Can a Sense of Humor Make College Classes Better? UGA Research Says Yes!
At the University of Georgia, researchers are finding that a well-timed joke might be more than just comic relief — it might actually make college classes more enjoyable and engaging for students.
Led by Dr. Trevor Tuma, an OIBR affiliate and postdoctoral research associate in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, and Dr. Erin Dolan, an OIBR Distinguished Scholar and professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the study examined teaching recordings from more than 45 lab courses nationwide. Students then shared their perceptions of their instructors’ humor—and whether it made the class more enjoyable.
Surprisingly, it wasn’t whether the researchers thought a joke was funny that mattered — it was whether students perceived their professor as funny. When students said their instructors had a good sense of humor, they also reported feeling more positive emotions about the class and fewer negative ones. That glow of positivity can help students stay engaged and even spark a stronger interest in learning.
As Dr. Tuma explains, humor is subjective — what cracks one student up might fall flat for another — so timing and style are everything. And Dr. Dolan adds a key insight: while learning the material is vital, students’ emotions play a big role in how motivated they feel and how well they absorb it all.
But before every instructor turns into a stand-up comedian, this advice: use humor thoughtfully. If it doesn’t land, it could fall flat or even backfire — and not every joke works for every crowd.
Published in the Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education, this study gives UGA instructors — and educators everywhere — food for thought: a laugh here and there might just make science class a little sweeter.