Michelle Gallen :: Blog :: Carry On Learning - Laughter and Memory

http://www.liquidelearning.com/2007/09/carry-on-learning-laughter-and-

I've recently had to attend some workshops on business skills. I learned best in the workshops where the facilitators were humourous. This made me curious about how I learn...so I've been reading more of my How the Brain Learns book (David Sousa). Here are a few laughter and learning facts:

- Laughing gets more oxygen into the bloodstream...oxygen is pure brain fuel.

- Laughing causes a surge in endorphins - these are the body's natural painkillers, and they give you a feeling of euphoria.

- Endorphins stimulate your brain's frontal lobes. This can lead to increased focus and attention span.

So laughing not only gives you a physical feel-good effect, it makes you feel better mentally.

Laughter also decreases stress, boosts your immune system and relaxes muscle tension.

I don't usually associate training or teaching with laughter. I'd say most people are the same. But I do know that my favourite teachers at school were the funny ones. Children like to laugh. School is boring. The funny teachers were popular.

I'm not an ideal training candidate. I'm not used to spending a day at a table, listening to other people's presentations. I get bored if the content is too familiar or badly presented...I need to get up and walk about, or sit on the floor, or 'get away' to focus myself...I need to eat something frequently - not just a biscuit with a coffee break - I mean I need chocolate and nuts and something to drink just about every hour...

So seeing how some trainers and presenters have managed to keep me engaged during all-day presentations has been interesting. And I've found that even if I can't get up and move around, eat or break away, I can still stay focussed if the trainers are funny.

Two trainers who made a great impact were a classic double act - Martin York and Peter Miller from G4H - a UK firm who specialise in sales and marketing execution.

Martin and Peter jokingly introduced themselves as Ant and Dec. Throughout their extremely well-polished workshop, they punctuated theory with insider anecdotes and humour.

I stayed engaged because I didn't want to miss the jokes or anecdotes, but the laughter meant the learning experience was powerful, positive and memorable. It also helped that their content was strong and concise.

And Aidan Harte of Optimum Results, Ireland was also good trainer. I'd a bad start to this workshop, having not had enough food and no nibbles with me. I then missed the mid-morning snack and ended up having to go until lunch without food...not good!

But Aidan's use of anecdotes and humour to underline points got us all laughing and bonding, contributing more stories and facts to the shared pool.

Laughter enhances Learning. Now where can I learn how to be funny?