Whether you’re a science geek in the best sense of the word or someone who’s had enough of it back at school, you ought to agree that these science-based memes are pretty funny. Probably that’s why the ‘Science Meme’ Facebook page, created roughly a decade ago, has already amassed more than 1.3 million followers.
It will come as no surprise, but people enjoy funny content. That’s why you might recall an anecdote faster than a scientific fact. But the two can actually go hand in hand, sometimes even helping students learn about science and the world we live in.
Research on the educational power of humor on student engagement in online learning environments found that humor can increase students’ engagement in the process of learning.
“The positive effects of humorous elements for behavioral engagement in the discussion help to maintain active participation and tracking of discussion topics,” the study read in part. “In practical assignments, the humorous element has a positive effect on the indicators of behavioral engagement, including the time spent and number of assignment attempts.”
Dr. Ronald A. Berk, Professor Emeritus of Biostatistics and Measurement at Johns Hopkins University, seconds the idea that humor can be used to help students learn easier; and, of course, make the process more fun!
Berk, a professor of a rather intimidating subject, was cited by the American Psychological Association (APA), saying that humor helps relieve fear and reduce anxiety. "When I enter the classroom, I want to change the entire atmosphere into one where everyone has fun with the material—even if the material is complex," he said.
But, according to the professor, it’s important not to overdo it, too, as comedy should complement the course material and not distract students from it.
Humor when learning can be used in all sorts of ways. According to APA, in one of professor Berk’s classes, for instance, he had two groups of students enter the classroom, the first group doing so accompanied by the song “All That Jazz” and the second group later to the beats of the theme music from “Rocky”.
The first group of students wearing white gloves and the second one throwing punches with hooded sweatshirts were used by the professor to explain the concept of statistical sampling designs. It’s safe to say that whether or not they passed their exams, the students remembered statistical sampling and that particular lesson for a long time.
Unsurprisingly, funny memes can also help students learn and retain information. A study on enhancing the student learning experience through memes found that both creating and using memes can improve the perception of knowledge retention. According to it, the majority of students considered meme-making to be “both fun and relevant while helping them remember and reflect on class content”.
Whether it’s studying or leisure that drives you to the warm embrace of memes, you’re in luck, as we have quite a few of them in store for you here at Bored Panda. If you’d like to continue browsing them, make yourself comfortable and open up our category dedicated entirely to memes for more similar, but not necessarily science-focused, content. Have fun!
