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29 January 2024 | Story Igno van Niekerk | Photo Igno van Niekerk
Prof Jannie Pretorius
Prof Jannie Pretorius uses an engaging and humorous teaching style that keeps his Life Science and Natural Science students fascinated and engaged.

Once upon a time, there was a monotonous teacher: the students did not like his lectures. Nothing interesting ever happened. The teacher grew old and retired. The end. Or not? According to research, teaching can be a humorous, fun, and enjoyable experience if you do it differently.

Mr Bean videos and Trevor Noah in the class

Prof Jannie Pretorius, a lecturer in the School of Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Technology, uses an engaging and humorous teaching style that keeps his Life Science and Natural Science students fascinated and engaged. When starting out at the UFS, Prof Jannie wondered about using humour in a “serious tertiary environment.” He soon discovered that students, like most other people, also enjoy appropriate humour.

Using humour in education turned into a research project, and Prof Pretorius found himself showing Mr Bean videos and watching Trevor Noah shows to develop a lesson where the impact of using intentional humour was studied by measuring students’ reactions. An example from the transcription of his class on the mating habits of the praying mantis, where the female often bites the male’s head off to eat him for nourishment, shows how fun can be integrated into learning:

So, it seems that the praying mantis is like – praying; the male is saying: ‘Please don’t eat me, Sylvia, please!’… (laughter) … and she would pray back and say, ‘Please, Ronnie, I can’t resist you.’ (laughter).

Sensitive to their learners’ preferences

Despite the classes being fun, Prof Pretorius also cautions that it is important for teachers to be sensitive to their learners’ preferences and cultural backgrounds when using humour. “There is always an element of risk in the use of humour. As such, humour should always be used in a respectful and inclusive manner to ensure that all learners feel comfortable and included in the classroom.”

Prof Pretorius recognises that the use of humour depends on educators’ personal preferences. Ultimately, it is about what the students learn.

Listen to Prof Jannie Pretorius talk about his research. 

News Archive

Main Campus elects its first black SRC president
2009-08-22

 Mr Moses Masitha

Mr Moses Masitha, B.A. Philosophy student and SASCO candidate, is the first black President of the University of the Free State’s (UFS) Student Representative Council (SRC) for the Main Campus.

The results for the SRC and Student Parliament of the UFS’s Main Campus were announced today after the elections, which took place on Wednesday, 19 August 2009. Mr Masitha was Vice-President (External) in 2007/2008.

This year, four organisations, namely SASCO, FF+ Kovsies, the DA and COPESM, took part in the elections. Altogether 6 174 students took part in the voting this year, while 6 926 students voted last year.

On the proportional representation SASCO obtained 48,2% votes, FF+ Kovsies 43%, the DA 5% and COPESM 3,8%.

The election was declared free and fair by Prof. Thomas Acho, Chief Electoral Officer of the Independent Electoral Agency (IEA).

“The UFS management wishes to thank the IEA for the professional manner in which they independently managed the whole election process. The management will, as always, provide our full support to the efforts of the newly elected student leadership as well as the representatives of various student organisations in the realisation of the university’s objectives,” said Prof. Jonathan Jansen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS.

Media Release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Deputy Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@ufs.ac.za  
21 August 2009


 

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