Lightening the Learning Climate (Immediate Learning Involvement Strategy)

OVERVIEW

A classroom can quickly achieve an informal, non-threatening learning climate by inviting students to use creative humor about the subject matter at hand.  This strategy does just that and, at the same time, gets students thinking.

PROCEDURE

1.  Explain to students that you want to do a fun opening exercise with them before getting serious about the subject matter.

2.  Divide them into subgroups. Give them an assignment that deliberately asks them to make fun of an important topic, concept, or issue in the course you are teaching.
3.  Examples might be:
  • Government: Outline the most oppressive or unworkable government imaginable.
  •  Math: Develop a list of the most ineffective ways to do mathematical calculations.
  • Health: Create a diet totally lacking in nutrition.
  • Grammar: Write a sentence containing as many grammatical errors as possible.
  • Engineering Design a bridge that is likely to fall.
4.  Invite subgroups to present their "creations." Applaud the results.
5.  Ask: "What did you learn about our subject matter from this exercise?"

VARIATIONS

1. The instructor can spoof the subject matter with a creation of his or her own making.
2. Create a multiple-choice pretest on the subject you are about to teach. Add humor to the choices given for each item. For each question, ask students to select the answer that they think could not possibly be the right one.

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