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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

Kovsie student off to global leadership camp in Thailand
2013-06-01

Ifa Tshishonge
24 June 2013

Student leaders from around the world, representing countries such as the United States, Germany, Japan, India, Pakistan and Vietnam, will take part in a global leadership camp at Mahasarakhan University (MSU) in Thailand from 24 June to 4 July 2013. Among them will be a Kovsie student, the only representative from the African continent.

Ifa Tshishonge, a third-year LLB student, is heading to MSU where he will engage with other young leaders in matters such as community service projects, public speaking and eco-tourism. The camp will give students an opportunity to develop their leadership skills. About 80 students will participate, 20 of them representatives from MSU. The rest are delegates from partner universities from around the world.

Tshishonge is excited to interact with fellow young leaders. “As the only African representative, I am looking forward to being part of a group which will continue to create economic and societal progress in a responsible and sustainable manner on a global scale,” he says.

This Kovsie has steadily been gravitating toward leadership roles. He has served in the SRC as a member of the First Generation Student, as well as a member of Constitutional Affairs subcommittees.Tshishonge is currently the chairperson of the Reformed Church Bloemfontein Student Fellowship (RCBSF) Association on the Bloemfontein Campus.

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