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“The Laughter Effect: Enhancing Cross-Cultural Learning And Cohesiveness In A Virtual Environment,” an article by L. “Ady” Dewey, Reynolds Visiting Assistant Professor of Strategic Communications at Washington and Lee University, was recently published in the Journal of Virtual Exchange.
The article examines the role of humor in increasing group cohesion in cross-cultural and virtual education settings. Dewey and co-author ‘Atiah Abdullah Sidek from International Islamic University Malaysia reflect on their experience connecting North American students with those from Muslim-majority countries.
Their research finds that fostering experiences for shared laughter alongside learning objectives and task completion helps students break down barriers opening up possibilities for community building, understanding and empathy “Creating relationships in a set timeframe, across cultures and time zones, was a challenge,” said Dewey. “The article describes what we found to be successful: making space for laughter. We write about a practice we developed to help break down the barriers for students, as well as why we did so, and what we learned along the way. We have spoken together at a few conferences about our work, so it’s nice to see it now documented for others as a model to adapt.”
Dewey is in her second year as a visiting member of the W&L faculty. She previously worked at Bridgewater College as a practitioner in residence and as a strategic communications consultant and freelancer. Dewey earned a bachelor of science degree in education from Virginia Tech and a master of public administration degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
The Journal of Virtual Exchange is a peerreviewed journal centered around topics of telecollaboration and online intercultural exchange.
