What’s the story? Outdoor education in New Zealand in the 21st century

Outdoor education, in its various guises, has been part of the New Zealand education system for decades and is considered by many to be integral to school life. This paper addresses outdoor education within physical education in primary and secondary schools. It critiques the priority historically given to personal and social outcomes, suggesting that this has served to keep outdoor pursuits and adventure activities at the forefront of many school programmes, particularly in secondary schools. In turn, it is proposed that this has sidetracked the focus from outdoor environmental education, a problematic outcome given contemporary concerns about the need to foster environmental appreciation, understanding, and action. A range of possibilities for a practice of outdoor education that deliberately and creatively fuses simple, 'skill-full' adventures, and student connectedness and commitment to local environments is highlighted

Learning from leisure: Developing nature connectedness in outdoor education

The “greening” of outdoor education has received increasing attention from educators in Aotearoa-New Zealand and internationally. Given contemporary global concerns about the scale of environmental issues and the associated recognition that educating for sustainability is a matter of urgency, the continuing exploration of pedagogies promoting human connection to nature is arguably a central concern for outdoor educators. This paper contributes to professional dialogue about outdoor education pedagogies that may facilitate the development of students’ connectedness to, and care for, non-human nature. It draws from an interpretative research project that explored the meanings of nature-based leisure for eleven women aged 40 to 65 years. Findings from that research highlighted an important interplay between women’s conceptions of nature and their participation in leisure. The paper directs attention to three interconnected pedagogical principles that are teased from the women’s stories: repeated immersion in local nature environments, the decentring of traditional performance discourses, and critical reflection. These are presented as key considerations for outdoor education teachers and teacher educators in promoting nature connectedness and care. Recommendations are made for outdoor education researchers and teacher educators for future research directions

Assessment in senior outdoor education: A catalyst for change?

In recent times issues of sustainability and place, and human connectedness and care for outdoor environments, have been the subject of increasing professional dialogue in outdoor education in Aotearoa New Zealand. Attention has been drawn to the ways in which traditional, adventure-based conceptualisations of outdoor education shape pedagogical practice in particular ways, potentially obscuring opportunities to explicitly promote student connectedness to, and learning about and for the outdoors. This paper contributes to this evolving dialogue about the greening of outdoor education by specifically targeting assessment in senior school outdoor education. By initially establishing the interdependence of curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment, the potential that assessment has to constrain and/or drive this recent curriculum and pedagogical re-prioritising in outdoor education is made evident. We argue that it is possible for assessment to be a productive engine for student learning about sustainable relationships with the outdoors. Five interconnected catalysts are highlighted as being central to this: (i) the alignment process, (ii) using fresh eyes with current achievement standards, (iii) taking another look at curriculum in relation to assessment, (iv) writing programme-specific assessments, and (v) reflective decision making. These are suggested to be key considerations for outdoor educators for the potential of school-based outdoor education to be fully harnessed

Gender and the Outdoors: An International Conversation

Over the past two to three decades in outdoor education circles, there has been a gradual swell of interest in bringing a gender lens to the examination of issues, theory and practice within the field. Although feminist theory has been subjected to lively debate and undergone sophisticated shifts in the ways of conceptualizing and analyzing gender, much of the literature coming out of the outdoor field and much of our practice is still centered on women and difference. As Bell (1997) so clearly asked, “Has the dialogue on the nature of gender and associated social issues not changed in the past decade?” A group of international researchers, educators and practitioners discussed gender theory and practice in their “neck of the woods” and challenged attendees to ask that question again today

Vibration induced damage due to construction work – Blasting tests

In this study, two instrumented blast test series were performed in a rock quarry in Norway. For the first test series, two buildings were erected, one made of Light Expanded Clay Aggregate (Leca) blocks, and one in cast-in-place unreinforced concrete. Both buildings were founded on a thin compacted gravel layer over rock. In the second test series one building made of Leca blocks was erected on top of an about 4 m thick filling, established at the same location as the buildings in the first test series. The test buildings were instrumented with triaxial geophones, accelerometers and Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors (strain sensors) in multiple positions. To gain full control, repeatability and traceability of the blasts, packaged emulsion and NG-based explosives together with electronic detonators were used

A longitudinal investigation of the relationship between adolescent alcohol involvement and self-esteem.

