Not Only Humoring You: College Students' Experiences of Comedy and Pedagogic Implications

• In Event: Transformative Learning in the Humanities

Abstract

There were many flashpoints of 2020, prompting people the world over to use comedy to engage in sociopolitical dialogue. As educators, how can we give students the tools to critically engage with comedy, and can we use comedy to unlock deeper learning experiences for students to contextualize academic learning? In this pilot study, we use focus groups and surveys to study the phenomenology of college students encountering comedic material whose subjects related to racism. Our data reveal five recurring dimensions that students note. We use these preliminary findings to suggest strategies for instructors hoping to thoughtfully use comedy as a tool for instruction, while also instructing students how to be thoughtful about comedy outside the classroom.

Authors

• Lory Janelle Dance, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

• Anna Poudel, University of Kansas

• Sutton Marvin, Mercer University