TABLE 3.

Examples of instructor talk that researchers coded as attempts at humor

Example instance
“You can see my artistic requirements for this course, the bar is very low.”
“And if you mess up one cell, it'll destroy your entire bacteria situation going on. And then you'll create a mutant that will destroy the world. No, just kidding.”
“I’m a master of awkward silences and once won a staring contest with a goldfish.”
“So you guys get the benefit of that, and it's called Shakira. We've named our shaking incubator Shakira ‘cuz it shakes’.”