Reviews the literature for empirical support of the use of humor in classroom teaching. Concludes that the judicious use of humor by a teacher can facilitate student learning, and offers guidelines for its use. (FMW)

Describes and promotes topic synthesis, an approach where students rather than instructors summarize the key points of the previous lecture at the beginning of the next class. Benefits include improved oral presentation skills and reinforcement of key concepts. The method also provides an accurate assessment tool. (MJP)