Ever had to sit through a boring training session that felt like watching paint dry. Of course you have. We all have. Those mind-numbing presentations that leave us struggling to keep our eyes open while sitting in a stiflingly warm room are sadly all too common, still. You’re more likely to drift off than actually learn something.
Don’t get us wrong. There are amazing, charismatic trainers out there who really make a difference and inspire us to become better. It’s know-all in-house trainers or ‘traditionalists’ with dry PowerPoints and monotonous monologues who we’re not so fond of. Sadly, even most online training is grey and dull.
Honestly, the amount of memes we’ve seen where people are clicking rapidly on a mouse captioned ‘Me doing online training’. And they’re so right. We want to get through it fast because it’s tedious and doesn’t challenge us.
But what if training could be as enjoyable as binge-watching your favourite box-set?
Here at iAM, we’ve turned the traditional approach to learning on its head. See, our owners used to take that boring stuff. Hell, they used to make it, too. So, when inspiration took them, it was time to make something different. Something disruptive in this sector. They made training which was truly exciting – it told stories, used characters, pop culture references and a healthy dose of humour. Why? Because they believe that learning should be fun, engaging and memorable.
So, why do we at iAM Learning think that learning through laughter is the way forward? It’s not such a pie-in-the-sky idea. Let’s show you the benefits that adding humour to the learning mix brings.
It Makes Learning Much More Engaging
You know already that in the modern world, we’re fighting a battle against constant distractions. If it’s not the buzz of a phone notification, it’s the siren call from that social network you try to pretend you’re not addicted to. These days, we decide whether we like something in the first 10 seconds and then swipe to the next vid, so bland learning has no chance before we mentally switch off and go through the motions. Engaging learning, then, isn’t just nice to have, It’s truly essential.
We don’t inject humour into our eLearning courses just to get a cheap laugh. It’s not stand-up comedy. We use it subtly, sometimes in the background, vocal tones. Sometimes the subject just isn’t appropriate for it, and we recognise that. But that doesn’t mean the course can’t be interesting.
Think about it this way: when was the last time you struggled to pay attention to something that made you laugh? Humour is a hook, drawing learners in, and keeping them engaged as they learn. But it’s not just keeping eyes on-screen. If a learner is engaged with the content, they’re also encouraged to participate. When they’re enjoying themselves, they’re more likely to interact with the material, ask questions and apply what they’ve learned to real-life situations.
Stories Come to Life Through Pop Culture References
You’ve probably noticed those times when a well-timed movie quote has livened up a conversation. The power of pop culture is strong. It gives us a common anchor and reference point. We harness it to bring learning stories to life.
Imagine learning about allyship in the workplace through a ‘Stranger Things’ inspired scenario. Or exploring BEDI with a nod to ‘Star Wars’. These aren’t random references thrown in. They’re carefully chosen to create connections between the familiar and the new.
These characters, scenes and situations are ones that learners already know and love. The references are shortcuts to understanding, allowing learners to grasp complex concepts more quickly and easily. Plus, they add excitement – who wouldn’t want to see Indiana Jones handle a risk assessment?!
It Makes Learning Fun (Even the Boring Bits)
Not every topic in workplace training is inherently thrilling. Health and safety, compliance, data protection – they aren’t subjects that get people leaping out of bed to take courses about them in the morning. But that doesn’t mean learning about them should be a chore.
All it takes is weaving entertaining narratives into these topics and sprinkling them with humour, and we can transform the mundane into the memorable. Suddenly, understanding GDPR isn’t about memorising complex rules. It’s a fun storyline where out protagonist can time travel to right a mistake they’ve made while failing to apply the rules. Absurd, but memorable.
This approach doesn’t just make learning more enjoyable. It makes it more accessible. Complex topics become less intimidating when they’re presented in a light-hearted way. And when learners don’t find it a slog, they engage with the material, and that leads to better understanding and retention. This leads us to our next point…
It Helps Us to Retain Information
Here’s a fun fact: Our brains are wired up to remember things that make us laugh. It’s not a theory – studies have shown that humour triggers psychological changes in our brains that enhance memory formation.*
When we laugh, our brains release dopamine, a neurotransmitter that plays a crucial role in the learning and memory processes. This chemical reaction helps to cement information in our long-term memory, making it easier to recall later.
You probably remember jokes from your favourite comedy shows or funny moments from years ago. On the other hand, you might struggle to recall the details of that serious presentation from last month, That’s the power of humour in action. By linking important information to humorous content, we’re giving learners’ brains a helping hand in storing and retrieving that knowledge.
Humour Helps us Tackle Tough Topics Appropriately
Let’s face it. Some of the training courses that we’re forced to take for compliance reasons are inherently awkward or uncomfortable. You know, sexual harassment prevention, menopause, safeguarding, that sort of thing. There are some untouchable subjects that you just don’t want to make light of. And of course, we wouldn’t. We’ve got a more ‘pure’ design for many of them. We would still use friendly language to illustrate key points to take the edge off these sensitive subjects without diminishing their importance.
Then you have other courses, like unconscious bias, and even personal hygiene in the workplace, which are also serious, but we can create light-hearted scenarios or relatable characters to illustrate key points. Like the gym bro who is oblivious to his post-workout funk and the manager who has to bring it to his attention, for everyone’s sake.
This sort of approach makes the content more palatable and helps learners remember the key points more vividly. This way, humour is used to engage and help with understanding, not make light of serious issues. When done right (and we check our content with experts and certification bodies to ensure balance), this method lets learners absorb critical information in a way that’s both respectful and memorable. It turns those potentially awkward sessions into opportunities for open discussion.
It Creates a Positive Learning Culture
When humour is used in learning courses, you’re not just delivering content, you’re creating an experience. This approach helps to build a positive learning culture, where training isn’t seen as a chore. It’s something people actually look forward to instead.
This kind of positive atmosphere has a ripple effect. It creates motivation to learn where people want to engage with the content rather than feeling forced to complete it as a box-ticking exercise. It also encourages a growth mindset where learners are more comfortable taking risks, asking questions and pushing themselves to learn more. A manager’s dream.
Even better – this positivity extends beyond the training itself. When learning is associated with positive emotions, it changes the way people view professional development as a whole. That means instead of dreading the next training session, they actually get excited for the opportunity to learn something new.
Humour In Learning Really Works
Remember the start of this blog? Back when we were dreading yet another boring health and safety course? Now instead imagine taking a fun course. Learning the same topic but with a smile on your face and a brain full of memorable moments. Much nicer, isn’t it?
Adding humour to courses doesn’t just make them more palatable. It makes them more effective. By making learning engaging, relatable, fun, memorable and positive, you won’t be just creating tick-box learning, you’ll be creating an environment where the culture of learning flourishes.
Here at iAM Learning, we’re firm believers in learning being an enjoyable experience. It’s the entire philosophy on which our company has been built. Why? Because if we’re going to spend our valuable time and resources developing our skills and knowledge, why wouldn’t we have a good time doing it? There’s just too many benefits to using humour in learning – the approach isn’t a gimmick, it’s a powerful tool for creating truly effective training.
You have a choice, then. Stick with the bland, dusty old training just because “that’s the way it’s done, traditionally”. Or try a training course that makes you laugh, gets you invested in its stories and helps you actually learn something, then retain that knowledge. Honestly, it’s a no-brainer.
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