Outdoor Education

Outdoor Environmental Education: Concept-based Practice

Rationale

The concept of environmental education is undergoing change. Within public discourse there is a lot more talk of Education for Sustainable Development. Environmental education has traditionally been about the 'green' environment with an implicit hope that children will develop the skills and attitudes to enable them to make informed decisions about environmental issues.

Education for sustainable development contains all of the content of environmental education but starts from the aim of people altering their behaviour to achieve sustainable living, ie living in a way that does not deplete non-renewable resources which will be needed by future generations. It acknowledges that people are the problem and the solution to most environmental problems and recognises that economic, political, social and cultural behaviour have a big part to play in sustainable living.

These developing ideas create exciting opportunities for outdoor educationalists. Because outdoor education depends to a large extent on direct experience of different environments, and multi-sensory approaches to learning, there are specific opportunities to engage in ESD not readily available through class-based education. However, research suggests that outdoor educators tend to define environmental education very narrowly focussing on, for example, avoiding trampling over rare plants, not disturbing birds, taking care to limit erosion at abseil sites, creating wildlife habitats and instructing pupils that litter can be harmful to wildlife.

These differing definitions provide a starting point from which this course will explore the role of outdoor education in relation to values and attitudes. This will be done by looking at theoretical positions which transcend the belief that environmental education is simply about the 'green' environment. A central theme of the course is the relationship between human beings and the non-human world.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of the course students will:

  1. have explored a range of theoretical positions and their implications for environmental education;
  2. understand the historical development of environmental education and the emergence of education for sustainable development;
  3. be able to relate an ontological assumption with an epistemological position in order to formulate a programme of outdoor environmental education;
  4. explore a range of thematic approaches to environmental education and be able to draw on these in the compilation of a programme of outdoor environmental education;
  5. be able to understand the concept of environmental education from the perspective of different providers;
  6. have arrived at an individual ethic of environmental responsibility as a guiding principle for professional practice;
  7. be able to deploy the knowledge gained in the course in their chosen workplace;
  8. have taken part in experiential environmental education activities.

Teaching, Learning & Assessment Strategies

The course will be in mixed mode, with some taught components, group-based discussion activities, visiting speakers and site visits. The emphasis on the course will be based on the unity of theory and practice. Course members will be expected to contribute actively and to apply their professional experience to the issues under consideration. Students will be expected to complete background reading and independent study in order to meet the level required to complete the course successfully.

Indicative Content

Assessment

Assessment will be in the form of a written assignment of 4000-5000 words. Alternatively students will be expected to prepare a lesson plan for an activity within the scope of the course(s) and deliver the lesson to the group at a local outdoor venue. They will be assessed on this activity by course tutors and subsequently on their own critically reflective evaluation of their lesson plan and exercise. This may form part of a combined assignment with other courses as validated.

Credit Rating

20 SM (Scottish Masters) Level Credits