benefited from being involved in the initiative. They learnt techniques, which they found stimulating and engaging, as well as challenging. Their personal engagement in learning the strategies was useful for informing them about which exercises might be better used with certain groups of young people.
2. Utility for curriculum: a) advocated humour strategies were seen as useful and multi disciplinary in nature for learning purposes b) teachers assigned purpose (i.e. revision purposes, initial learning) to specific techniques based on curriculum needs, timetable pressures, and student abilities.
3. Support: The Humour Coach was able to develop an excellent relationship with teachers over a short period of time, and provide confidence and reassurance in managing strategies for teachers with confidence issues. Further resources (handouts etc.) documenting strategies would have been considered useful.
4. Practical Issues: All teachers felt the weekly demands of coaching to be high and expressed concern over the homework they were given; as it was not always felt to be relevant to class activity. Late class starts, attendance failure, and interruptions due to students needs all contributed to the reduced time that the humour coach had with teachers in each session, and the learning time of teachers for the advocated strategies.
Co-delivery
1. This showed teachers using a practical toolbox to assist learning · Using one or variety of exercises, that can be used in or outside the class i.e. in the playground · Making concepts relevant with examples · Using props and costumes · Building up expectations · Being part of an audience as a teacher, or a performer interacting and engaging heavily with students in delivery of strategies
2. An excellent model for engaging young people, of a varied educational level, as witnessed in video footage, observer reports and teacher and young people's feedback. Despite initial cautious behaviour amongst some young people, there was a real sense of excitement and anticipation for group exercises, with them enjoying the competitive edge this created.
3. Some of teachers concerns which materialised during coaching sessions, about certain humour strategies providing an opportunity for certain individuals to take advantage, leaving them in a position of perceived reduced control, materialised during co-delivery. The main concern was with exercises, which allowed young people to create objects, which could then be thrown about the class. These teachers are now confident about which strategies they feel most comfortable with, and are most appropriate, to facilitate learning.
4. A strategy that teachers are willing to cascade within school after the departure of a humour coach, as they feel comfortable with in the main and they feel it engages young people.
5. LEARNING: findings show an impact on learning and other dimensions which can have an indirect effect on learning e.g. self-esteem, respect for others as documented by both teachers and young people.
July 2007
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