Comedy is the Key to Learning

Unfortunately we are human beings!

Learning at ECS is really fun. I love the way teachers use humour to reverse the class attitude, especially when we are bogged down into some horrible details. A couple of weeks ago, our lecturer was talking about WSDL and WS-Addressing.

The topic got so complex that I started looking for my coffee to keep my eyes open. Other fellows were looking at the wall-clock and even the door! I was confused with the irony of the topic. These (WSDL etc. ) are computer-generated, machine-readable and still WE have to learn them.

Soon, our lecturer realized the situation and said, “It’s a bit difficult to understand it because, unfortunately, we are human beings!” the class burst into laughs. After a few minutes, we (OK, at least a few) were back-on-track.

Using humour to teach has many advantages. It keeps us focused on the topic when we are pondering if we have had enough sleep last night (If yes, then what’s this Ahhhhhh) or worst, who might have replied to you on Facebook. Plus, it reminds us that we are still students and haven’t transformed into machines.

The only thing wrong with humour is it’s difficult to acquire this skill. Humour is a gift and we are lucky enough to have some teachers who possess this.

I never realized that there are two ways to learn “inseminating artificial bugs in code during test-phase”. One is to learn it by reading a big, boring and hard-to-carry textbook.

The other is to learn this technique by finding the ways to catch squirrels in Southampton Common! You would not believe that I learnt PERT technique by simply following the tea-making process, software quality metrics by destroying Greenland with an accidental missile-launching and safety in critical systems by exploding various plants – I must say our teachers are making the job of curriculum designers easier!

Well, I tried my best to make you laugh. If you haven’t laughed yet, here is a joke.

Question: How many Curriculum Designers does it take to pull off a kidnapping?

Answer: Six—five to write the ransom note and one to kidnap the victim. Unfortunately