PGDE/B.Ed Elective in Outdoor Learning
This elective is offered to students undertaking the PGDE (secondary) and B.Ed (primary) at Moray House School of Education. These students are training to become teachers in secondary schools and this elective is additional to their other general and subject-based training. Students should check programme regulations regarding access to electives.
Rationale
Recent UK government reports on the role of outdoor learning in schools have emphasised the educational, social and health benefits of outdoor learning in the development of young people. However, despite the evidence supporting outdoor learning, many schools are not well placed to support this form of learning. Outdoor Learning is offered as an initial step towards assisting teachers to incorporate outdoor learning into their teaching and curriculum planning. It does not aim to train student-teachers as outdoor specialists, but aims to provide them with some understanding of the benefits, processes and skills related to learning in the outdoors. This interdisciplinary course is designed to give students the tools with which to teach across the curriculum in an outdoor context. Course content is closely aligned with the development of 'the four capacities' outlined in Curriculum for Excellence. In terms of educational policy, the course supports the recommendations of Curriculum for Excellence through Outdoor Learning (LTS, 2010).
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this Curriculum Extension students will:
- understand the broad concepts underpinning outdoor learning in the UK;
- have gained experience and understanding of ways in which outdoor learning can be used for various educational purposes;
- be aware of the ways in which Curriculum for Excellence and outdoor learning may inform each other;
- be able to understand and apply principles of experiential learning to teaching young people in outdoor (and indoor) contexts;
- understand principles of place- and community-based education
- have developed an awareness of key issues in education for environmental sustainability
- be aware of safety issues pertinent to teaching and learning witih groups of young people in outdoor settings;
- have developed a critical awareness of educational issues relating to outdoor learning and its interdisciplinary applications.
For more information on the PGDE/B.Ed elective course in outdoor education, please contact Dr Simon Beames at simon.beames@ed.ac.uk
