SCoPE: Panda Walks Into a Bar: January 17-February 5, 2006

as usual. It's time (and past time) to wrap up what has been, for me, a thought-provoking discussion about humour in the classroom (virtual or actual).

So, what have we learned? That humour is both a tool and a weapon; that the element of surprise is essential; that there are formulae that can be applied (though I suspect there is more alchemy than mathematics to humour. The best jokes defy analysis, and no formula, however precise, can save a lame joke); that emoticons can mitigate the potential sting of a joke; and that humour, can enliven the learning process, and open the mind to new possibilities. Teaching online (via webcasting) is a lot like stand-up comedy, it appears. Passion, preparedness, and the imagination to see beyond the obvious are the critical elements both of successful comedy and effective pedagogy.

Special thanks to Corrie for reminding me to beware the easy target - that one person's joke is another person's assault and that satire always has a bite. And thanks to Les, for sharing his student's research in finding the (truly inspirational!) end of the story of the marijuana smuggler. Kudos to his students for taking the appropriate lesson from this example.

Finally, if there is one lesson to take away from all this discussion, it must be that humour is risky business.

Thanks to all who have participated. ^-)