DeKALB | At first glance, a formal training that prepares teachers to use humor in the classroom seems odd; being funny is usually something you either have or don’t have.

Gene Roth disagrees.

“Using humor is a skill that can be refined and improved upon, like any other teaching method,” said Roth, presidential teaching professor of the Department of Counseling, Adult and Higher Education.

The hour-long presentation on Tuesday will introduce university professors to the application of humor in teaching and learning contexts. The seminar will take place in the Capitol Room of the Holmes Student Center at 12 p.m. Refreshments will be served at 11:30 a.m.

John Singleton, a freshman mechanical engineering major, said teachers who use humor make class more interesting and easier to stay awake for.

Roth’s seminar will also encourage professors to be aggressive in seeking humor in the classroom.

“Humor is important for three reasons,” Roth said, “First, if people are laughing then they aren’t sleeping. Secondly, humor can create an image in the learner’s head that they will remember. Humor increases the learner’s ability to make connections. The last reason is that humor can also be used to create a safe learning environment.”

Students relate to professors when they tell humorous stories about themselves, Roth said.

“When the teacher is funny, I pay more attention to the lecture,” said Meghan Sallas, a freshman nursing major.

Using humor requires a shared understanding and a judgment of appropriateness. There are also risks involved when using humor in the classroom because each of us experience it differently, Roth said.

“If there is too much humor in the classroom, then it gets old,” Sallas said.

The seminar is sponsored by the Office of the Provost and the Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center.