Humor and Multimedia as Teaching Tools
for the Net Generation

The Net Generation of students (aka “digital natives”) eschew “talking head,” lecture, textbook-based teaching methods. How can we transform these traditional methods into a Broadway-type production with which your students will connect? They are super-savvy with technology and are experiential, participatory, visual, kinesthetic learners who crave interaction with other students and you. Their world evolves around music, movies, music videos, PC and video games, and TV programs. They function at “twitch” speed.

We need to leverage these multimedia sources as teaching tools in a learner-centered environment. This presentation illustrates how to use music, movie clips, parodies of TV programs, games, and humor as systematic teaching strategies. These strategies can activate students’ prior knowledge of the cultural elements in their world to generate motivation, interest, and attention to learn new material from our world. They draw on the theories of multiple intelligences by Gardner and Goleman, tapping 4–6 intelligences and a variety of learning styles, so EVERY student can learn in ANY subject. This approach can increase student success and retention dramatically. The use of humor and multimedia is based on research from neuropsychology, education, commercial advertising, humor, music, and communications. The results of 70+ studies from over 45 years of research are reviewed. Whether you’re a newbie or veteran, you will find new ideas to apply to your content to connect with your students and bring what students’ perceive as dead and boring content to life. As the lyrics to the hit song from Aladdin tell us, we are entering “A Whole New World.”

This topic is available as a 1.5–2 hour keynote or 3-hour workshop.

To find out more, email Ed Leach or call (480) 705-8200, x233.