Humor as an Instructional Defibrillator: Evidence-Based Techniques in Teaching and Assessment [Paperback]

Ronald A. Berk (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1579220630 | ISBN-13: 978-1579220631 | Publication Date: October 1, 2002 | Edition: 1

Grab those paddles. Charge 300. Clear! "Ouch!" Now how do you feel? "Great!"

Humor can be used as a systematic teaching or assessment tool in your classroom and course Web site. It can shock students to attention and bring deadly, boring course content to life. Since some students have the attention span of goat cheese, we need to find creative online and offline techniques to hook them, engage their emotions, and focus their minds and eyeballs on learning.

This book offers numerous techniques on how to effectively use humor in lectures and in-class activities, printed materials, course Web sites and course tests and exams.

These techniques can convert any course into an adult version of Sesame Street.

"If Dr. Hannibal Lecter ate books, this one would make a tasty hors d' oeuvre." -- Clarice Starling

"A non-page-turning marvel...I could stop reading at any point and know I 'm not missing anything." -- Forrest Gump

"Not as much fun as Quidditch, but would be required reading for faculty at the Hogwarts School." -- Harry Potter

"How did you get this book published? Read my letters: YOUR KNOT FUNY!" -- Bart Simpson

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ronald A. Berk is Professor Emeritus of Biostatistics and Measurement and former Assistant Dean for Teaching, The Johns Hopkins University. He received the University’s Alumni Association Excellence in Teaching Award in 1993 and Caroline Pennington Award for Teaching Excellence in 1997 and was inducted as a Fellow in the Oxford Society of Scholars in 1998.He has published 11 books and 130 journal articles/ chapters. These publications reflect his unwavering commitment to mediocrity and his motto: “Go for the Bronze!” He is a popular speaker on teaching and assessment throughout the U.S. and Europe.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Stylus Publishing; 1 edition (October 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579220630
• ISBN-13: 978-1579220631
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #533,084 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not funny. Not workable., March 13, 2006

By 

Radek "Radek" (USMC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Humor as an Instructional Defibrillator: Evidence-Based Techniques in Teaching and Assessment (Paperback)

This guy is really lost. Perhaps he is funny in person, but his book leaves quite a bit to be desired. He has delusions of mediocrity. Nothing in the book is ground breaking or even original. Some of his great ideas come from things like "keep them interested with a hook." This idea he keeps repeating over and over...ad naseum. Don't waste you time or energy on this. Honestly, I can't think of anyone who would be able to use anything in here.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars It's OK..., December 28, 2006

By 

Seronac Rich "Seronac" (Orem, UT USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Humor as an Instructional Defibrillator: Evidence-Based Techniques in Teaching and Assessment (Paperback)

This book has a few good ideas for helping you to be more interesting to students, but I found that the jokes get old quickly and most of the ideas are pretty lame. Better advice might be to find your own sense of humor and be yourself! If you truly enjoy teaching and love your students, it will come through in your classroom demeaneor. This book is for those teachers and professors who are so seriously humor-deficient as to be terminally boring anyway, so it might not even help. Give the book a try, but I wouldn't recommend paying full price for it; get it used or borrow it from a colleague or library.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars user friendly, November 4, 2006

By 

J. Fisher - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Humor as an Instructional Defibrillator: Evidence-Based Techniques in Teaching and Assessment (Paperback)

Useful tips for catching the attention of students by way of humor and surprise factors