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a significant correlation between adolescent alcohol involvement and self-esteem and if there was, which variable was antecedent. A group of seventh graders were followed and assessed in 7th (N = 82), 8th (N = 60), 9th (N = 40), and 12th (N = 45) grades using the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory (SEI) and the Adolescent Alcohol Involvement Scale (AAIS). Pearson - R correlation coefficients were calculated each year of the study to determine if there was a statistically significant negative correlation between the AAIS scores and the SEI scores and the SEI subscale scores at any one time. To determine which variable was the antecedent, cross lag panel correlations were examined between all six pairs of grades (7-8, 7-9, 7-12, 8-9, 8-12, and 9-12). Only the scores of the subjects who were present in both pairs of years in each comparison were used. The subjects\u27 scores on the AAIS showed an increasing trend from grade 7 to grade 12 by both males and females with gender differences in grade 9 where females reported higher levels of alcohol use. The SEI scores of both males and females followed an increasing trend from grade 7 to grade 12 with gender differences in grades 8, 9 and 12. In these three grades the female SEI scores were significantly lower than those of their male classmates. The calculation of the initial sets of correlation coefficients revealed that there were significant negative correlations between the AAIS scores and the total SEI scores and several of the subscale scores in grades 7, 8 and 9 but not 12. The cross lag correlations suggested that variation in self-esteem scores precedes inverse variation in alcohol involvement scores. In particular, lowered self-esteem as measured by the Peer, School and Self subscales on the SEI preceded higher levels of alcohol involvement. The one exception to this was for eighth grade boys where higher use of alcohol preceded lowered school self-esteem in grade 9. Based on the findings of the study, implications for the prevention and treatment of alcohol abuse were discussed. Recommendations for further study were also made

Issues of Justice and Equity in Special Education: Labels, Language, and Problems with the Medical Model of Disability

A PowerPoint presentation, titled Issues of Justice and Equity in Special Education: Labels, Language, and Problems with the Medical Model of Disability, given by Casey Cosgriff and Suzannah Chapman at the Justice Festival held on the campus of Morehead State University on October 19, 2022

School curriculum and outdoor education. Part 1: Early childhood and primary school

Th is chapter explores broad possibilities for learning outdoors in formal education contexts. In part one we set the scene for the chapter by examining contemporary curricula in the early childhood and school sectors. National curriculum documents are introduced to look at the vision and ‘big picture’ direction they suggest for outdoor education practice. Attention then turns to consider outdoor education initiatives in early childhood settings, with examples drawn from programmes to illustrate the unique and practical ways in which they ‘walk the talk’ of student-centred, bicultural, holistic, and sustainable approaches. Th e discussion moves to consider the opportunities the primary school context aff ords for outdoor education that deliberately focuses on students’ relationships with the outdoor places they inhabit. Examples such as the well established Enviro-Schools programme and integrated units of learning are outlined to illustrate what we consider to be the heart of this forward looking outdoor education. In part two, the focus moves to outdoor education in the secondary school. While the distinctiveness of the secondary setting with its associated compartmentalised, subject-focused curriculum is initially acknowledged, the focus broadens to consider a range of factors or enablers of innovative outdoor education practice. As with part one, examples of ‘real’ curricula, co-curricula, and extra-curricula programmes are featured. Th ese examples provide powerful guides for outdoor educators seeking to rethink, refi ne and reshape their students’ outdoor learning experiences in ways that enable them to enjoy, understand, and act for the environments in which they live and move. In sum, this chapter explores a vision of a more sustainable outdoor education future

Delaminations Investigated With Ultrasonic Spectroscopy

A previous study suggested that the ultrasonic spectroscopy technique identified possible disbonds or delaminations in polymer matrix composite (PMC) rings sectioned from flywheel rotors (ref. 1). These results went unsubstantiated by other nondestructive evaluation (NDE) methods. To explain the results, PMC rings were further investigated with ultrasonic spectroscopy (ref. 2). The ultrasonic spectroscopy system utilizes a continuous-swept sine waveform as the input. After the swept sine wave traverses the material, the captured waveform is subjected to two fast Fourier transforms. The second fast Fourier transform along with equalization of the frequency spectrum, allows for evaluation of the fundamental resonant frequency. The full-thickness resonance, the resonance corresponding to the location of the intentional disbond, and the frequency spectrum were examined in an effort to characterize the sensitivity of the NDE method to various delamination conditions