In this paper, I revisit a spontaneous "laughter" event in a college classroom in China to decolonize in three steps my/our otherwise naturalized modernity/coloniality assumptions about teaching/teachers, learning/learners, gender, objects, and classroom space toward a Daoist affective ecological imaginary. First, I invoke postcritical…

In this article, I share with the reader my journey into environmental education, and how I came to understand that even an urbanite like me has something to offer. I look to the work of Indigenous scholars to frame the ways in which Indigenous pedagogies, combined with environmental, place-based, and land-based pedagogies, form a matrix of…

College and university lawyers must be prepared to address legal matters that range from the kinds one might expect to those that are unanticipated, even unbelievable. It's all in a day's work--and there's no such thing as a typical day in the life of a higher education attorney. The complex legal and regulatory issues facing…

What's funny about art--and why should art educators care? Art historians, critics, and artists are now taking a closer look at art that generates a laugh. This has particular relevance for art educators who seek to direct student engagement in new and exciting areas and embrace artworks that generally fall outside of the art school…

An achievement evaluation of a non-conventional physics course for liberal arts students is presented. The theoretical ground for this course focuses on the use of humour as a teaching tool. Preliminary evidence shows that a learning process is accomplished. (Contains 1 table and 3 figures.)

Humor is a powerful tool. It can disarm an adversary. It can leaven the purposefully self-aggrandizing nature of a job interview. Perhaps most important, it can serve as a window to personality in the same way that a resume is a window to experience. In this article, the author emphasizes the value of having a sense of humor. He emphasizes that it…

Ten elements and techniques which can be used very effectively in a college level political science course are animation and enthusiasm; costumes; skits; motion; humor; perks; personality and mood changes; voices, puppets, and imitations; the personalization of material; and state of mind. (RM)

Describes the ways in which a professor of statistics uses humor in the classroom. Ronald A. Berk uses humor as systematic teaching tool even though some other faculty and administrators consider his approach frivolous. (SLD)

The article describes how the creative use of "awareness plans" can empower teacher education students as learners and teachers. The approach makes use of concepts of metacognition and the value of play and humor and provides a formatted written exercise to increase self awareness. (DB)

Presents a collection of humorous, incorrect answers given over the years by college students taking tests in a course on French civilization. The paper emphasizes the importance of appreciating the humor within any situation. The answers are in response to questions asking students to identify people, places, dates, or events and to explain their…

"Presidentialese" is a curious dialect of higher education jargon. A humorous description of the language of higher education, as it pertains to college presidents and their ability to circumvent the truth, is presented. (MLW)

Argues for the value of humor in writing center instruction. Shows how writing center tutors can use humor effectively in tutoring settings. Relates personal experiences as a writing tutor in which humor proved useful and effective. (HB)

Examines why scientific humor is produced and what functions it serves. Discusses the case of James V. McConnell and his journal "The Worm-Runner's Digest," which published serious scientific articles in the empiricist repertoire and more whimsical materials in the contingent repertoire. (RS)

A professor of the old school invents the scenario of an avowed educational mediocrity that must defend its reputation for expecting the very least from its students and faculty. His fictional Damp State University cherishes its position on the lowest tier of "U.S. News & World Report's" rankings. Professor Reeves gives us a bitter…

Shows that while student humor has definite pedagogical usefulness in teaching the conventional academic modes of discourse and language, it also can become a vehicle of subversion. (TB)