1. LOLcats, celebrities, and (red panda) bears – Oh, My!!
Mary T. Moser
Learning Commons Librarian
Oxford College of Emory University
Oxford, GA /

2. Welcome! Introduction What Makes Teaching and Learning Fun? Examples
LOLcats
Celebrity Gossip
Red Pandas
Research and Assessment
Adapting These Ideas
Conclusion

3. What makes teaching and learning fun?
Cute fuzzy animals?

4. What makes teaching and learning fun?
Think about a class session that you really enjoyed teaching – what made it fun?
Think about a time when you really enjoyed learning – what made it fun?

5. What makes teaching and learning fun?
Your thoughts?
My thoughts:
Student Engagement
Unexpected
Be intentional when planning classes: Make FUN a priority

6. Examples
LOLcats
Celebrity Gossip
Red Pandas

7. Research
“Instructors who make a concerted effort to capture students’ attention with engaging topics and a range of goals and objectives will facilitate student learning.”
Jacobson, T., & Xu, L. (2002). Motivating students in credit-based information literacy courses: Theories and practice. portal: Libraries and the Academy, 2(3), doi: /pla  

8. Research “The first order of business is to get students’ attention”
Don’t overlook “The power of a telling example”
Erickson, B. L., Peters, C. B., & Strommer, D. W. (2006). Teaching first-year college students (Rev. Exp.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

9. research Better retention Improved student-professor connection
Benefits of using humor in the classroom:
Better retention
Improved student-professor connection
Greater attentiveness and interest
Less academic stress
Healthy learning environment
Improved student attitudes
Improved student motivation
Walker, B.E. (2006). Using humor in library instruction. Reference Services Review, 34(1),  doi: 

10. Assessment One-Minute Papers: 45% vs. 18%
“Would you like a librarian to follow up with you to offer extra help? If yes, write your address here:”
45% vs. 18%
Consistent with my teaching priorities (engaging students)

11. Adapting these ideas Think of something:
Unique
Creative
Unusual
Surprising
Off-the-wall
Etc.
Turn to the person sitting next to you:
Introduce yourself
Share your ideas!

12. Conclusion: What to take away
Think outside the box
Nearly any topic can be a platform for teaching…

13. Examples Miss Teen South Carolina College Student’s Wikipedia Hoax
Miss Princess

14. Conclusion: What to Take away
…But make sure it’s authentic to you

15. Conclusion: What to Take away
Be fearless
Not every joke, story, or example will work, and that’s ok

16. Conclusion: What to Take away
Be considerate of your audience
“Divisive humor, such as sarcasm, irony, insults, and parody, tends to be biting and can often leave a student embarrassed. These types of humor can be extremely detrimental to learning and should be avoided” (Walker, 2006, p. 119).

17. Conclusion: What to Take away
Remind yourself: Teaching and learning can (and should) be FUN!

18. Conclusion: What to Take away
Your AND your students’ reward:
“TOTAL CONSCIOUSNESS”

19. LOEX 2010
4/30/2010
Thank you!
Oxford College of Emory University

20. Works cited
Erickson, B. L., Peters, C. B., & Strommer, D. W. (2006). Teaching first-year college students (Rev. Exp.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.  
Jacobson, T., & Xu, L. (2002). Motivating students in credit-based information literacy courses: Theories and practice. portal: Libraries and the Academy, 2(3), doi: /pla
Walker, B.E. (2006). Using humor in library instruction. Reference Services Review, 34(1),  doi: 

21. Photo credits